Residence permit through property ownership
Owning a home in Turkey can give you a short-term residence permit. Two rules matter most in 2026: the property value threshold and the neighbourhoods closed to new permits.
Value threshold
A short-term residence permit based on property ownership (Law No. 6458, article 31) now requires a residential property worth at least USD 200,000. Before October 2023 the limit was USD 75,000 in metropolitan cities and USD 50,000 elsewhere. The property must be a home that you, or your family, actually use; renting it out or selling it can end the permit.
Closed neighbourhoods
The Migration Administration closes neighbourhoods where foreign residents exceed about 20% of the population to new residence permit applications. In Istanbul this has affected large parts of Fatih and Esenyurt, many neighbourhoods in Avcılar, Bağcılar, Bahçelievler, Başakşehir, Esenler, Küçükçekmece, Sultangazi and Zeytinburnu, and individual neighbourhoods in Şişli, Beyoğlu, Beşiktaş and Sarıyer. The list changes, and owning property in a closed neighbourhood does not create an exception for a first application.
Documents
- Application form (e-ikamet online pre-application, then appointment)
- Passport and copy
- Four recent biometric photos
- Title deed copy
- Valid health insurance
- Proof of sufficient means (declaration; supporting documents may be requested)
- Address registration document
- Permit fee and card fee receipts
Family and renewal
Your spouse and children under 18 can apply with you as family members. Renewal is filed online within the last 60 days before expiry. If you need residence for citizenship, the investor route on the citizenship page works differently and is not affected by closed neighbourhoods in the same way.
Sources: Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, art. 31; Migration Administration practice; law firm guides updated February and July 2026. Requirements can change at short notice.
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Send us the listing or tell us what you are looking for. We check the property, the title records and the price against district data, and explain each step in writing.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and amounts can change by presidential decision or regulation; confirm the current position with the Land Registry, the Migration Administration or a licensed lawyer before you act.