Property Lawyer in Turkey for Foreign Buyers

• Foreign buyers purchasing a home or investment property, in person or remotely.
• Expats and residents (including the foreign community around İncirlik / Adana) and foreign clients elsewhere in Turkey or abroad, working remotely.
• Foreign investors comparing properties or buying through a company.
• Buyers exploring Turkish citizenship through real estate investment (see below).

If you are buying, inheriting, or selling property and need clear advice in English, this page is for you.

• Title deed (tapu) due diligence: verifying ownership, liens, mortgages (ipotek), and annotations (şerh) before any payment.
• Sales contract review: checking the contract and, where used, the promise-to-sell agreement (taşınmaz satış vaadi sözleşmesi) before you sign.
• Zoning and status checks: imar status, occupancy permit, and similar practical risks.
• Land Registry transfer: preparing and attending the tapu appointment.
• Remote purchase: acting under a power of attorney so you can buy without travelling.
• Communication in English at every step.

The process usually follows these stages, though the exact order can vary depending on the facts of each purchase:

1. Preliminary checks: confirm the seller’s title and that the property is free of encumbrances.
2. Contract: review or prepare the sales / promise-to-sell agreement.
3. Valuation: depending on the transaction type and purpose, valuation or official value documentation (such as a municipal market-value document) may be required.
4. Payment: payment documentation is important, especially where the purchase is connected to citizenship-by-investment or other official eligibility checks; the required records should be confirmed before funds are transferred.
5. Land Registry (tapu) appointment: application and transfer of title.
6. After the transfer: utility/registration follow-up and document copies.

The timing depends on the documents, land-registry appointment availability, and whether additional checks or corrections are needed; once the documents are complete, the transfer stage can often move quickly, but no fixed timeline should be assumed before the file is reviewed. Preparing a power of attorney from abroad can add time (consular or notarial steps, apostille or certification, sworn translation, delivery of originals).

Buyers should plan for the following (exact figures depend on the property and current rates):

• Title deed fee (tapu harcı): for a standard sale, generally 4% in total: 2% from the seller and 2% from the buyer, calculated over the declared transfer value (rates as of June 2026). The parties may agree commercially who bears the cost, but the official fee treatment should be checked for the specific transaction.
• VAT (KDV): VAT may or may not apply depending on the property, the seller, and whether the transaction qualifies for an exemption. Some foreign buyers may benefit from the statutory VAT exemption for the first delivery of a residence or workplace if the legal conditions are met, including foreign-currency payment and holding-period requirements.
• Other costs: may include land-registry service charges, notary and sworn-translation costs, interpreter costs, apostille or consular certification, DASK insurance for buildings, courier expenses, and professional fees. These are transaction-specific.

A clear, itemised estimate can be prepared once the specific property is known.

Buying without checks can expose you to disputes that are difficult and costly to undo. Before any payment, we typically review:

• whether the seller is the registered owner and has the right to sell;
• mortgages, liens, and annotations (şerh) on the title;
• whether construction is permitted and lawful for the imar status;
• any pending litigation that could affect the title (for example, a title cancellation and registration claim, tapu iptali ve tescil).

Identifying these issues early may prevent a transaction that could otherwise lead to litigation.

In many transactions, you may not need to travel to buy property in Turkey. A properly drafted power of attorney (vekaletname) must specifically authorize the transaction and may require apostille or consular certification and notarized Turkish translation, depending on where it is issued. Where the process allows, the office can then carry out the checks, sign where authorised, and attend the Land Registry on your behalf, though some steps may still require personal presence. This is one of the most common ways foreign and expat clients complete a purchase.

Turkey may grant citizenship to foreign nationals who invest in real estate above a set threshold and meet the programme’s other conditions, subject to the relevant authorities’ assessment. As of June 2026, official Invest in Türkiye guidance refers to a minimum real-estate investment of USD 400,000, with a title-deed restriction on resale for at least three years. Meeting the financial threshold alone does not guarantee citizenship; eligibility remains subject to the programme’s other conditions and the relevant authorities’ assessment. The rules and figures can change, so they should be confirmed for your specific case. Our role is limited to the legal aspects of the purchase; we do not provide investment advice. (A dedicated step-by-step citizenship-by-investment guide is planned separately.)

Talk to an English-speaking property lawyer in Turkey

Send the property details or your questions, and the office can review them and explain your options in clear English.

The office will review your message and respond as soon as practicable.

This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal outcomes depend on the facts of each case. Please contact a Turkish lawyer for advice tailored to your situation.

Last updated: 5 September 2026 · Author: Attorney Saim İncekaş, Adana Bar Association (Reg. No. 4293).