Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Investment for Iraqi Citizens

Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Investment for Iraqi Citizens

Hello visitor, welcome to InForeigner! On this page, we will try to provide you with all the information you need in 2021 about acquiring Turkish citizenship for Iraq citizens by Investment.

Citizenship has been used as a means all over the world to serve the economy and labour policies of the state and especially to encourage foreign investment, and necessary regulations have been made in many countries. It is possible to acquire Turkish citizenship through methods such as real estate purchase, capital investment, employment creation, debt instrument purchase, deposits and funds.

In the following article, we will explain the process of acquiring Turkish citizenship by Iraq nationals by investment. We will share the subject in all details, divided according to investment type, procedure, basis and required documents.

A-) Turkish Citizenship Acquisition Conditions by Investment

With the amendment numbered 418 on 07.12.2018, which was published in the Official Gazette on 19.09.2018 and with the decision number 106 of the Presidency, foreigners will be able to acquire Turkish citizenship if they meet at least one of the following conditions.

1-) Turkish Citizenship with Fixed Capital Investment

It is necessary to make a capital investment of a minimum of 500,000 USD or its equivalent in a different currency or Turkish Lira. This amount, which was 2,000,000 USD before, has been reduced to 500,000 after the change. The capital investment made must be determined through the Ministry of Industry and Technology.

2-) Turkish Citizenship with the Purchase of Real Estate

A real estate worth a minimum of 250,000 USD or in a different foreign currency or Turkish Lira equivalent is required to be registered with the title deed, provided that a minimum 3 years not sold. After the Iraq national has purchased or established a floor ownership or floor easement and has paid at least 250,000 USD or a different foreign currency or Turkish Lira equivalent in advance, the transfer and abandonment of the property cannot be made for 3 (three) years in the contract to be issued at the notary. It should be committed and its annotation to the land registry should be determined by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.

3-) Turkish Citizenship with Employment Creation

It is necessary to create employment for a minimum of 50 people (reduced from 100 to 50 with the last amendment of the law). Employment must be determined by the Ministry of Family, Labor & Social Services.

4-) Turkish Citizenship by Depositing in Banks

It is necessary to deposit a minimum of 500,000 USD or the equivalent of a different foreign currency or Turkish Lira with banks operating in the Republic of Turkey, provided that they keep a minimum of three (3) years. The transaction must be determined by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.

5-) Turkish Citizenship with Government Debt Instruments

It is necessary to purchase a government debt instrument with a minimum amount of USD 500,000 or a different foreign currency or Turkish Lira equivalent, provided that it is kept for a minimum of three (3) years. The transaction must be determined by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance.

6-) Turkish Citizenship with Mutual Fund Participation Share

It is necessary to purchase venture capital investment fund participation share or real estate investment fund participation share of minimum 500.000 USD or a different foreign currency or Turkish Lira equivalent, provided that they keep a minimum of three (3) years. The transaction must be determined by the Capital Markets Board.

In determining all monetary values mentioned above, the CBRT (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) selling rate or cross rate on the date of determination is taken as basis.

B-) The Process of Acquisition of Turkish Citizenship by Investment

In the process of acquiring Turkish citizenship by investment method, the following 3 stages should be proceeded:

B1) Fulfilling at least one of the investment conditions specified in Article 20 of the relevant regulation and obtaining a Certificate of Conformity from the relevant institution.

B2) Obtaining Turkey Short Term Residence Permit in accordance with Law No.6458, Article 31, first paragraph, subparagraph J.

B3) Turkish citizenship application by investment.

You can examine the procedures and principles and the necessary documents for the 3-stage process to be followed in detail in the rest of the article.

B1) Obtaining Certificate of Conformity

The procedures and principles set for the 6 different types of investments we have mentioned above are completely different from each other. The Iraq investor can choose the investment type they want and submit their documents according to the type of investment to be selected.

1-) Turkish Citizenship with Fixed Capital Investment

Procedures and Principles

• Fixed capital investment should include investment elements such as buildings, land, equipment and machinery for service and goods production. Purchasing real estate alone does not entitle citizenship applications in this context, but expenditures for real estate purchases are considered as part of the investment.
• If an Iraq investor who wishes to apply for Turkish citizenship through investment buys a non-public company completely or becomes a shareholder to a certain extent, the amount corresponding to the purchased share is at least 500,000 USD or in a different currency or Turkish Lira equivalent. In this case, the applicant may also be asked to submit a company value report obtained from the authorized institutions related to the market value determination of the company that has been partnered or purchased.
• In case of additional investment in a previously made investment, the increase in the investment amount from the date of the additional investment and the partnership share of the foreign person in the company are taken into account. If it is necessary to explain in detail, if the Iraq investor is a shareholder in the company in a certain ratio, the ratio corresponding to the partnership share is multiplied by the additional investment amount. The resulting amount must be a minimum of 500,000 USD (American Dollars) or its equivalent in a different currency or Turkish Lira.
• Investments made before January 12, 2017 do not create the right to apply for citizenship.
• For applications to be made after January 12, 2017, 3-year retrospective expenditure will be taken into account when calculating the capital investment.
• Iraq national(s) who are entitled to citizenship through capital investment cannot transfer their company shares to another legal or real person for a minimum of 3 years.

Required documents

• Investment Information Form. This form contains information about the company invested, the subject of the investment transferred to the company’s equity capital, and the share of the investigator in the capital investment.
• A valid passport and a notarized Turkish translation of the passport
• Four (4) biometric photographs suitable for passports
• Duplex copy of the residence permit document
• Special purpose report with the approval of YMM (Certified Public Accountant) showing that a minimum 500.000 USD or equivalent of a different foreign currency or Turkish Lira has been deposited as capital investment
• If the capital investment for the application is made through a legal entity, the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette Record showing the capital amount and shareholding structure of the legal person making the fixed capital investment

2-) Turkish Citizenship with the Purchase of Real Estate

Before the amendment made with the Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette on December 7, 2018, foreigners could only purchase real estates that were given condominium ownership and completed. With the changes made, foreigners citizens can apply for Turkish citizenship by purchasing from ongoing projects, provided that they meet the following conditions:

• Floor easement or floor ownership must be established on the immovable.
• A minimum of 250,000 US Dollars (USD) or its equivalent in foreign currency or Turkish Lira (TL) must be deposited in advance.
• A notarized promise to sell contract must be signed with regard to the immovable property, and this contract must be annotated to the land registry with a commitment stating that the title deed cannot be abandoned or transferred to a third person for 3 (three) years.

It would be appropriate to explain the concepts of “floor ownership” and “floor easement” in Turkish Law in order to better understand the above-mentioned change:

• Condominium; It is the property right established for buildings whose construction has been completed and whose occupancy certificate has been obtained.
• Floor easement; It is defined as the property right of a building whose construction has not been completed yet. The floor easement depends on the plot share and is converted into floor ownership in accordance with the conditions based on the occupancy permit to be issued for the entire building.

Settlement and Property Ownership

After the construction of the building with construction servitude, a project compliance audit application is made to the relevant municipality by the contractor. Relevant units in the municipality inspect the construction and check its compliance with the approved project. As a result of the completion of the inspection, if the construction is completed in accordance with the project, the municipality issues a ‘Building Occupancy Permit’ or ‘Settlement’ with its known name.

In this context, buying property with construction servitude has some disadvantages. After receiving the title deeds with construction servitude, the building can be completed by the contractor in violation of the project approved by the relevant municipality. In such a case, the building, which was built in contradiction with the approved project, may be demolished by the municipality or the governorship, with the decision of the municipality or provincial administrative board, or may cause the right owners to take a demolition decision about the house for different reasons. However, while banks are giving housing loans to their customers, they are looking for the condition of having a building permit for apartments with construction servitude. For these reasons, buying an uninhabited house always carries some risk, even if the flat is built in accordance with the project. In the light of all these explanations, the condominium deed is a more solid legal basis, so it is necessary to examine all potential risks before purchasing the property.

Procedures and Principles

The procedures and principles regarding the purchase of real estate are determined by the circulars issued over time by the Land Registry and Cadastre Directorate, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the ministry of Environment and Urbanization. In this context, you can examine the updated procedures and principles dated 2019 applied in the land registry offices below:

Legal Basis

Three changes were made to the regulation between 2017 and 2018, accordingly:

• Real estates purchased between January 2017 and September 2019 must have a minimum value of USD 1,000,000.
• The value of immovables purchased after September 2019 must be a minimum of 250,000 USD.

Legal Restrictions

Turkey has granted permission to purchase real estate for citizens of 183 countries, provided that the following legal limits are observed:

• Iraq citizens can acquire immovable up to ten percent of the area of the district. If deemed necessary, the Council of Ministers is authorized to double this limit.
• The Iraq citizen can purchase up to 30 hectares (300,000 square meters) of real estate throughout the country. If deemed necessary, the Council of Ministers is authorized to double this limit.
• The real estate in question should not be located in military and prohibited areas.

Nature of the immovable

• Iraq citizens can acquire all kinds of immovables such as residence, land, workplace and field in the Republic of Turkey, provided that they comply with the above legal limits. However, if a land or field is purchased, they have to submit their projects to the relevant ministry within 2 years (Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and the municipality).
• The promise to sell contracts to be issued at the notary are only possible for real estates with floor easement and floor ownership.
• The real estate to be purchased should not be registered in the land registry on behalf of the foreign person or the legal entity of the company of which the foreign real person is a partner.

Number of Immovables

There is no restriction on the number of real estates to be purchased. If the Iraq national buys more than one property at the same time or at different times, the total value must be minimum 250,000 USD. In addition, all immovables must have a minimum of three years non-sellability.

Appraisal of the Immovable

While determining the value of the purchased real estate, the following three value types are calculated separately. It must meet the value of 1,000,000 USD or 250,000 USD in the regulation.

• Sum of values in the valuation report
• The sum of the sales price declared in the official deed and / or the values specified in the promise to sell.
• The total of payments on the bank receipt showing the transfer of money.

Before the real estate purchase, a real estate appraisal report showing the market value of the immovable must be prepared by the authorized real estate appraisal institutions by the CMB (Capital Markets Board) and the BRSA (Banking Regulation and Supervision Board). The date of issuance of the report submitted during the application may be up to 3 months before the application date. The said report will be valid until the transaction is completed. If a valuation report is not received before the purchase, a valuation report to be prepared based on the purchase date of the real property is requested. Note and report value does not have to be fully compatible. It is sufficient for both of them to provide a value of 250.000 USD separately. In case of purchasing a completed immovable property, the value of the finished building should be calculated and found in the report.

Making the Payment…

With the 2018 circular, it has been made obligatory to submit a receipt for transactions. For this reason, the sales process must be carried out through banks. The bank-certified receipt showing that the relevant amount has been deposited by the buyer in the seller’s account is submitted during the application. The date of the receipt can also be after the date of sale in the sales transaction. However, in the promise of sale, the date of the receipt must be before the notary issuing of the contract or the contract day at the least. The receipt of the payment made after the notary is not valid because it cannot be considered as cash payment.

Determination of Exchange Rates

• Bank Receipt Rate: If the value of the immovable property is paid in Turkish Lira, the effective selling rate of the CBRT (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) of the last business day before each payment day is taken as basis in the calculation of the value of the bank receipt in USD.
• Official Bill of Exchange: In the calculation of the equivalent of the official bill value or the Turkish Lira value specified in the sales contract in USD, the business day (last business day) before the sale transaction application is made or the sales promise agreement is issued at the notary public (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) effective sales rate is taken as basis. If more than one receipt for different dates is submitted, the exchange rate difference problem may occur. In this case, the Turkish Lira (TL) value determined in the sales contract is calculated in US Dollars based on the effective selling rate of the CBRT (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) of the last business day before the payment. The sum of these values should not be lower than the amount sought in the regulation (1,000,000 TL or 250,000 USD).
• Valuation Report Rate: In this report, the effective selling rate of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) on the business day (last business day) before the date of the report is taken as basis in the process of finding the equivalent of the Turkish Lira (TL) value of the property in US Dollars. If the real estate appraisal report is issued after the sale transaction, the effective selling rate of the CBRT (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) of the previous business day (last business day) on the day the application for the sale transaction is made is taken as basis.

Mortgage and Foreclosure

In the promise of sale or in a sale transaction, it is possible to make sales with foreclosure or with an existing mortgage. If the immovable property is acquired through a mortgage/sale transaction, the remaining amount after deducting the loan amounts from the sale price is required to be at least the amount sought in the regulation.

Sales in Installments

With the new regulations introduced, if the immovable property was purchased after 2018 and the installments are to be paid after this date, it has become possible to purchase in installments. Installment payments before 2018 will not to be taken into account. The value of the installments in USD is calculated based on the effective selling rate of the CBRT ( Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) on the date of the transaction.

The Procedure Of Putting An Annotation On Not Being Sold For Three Years

To the registry of the immovable subject to the sale and / or promise to sell transaction; “Within the scope of Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, it has a commitment that it will not be sold for 3 years from the date of annotation and / or the promise to sell contract will not be transferred and canceled for 3 years from the date of annotation”.

Required Documents

• Notarized Turkish translation of valid passport and passport
• 4 (four) colored and passport-appropriate biometric photographs
• An official deed regarding the sale transaction or the contract of the promise to sell the real estate in a notarized manner
• Real estate valuation report
• A document showing that the price has been deposited by the buyer or persons related to the buyer to the account of the seller or the seller. Bank receipt approved by banks (EFT, Money Order or receipt with blocked check).
• The process of putting an annotation on the immovable property for 3 (three) years from the relevant land registry office.

All applications are evaluated by the General directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre, Department of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. Applications without any missing documents are finalized within 7 (seven) business days.

3-) Turkish Citizenship with Employment Creation

Required documents

• Signature statement of the applicant taken from a notary public,
• Employment Information Form,
• Notarized Turkish translation of valid passport and passport
• 4 (four) color, passport type biometric photographs
• Documents showing the capital and partnership shares of companies or companies employing a minimum of 50 Turkish citizens in total. Trade registry gazette registration and current Trade Registry Certification.
• Document showing the list of all insured persons working in the workplace where the foreign person is the owner or partner. Workplace Employee List with updated date taken from SSI (Social Security Institution) system.
• A letter from the Revenue Administration (Revenue Administration) system showing the tax debt status of the foreign person’s partner or workplace.
• The letter obtained from the SSI (Social Security Institution) system showing the social security premium debt status of the workplace where the foreign person is the owner or partner.
• Written declaration stating that the company has not received any administrative fines within the last 6 months in administrative audits conducted by public institutions. If the penalty has been received, the relevant documents must be attached.

All applications are evaluated by the General Directorate of International Labor of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services. Applications without any deficiencies are finalized within 7 (seven) business days. In applications made with a missing information and document, 30 (thirty) days is given to the applicant in order to complete the deficiency. Applications whose deficiencies are not resolved within this period are rejected. As a result of the evaluations made, the results of the applications regarding the foreigners who meet the required conditions are notified to the Ministry of Interior and the applicant.

4-) Turkish Citizenship by Depositing in Banks

Procedures and Principles

The principles and procedures have been determined in the form of frequently asked questions and answers on the official website of the BRSA (Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency). You can review the brief summary of the principles and procedures determined within the scope of frequently asked questions in the following section:

• Foreigners are required to deposit a minimum of 500,000 USD or equivalent foreign currency or equivalent TL (Turkish Lira) deposit or participation fund to any bank operating in Turkey, with the condition of keeping it for 3 (three) years. It is sufficient for this amount to be freely convertible (such as convertible currencies, precious metals, etc. specified by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) and its equivalent of 500,000 USD.
• There is no requirement for a foreign investor to deposit the said amount by opening an account to a single bank operating in Turkey. It is possible to apply for Turkish citizenship with the determination that the total amount of deposits in different accounts opened with banks operating in Turkey provides 500,000 USD, provided that they are blocked with the condition of holding for 3 (three) years, as the basis for the citizenship application.

Turkish Citizenship by Deposit …

• It is essential that the said amount is deposited in a bank established in the Republic of Turkey. Accordingly, it is not possible for the amounts deposited in the foreign branch, affiliate or representative office of a bank operating in Turkey to be accepted as a basis for citizenship application.
• In the accounts opened jointly at a bank operating in the Republic of Turkey (for example: the account opened with the spouse of the foreign person), if the partner of the partner other than the person applying for citizenship has an explicit consent that the account will not be withdrawn from the bank for 3 (three) years and will not be reduced, It is possible to apply for citizenship.
• The amount to be deposited in the bank can be converted to another convertible exchange rate equivalent to 500,000 USD or TL (Turkish Lira) within 3 (three) years at the request of the investor. However, it is also possible to convert it into another investment type regulated in other provisions of the regulation. However, in case of conversion to another type of investment, it must be fulfilled in a way that does not hinder the continuation and provision of the 3 (three) year period. The other type of investment must be notified to the ministry (Ministry of Internal Affairs) by the relevant institution without causing any interruption. Otherwise, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) will immediately notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the cut.

Citizenship by Deposit …

• Within 3 (three) years, if the amount in the account does not fall below 500,000 USD (US Dollars), depending on the contract concluded with the relevant bank and the type of account opened, it is possible to benefit from the profit share, interest and similar returns arising from this participation fund or deposit.
• If a currency other than US Dollars is deposited into banks, the USD (American Dollar) equivalent on the date the account was opened is determined and the amount is expected to remain the same amount for 3 (three) years. Therefore, the differences that may occur in the exchange rate in 3 (three) years will not be taken into consideration.
• A blocking process is applied to the money deposited in banks for citizenship purposes in line with the demands of the banks, but it is always possible to withdraw these amounts. Information on any legal restrictions including (but not limited to) pledges, liens, and measures that will prevent or decrease the amount on the account, in case of withdrawal or decrease of the amount in the account shown as the basis for Turkish citizenship application, Banking Regulation and Supervision Authority (BRSA). This situation is immediately notified to the Ministry (Ministry of Internal Affairs) and the Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs and the Directorate of Immigration by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) and the citizenship acquisition process is terminated, if Turkish citizenship is acquired, it will be canceled. In a new Turkish citizenship application to be made in the period following the realization of this situation, the time passed for the previous application is not taken into account, the 3-year period starts from the start.

5-) Turkish Citizenship with Government Debt Instruments

The debt securities market has the purpose of converting into cash at any time by determining the prices that investors will invest in fixed-income securities in the market competitive environment. There are 9 types of debt instruments in total:

• CBRT (Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey) Liquidity Bills
• Government Debt Securities
• Revenue Indexed Notes
• Revenue Sharing Certificates
• Financing Bills
• Private Sector Bonds
• Bank Bills
• Asset and Mortgage Based Securities
• Asset and Mortgage Covered Securities

Procedures and Principles

There is no circular issued by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. However, in accordance with subparagraph (d) of Article 20 of the relevant regulation, an Iraq citizen with a value of at least USD 500,000, holding the above-mentioned government debt instruments under his responsibility, will be eligible for Turkish citizenship application. In order for the investor to be entitled to Turkish citizenship within the framework of the aforementioned regulation, the relevant participation shares must be uninterrupted for 3 (three) years from the date of the minimum investment requirement.

6-) Turkish Citizenship with Mutual Fund Participation Share

Procedures and Principles

The principles and procedures are determined on the website of the CMB (Capital Markets Board) as follows:

• The minimum investment requirement for GYF (Real Estate Investment Fund) or GSYF (Venture Capital Investment Fund) participation shares in the amount of 500,000 USD or its equivalent in foreign currency or its equivalent TL (Turkish Lira) If the purchase is not made at a time, the date of each purchase is made, if it is made at once, the date of this purchase) is calculated using the USD selling rate announced by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) or cross exchange rate.
• In order for the investor to be entitled to Turkish citizenship within the framework of the regulation, the relevant participation shares must have been uninterrupted for 3 (three) years from the date of the minimum investment requirement, and within this scope, the participation shares must not be reduced by the investor’s will through transactions such as transfer and sale.
• If the value of the participation shares decreases below 500.000 USD (US Dollar) as a result of the change in the exchange rate, it does not affect the application for the acquisition of Turkish citizenship.

Citizenship with Fund Participation Share …

• A decrease in the number or value of the participation certificates of the GYF (Real Estate Investment Fund) or GSYF (Venture Capital Investment Fund) against the will of the investors (such as cash dividend or participation share refund or liquidation in accordance with the provisions of the internal regulation and issuance document of the Fund), the minimum investment requirement is not considered lost.
• If it is determined by the CRA (Central Registry Agency) that the foreign person applying for citizenship meets the minimum amount and scope sought, this situation is notified to the CMB (Capital Markets Board) within 3 (three) business days.
• Within 3 (three) years to be taken into consideration in exceptional Turkish citizenship applications to be made within the scope of subparagraph (e) of the second paragraph of Article 20 of the Regulation, foreclosure on participation shares of GYF (Real Estate Investment Fund) or GSYF (Venture Capital Investment Fund), right in kind, precautionary measures or if there is any encumbrance that may limit the right of ownership of the prudential attachment or participation shares, it is considered that the condition of “purchase with a 3-year holding condition” required by the regulation is not fulfilled.
• In the weekly checks to be carried out by MKK (Central Registry Agency), investors who are found to have a decrease in the account balance on the basis of transfer and sale or any encumbrance that may restrict the right of interest, lien in kind, precautionary attachment, precautionary measure or ownership on 3 (three) working days CMB (Capital Markets Board). Upon this, the necessary notifications are made urgently by the CMB (Capital Markets Board) to the Directorate of Immigration Management, the Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs and the applicant.

Required documents

• The valid passport of the person and the Turkish translation of the passport with a notarized approval
• Photocopy of the valid and current short-term residence permit card of the foreigner
• A written application containing MKK (Central Registry Agency) registration number and investment information regarding the GYF (Real Estate Investment Fund) or GSYF (Venture Capital Investment Fund)

Within 2 (two) business days from the date the required documents are submitted to the CMB (Capital Markets Board) in full, information is requested from the foreign investor by the Central Registration Agency about whether the participation share of the foreign investor’s GYF (Real Estate Investment Fund) or GSYF (Venture Capital Investment Fund) fulfills the conditions required in the regulation. If it is determined by the Central Registry Agency that the applicant foreigner meets the minimum amount and scope required in the regulation, this situation is notified to the Capital Markets Board within 3 (three) business days. Upon the letter received from the Central Registry Agency, the “Certificate of Conformity” is issued by the Capital Markets Board within 2 (two) business days.

B2) Obtaining Short Term Residence Permit for Turkey

Application Principles

The Iraq citizen who will apply for Turkish citizenship by investment must first obtain a short-term residence permit in Turkey in accordance with the first paragraph (j) of Article 31 of the Law No. In general, an Iraq citizen must enter Turkey with a valid visa, e-visa or visa exemption in order to apply for a short-term residence permit in Turkey. Following the foreigner’s legal entry into our country by benefiting from a visa, e-visa or visa exemption, a Iraq citizen who wishes to extend their stay in Turkey should apply for a short-term residence permit online. In many big cities (such as Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara), the waiting period for the appointment and meeting date in the normal Turkey short-term residence permit application process is quite long (8 to 24 weeks). However, applications made in the form of a special Turkey residence permit issued to acquire Turkish citizenship through investment are finalized within 1 to 10 days after the date of the online application.

Application processes are followed by Private Citizenship Information Offices located in Ankara and Istanbul provinces. In case the foreign person arranges a special power of attorney in order to make the relevant application, the applications can be concluded remotely with a power of attorney without requiring the Iraq citizen to enter Turkey.

Short-term residence permits in Turkey to be issued in accordance with subparagraph (j) of the first paragraph of Article 31 of Law No.6458 can be issued for up to 5 (five) years, but generally, they are applied for a period of 1 (one) year and a 1 (one) year residence is arranged. During this period, attention is paid to the validity period of the foreign person’s passport and the validity period of the private health insurance policy provided. Turkey residence permit cards are sent by mail to the address specified by the applicant during the online application within 2 to 4 weeks after the application process is completed.

Required Documents

• A valid visa, e-visa or exemption period not expired at the time of application.
• A valid passport (must be valid for the duration of the residence permit applied for) and a notarized Turkish translation.
• 4 (four) passport-appropriate, up-to-date, biometric photographs.
• Private health insurance. This health insurance should be provided from Turkey and the policy period should cover the residence permit period applied for. The amount of private health insurance is between 300 – 600 euros, including costs and taxes, depending on the foreign investor’s nationality, health, age and similar reasons.
• Address information. During the online application, the foreign person’s residence address information in Turkey is required. A hotel’s address statement may be sufficient for a first application. However, it is also possible for the foreign person to present a notarized lease contract or to declare his workplace address. Since the residence permit card will be delivered to the address to be notified by the foreigner, address information is important.
• Certificate of conformity obtained according to the type of investment made.
• A receipt showing that the card fee and expenses have been paid. Card and fee may vary depending on the nationality of the foreigner.
• Optional: Special Power of Attorney. It is organized for those who want to get professional support from our institution within the scope of carrying out all these transactions.

B3) Application for Turkish Citizenship by Investment

Procedures and Principles

Foreign investor who received the certificate of conformity from the relevant institution according to the type of investment made and completed the short-term residence permit application in Turkey pursuant to Article 31/1 of the Law No.6458, will be able to perform application procedures for Turkish citizenship at the offices of the Immigration Administration in Ankara and Istanbul provinces with the following documents.

However, it is possible for the Iraq citizen who has applied to acquire Turkish citizenship through investment on behalf of his / her family members (for spouses and children under the age of 18). In this case, the Iraq applicant’s family members are not required to apply for a short-term residence permit in Turkey or make an additional investment. Other family members can only benefit from Turkish citizenship application with additional documents (passport, identity cards, marital status certificate, birth certificate, photo, etc).

Required Documents

• Turkish Citizenship Application Form (VAT-4)
• Valid passport and notarized translation of the passport
• 2 coloured, passport size, updated biometric photographs
• The Iraq investor’s identity register copy obtained from his/her country of citizenship with an apostille approval or certified by the Turkish Consulate and a notarized Turkish translation of this example.
• The birth certificate obtained by the Iraq investor from the country of citizenship with an apostille approval or certified by the Turkish Consulate and a notarized Turkish translation of this document.
• The marital status document of the Iraq investor, which clearly shows that the foreigner is married, single, widowed or divorced, with an apostille approval obtained from his country of citizenship or approved by the Turkish Consulate and a notarized Turkish translation of this document.

Additional documents…

• If the Iraq investor is married, the Marriage Certificate obtained from the country of citizenship or approved by the Turkish Consulate and the copy of the birth certificate specifying his/her spouse and children and the notarized Turkish translations of these documents.
• If the Iraq investor is divorced, a notarized Turkish translation of this document with a Divorce Certificate / Divorce Decision approved by the Turkish Consulate or apostille approval obtained from the foreigner’s country of citizenship.
• If the Iraq investor is a widow, the death certificate of his/her spouse with the apostille approval obtained from the foreigner’s country of citizenship or approved by the Turkish Consulate and a notarized Turkish translation of this document.
• If the child under the age of 18 under the custody of the applicant is also required to acquire Turkish citizenship, a document with the other parent’s apostille approval obtained from an authorized authority or certified by the Turkish Consulate, showing the consent of the other parent and a notarized Turkish translation of this document.
• A receipt showing that the service fee is paid to the finance counter (This service fee is determined as 15 TL for each person in 2021)

In addition, those who applied for Turkish citizenship through investment have the right to acquire a new Turkish name and surname. In this case, the foreigner’s Turkish ID or passport will be arranged according to the preferred name and surname. This procedure is not mandatory, Iraq investors can also obtain a Turkish ID and passport to be issued in their own name.

Conclusion of the Application Process

A Commission is formed by the relevant ministries, the citizenship applications of Iraq citizens are evaluated and submitted to the Presidency for approval. The final decision is made by the President.

Obtaining the certificate of eligibility, short-term residence permit application in Turkey, receiving the residence permit card and submitting the documents and information required for Turkish citizenship application can be concluded remotely with a special power of attorney without the need for the Iraq citizen to enter the country. However, at the final stage when the application is finalized, the applicant and the first degree family members (spouse and children under 18) on whose behalf the application is made should go to the nearest population directorate and be present to obtain their Turkish citizen IDs or passports by submitting fingerprints.

There is no official regulation on the length of application processes. Turkey short-term residence permit applications are usually finalized within 2 (two) – 3 (three) weeks. Turkish citizenship applications are concluded between 4 (four) – 8 (eight) months.

Although the process of acquiring citizenship through investment method in the Republic of Turkey has been facilitated, it is important that the application is made completely and correctly. It is of great importance to follow the process or any deficiency in the documents will cause the rejection of the citizenship application. Or it may cause the application process to be prolonged unnecessarily.