Not every foreign buyer in Türkiye is pursuing citizenship. Many want something more modest: a home they can use, and the right to live in it. For them Article 31 of Law No. 6458 provides a short-term residence permit on the ground of owning immovable property — a route that costs far less than the citizenship threshold and is widely misunderstood. This article explains what it gives, what it requires, and where it stops.
The ground
Article 31/1(d) of Law No. 6458 allows a short-term residence permit to be granted to a foreign national who owns immovable property in Türkiye. The permit may be granted for up to two years at a time and is renewable while the ownership and the other conditions continue.
Two limitations follow from the wording of the provision and its implementing rules, and they surprise people:
- The property must be residential — a dwelling the applicant can actually live in. A commercial unit, a shop, an office or a plot of land does not support this ground.
- The permit attaches to the owner. Family members are not automatically included and are considered under the rules applying to them.
A separate administrative requirement has developed around minimum property values in some circumstances, and the position on this has changed more than once. Verify the current requirement for the specific district and property before buying with this permit in mind — this is a point on which out-of-date guidance is abundant.
How this differs from the citizenship route
Confusion between these two is the single most common misunderstanding among foreign buyers, and it is worth a table.
| Residence permit on property | Citizenship by investment | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Right to reside, renewable | Citizenship and a passport |
| Threshold | Far below the citizenship figure | USD 400,000 appraised |
| Three-year annotation | Not required | Required |
| Valuation report | Not required for the ground itself | SPK-licensed report required |
| Family covered | Not automatically | Spouse and children under 18 |
| Renewal | Yes, repeatedly | Not applicable — permanent |
| Leads to citizenship | Only through naturalisation over time | Directly |
The important line is the last one. A residence permit does not become citizenship through repetition. A person who holds property-based permits for years and then wishes to naturalise must satisfy Article 11 of Law No. 5901 — five years of continuous residence, adequate Turkish, sufficient income, no threat to public order — as an entirely separate process.
Buyers are sometimes told that a modest purchase is a "path to citizenship". It is a path to residence, and residence is a path to naturalisation only for someone who actually lives in Türkiye and meets those conditions.
What the application requires
- Title deed in the applicant's name, for a residential property.
- Passport valid for at least sixty days beyond the requested permit period.
- Health insurance covering the full requested period.
- Address registration at the property.
- Evidence of sufficient means.
- Biometric photographs and the application form, with an appointment.
- Compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK) for the property.
- Fees — the residence fee for your nationality plus the card fee.
Note the address registration requirement. The permit rests on owning a home, and the expectation is that the applicant is registered at it. An owner registered somewhere else, or unreachable at the declared address, undermines the basis of the application.
Family members
This is where the route disappoints buyers who assumed a family solution.
The property ground supports the owner's permit. A spouse and children are not carried along automatically; they must have their own basis — a family residence permit sponsored by the owner, subject to the sponsor conditions in Article 35, or their own short-term permit ground.
Where a family intends to live in Türkiye, this needs planning at the outset. Buying one property in one name and assuming four permits will follow is a mistake that surfaces at the appointment.
Renewals and the tourism trap in reverse
The property ground has a real advantage over tourism: it does not weaken with repetition. Someone who owns a home and lives in it has the same ground on the fifth renewal as on the first.
What can weaken is the factual picture around it. An owner who spends most of the year abroad, is not registered at the property, has let it to tenants and lives elsewhere, is on the record an owner rather than a resident. Extensions are assessed on the previous period, and the previous period is visible.
If the property is let out, the owner is not living in it, and the ground becomes harder to sustain. Owners who intend to rent should take advice on the right permit basis rather than assume ownership alone carries them.
What the permit does not allow
It does not authorise work. Employment requires a work permit obtained by an employer, and working without one produces fines, a restriction code and possible removal — the same consequences that apply to any other permit holder.
It does not exempt the owner from the Article 35 limits on foreign property ownership, which apply on the basis of nationality regardless of residence status.
It does not confer the rights of a long-term resident. Time on short-term permits counts toward the eight years required for long-term residence, provided residence is genuinely continuous — which brings the point back to actually living here.
Tax, once you own
Ownership brings obligations that are easy to overlook from abroad:
- Annual property tax to the municipality, payable in two instalments.
- Rental income tax where the property is let, with a declaration due annually.
- DASK earthquake insurance, renewed annually.
- Service charges in managed buildings, which accrue whether the property is used or not and attach to the property.
Unpaid municipal taxes and service charges follow the property. An owner who ignores them from abroad discovers them at the point of sale, with interest.
If the application is refused
A refusal is an administrative act, challengeable before the administrative court within sixty days of notification. Refusals on this ground typically rest on the property not being residential, the applicant not being registered at it, insurance or passport defects, or an assessment that the applicant does not in fact reside in Türkiye.
Where the defect is documentary, a corrected fresh application is usually faster than litigation. Where the refusal rests on an assessment the owner can contradict with evidence, the court is the route.
Frequently asked questions
Does any property qualify? No — the property must be residential. Land and commercial units do not support this ground.
Is there a minimum value? Administrative requirements on minimum values have applied and have changed. Verify the current position for the district before buying.
Can my family get permits too? Not automatically. They need their own basis, commonly a family residence permit sponsored by the owner.
Can I rent the property out? You may, but letting it undermines the proposition that you live in it, which is what the ground rests on.
Does this lead to citizenship? Only through ordinary naturalisation, which requires five years of continuous residence and Turkish language ability.
Can I work? Not without a work permit obtained by an employer.
How long is the permit granted for? Up to two years at a time, often shorter on first application.
Before you buy for this purpose
The property residence permit is a sound route for someone who wants a home in Türkiye and the right to live in it. It is a poor route for someone who was promised a family solution, a work authorisation or a passport, none of which it provides.
Dural Hukuk advises buyers on whether a specific property will support this permit, conducts the pre-purchase title review, and prepares the residence applications for the owner and, where needed, the family. Call +90 535 260 74 54 or use the contact form on this site.
This article is general information on Turkish law as at August 2026 and is not legal advice. Administrative requirements change; verify the current position before committing funds.