Buy Property in Turkey as a Foreigner: Holiday Home Guide

If you want to buy property in Turkey as a holiday home or a place to retire, the legal process has its own rules that differ from those most buyers know from home. Foreign buyers must pass a nationality check, stay within area limits and avoid military zones, and the title deed (tapu) is transferred only at the land registry office (tapu müdürlüğü) in Türkiye (Turkey).

This guide explains those rules, the current position on valuation reports, the steps and the costs as of 29.09.2026. For related topics, see the real estate law overview.

Can foreigners buy property in Turkey?

Yes, subject to Article 35 of the Land Registry Law. Foreign individuals may acquire property if they are nationals of a country designated by the President, and the President may also restrict or suspend acquisitions by country or region. In practice, nationals of most countries, including the UK and EU states, are eligible. The land registry checks your nationality when you apply.

• 30 hectares per person: the total land a foreign individual may own across Türkiye; the President may raise this up to twice as much.
• 10% per district: foreigners together may not own more than 10% of the private land in a district. The land registry checks this ceiling for each purchase.
• Bare land: if you buy a plot without a building, you must submit a development project to the relevant Ministry within two years.
• Sanction: property acquired against these rules, or used against its purpose, can be liquidated and converted into money.

Where can foreigners not buy property?

Foreigners may not acquire property in second-degree military forbidden zones, and the President may bar them from areas near military zones or other strategic areas (Law No. 2565, Art. 9 and 28). The maps of military forbidden, military security and strategic zones are sent to the land registry (Land Registry Law, Art. 35), so the office checks each purchase and will tell you if a parcel is affected. According to TKGM, a property in a special security zone also needs the governor's permission.

This can matter, for example, near naval or air bases on the coast. Ask for the title record before paying any deposit.

Do foreigners still need a valuation report?

Not for an ordinary purchase. From 2019, foreign buyers had to present a valuation report from a licensed appraisal company under Circular No. 2019/1 of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM). Circular No. 2024/4, in force since 09.12.2024, repealed that circular: a valuation report is no longer required when foreigners buy property, except where the purchase is made to obtain Turkish citizenship. In that case, the investment amount is confirmed by an amount determination certificate (Tutar Tespit Belgesi, TTB) prepared from a licensed valuer's report requested through Web Tapu. TKGM amended the circular again in September 2026, so check the current details.

How do you buy a property in Turkey step by step?

What does buying property in Turkey cost?

Does your holiday home give you a residence permit?

Owning a home is a ground for a short-term residence permit (Law No. 6458, Art. 31). According to the Presidency of Migration Management, the home must have been worth at least USD 200,000 in Turkish lira at the time of acquisition, and it must be used as your residence, not rented out for income (required documents list). Co-owning family members may also apply.

Plan for inheritance as well. Turkish law governs succession to real estate located in Türkiye, whatever the owner's nationality (Private International Law Act No. 5718, Art. 20), so Turkish rules, such as the reserved shares of close relatives, apply to your Turkish home even if your will follows another law. For your specific situation, individual legal advice is recommended.