The principle of reciprocity, which was required for foreign nationals to acquire real estate in Türkiye, was abolished in 2012. This has facilitated the acquisition of real estate in Türkiye by foreign individuals. Furthermore, in order to encourage the sale of residential and commercial properties to foreigners, amendments were made to the regulations concerning the implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law in 2017 and 2018. Foreigners who purchase real estate worth at least USD 250,000, with the condition of not selling it for three years, are granted the right to obtain Turkish citizenship.
Article 13-i of the Value Added Tax Law stipulates that the initial sale of residential or commercial properties to foreign individuals not residing in Türkiye or to Turkish citizens residing outside of Turkey is exempt from tax (provided that other conditions stipulated in the Law are also met).
Other requirements stipulated in the law are listed below.
a- Lack of citizenship ties with the Republic of Türkiye,
b- Not residing continuously in Türkiye for more than 6 months in a calendar year.
c- The property is being sold for the first time.
d- It must have a building permit,
e- Having a condominium title deed
f- It must be ready for use.
g- Satış bedelin en az %50’sinin fatura düzenlenmesinden önce Türkiye’ye getirilmiş olmasıdır. Kalan %50’nin
Payment must be made to the seller within a maximum of one year.
If these criteria are met, all real estate purchased by the foreign individual will be exempt from VAT.
