How to Invest in Turkey as a Foreigner: Legal Setup and Moving Money

To invest in Turkey as a foreigner, you follow three steps: set up a company or individual investor status, open a tax number and bank account, and bring the money in through the banking system with its source declared. As of 2026, foreign investors hold largely the same rights as Turkish nationals, including 100% company ownership, real estate purchase in their own name, and free repatriation of profits.

Below we walk through these steps, the costs, and the points that most often trip up first-time investors. The figures, thresholds, and rules reflect the time of writing in 2026 and change often, so confirm the current position with an advisor before you act.

The legal framework to invest in Turkey as a foreigner

Investing in Turkey as a foreigner rests on Law No. 4875 on Direct Foreign Investment. The law grants foreign investors national treatment, equal footing with domestic investors: you can set up a company without prior approval or a minimum capital requirement, and transfer profits and capital freely. The official text is published on mevzuat.gov.tr.

In practice this means there is little distinction between foreign and domestic investors outside a few exceptions. The main ones are reciprocity limits on real estate, restrictions near military zones, and a handful of regulated sectors (banking, insurance, media, among others). The Presidency Investment Office keeps sector-by-sector detail current at invest.gov.tr.

Setting up a company or investing as an individual

Whether you invest through a company or as an individual is the first and most consequential decision. If you plan an active business, trading activity, or several properties, a company usually fits better; for a single home or a passive investment, individual status is simpler.

Setting up a company in Turkey as a foreigner most often means choosing between a limited liability company (LTD) and a joint-stock company (A.S.). As of 2026, minimum capital under the Turkish Commercial Code runs around 50,000 Turkish lira for an LTD and 250,000 Turkish lira for an A.S.; these figures are revised periodically and should be checked before incorporation. Registration starts on the MERSIS system and is completed through trade registry filing and notary steps, usually within a few business days.

Individual investment does not create a separate legal entity: you hold title or a bank account directly in your own name. A company adds withholding tax on distributed profits and annual bookkeeping obligations; the individual route is simpler but scales poorly for business activity. Whichever path you choose, the first technical step is identical: obtaining a tax identification number.

Transferring money to Turkey from abroad: tax number, bank, and source of funds

The safe way of transferring money to Turkey from abroad is to use the banking channel and document the source of the funds from the outset. The first step every foreign investor takes is to obtain a foreign investor tax number in Turkey, free of charge, from the local tax office; without it you cannot open a bank account, complete a title deed transfer, or incorporate a company. A passport and a declared Turkish address are usually enough.

Once you have the number, you open an account at a Turkish bank and route the capital transfer from abroad into that account. Sending the transfer in your own name, with the investment purpose stated in the payment reference, makes any later source-of-funds review easier. Under anti-money-laundering rules, banks now ask for documentation showing where the funds came from, a sale contract, salary records, inheritance, or company profit, so preparing this paperwork in advance is the single biggest time-saver.

The documentation that comes back most often concerns transfers whose source cannot be traced to one clear step: money pooled from several accounts, or routed through a third party, needs extra explanation. For real estate purchases, rules introduced from 2022 onward expect the price to arrive through the banking system, in foreign currency for most transactions, against a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB). That certificate is required for both the title deed transfer and any later citizenship application. For the account-opening mechanics themselves, see our guide on how to open a bank account in Turkey as a foreigner.

Buying real estate and the title deed process

Buying property in Turkey as a foreigner is permitted as a rule, with three limits: the property cannot sit in a military or security zone, a foreigner's total holdings nationwide cannot exceed 30 hectares, and foreign ownership in a single district cannot exceed 10% of that district's area. Nationals of a few countries also face reciprocity restrictions.

The title deed transfer takes place at the Land Registry Directorate (Tapu), and a current valuation report is a mandatory first step. That report documents both whether the price is realistic and whether it meets a citizenship-by-investment threshold, if that is the goal. Budget from the outset for the title deed fee, the valuation, sworn translation, power of attorney, and any agent's commission. For the full buying sequence, see our guide on how to buy property in Turkey as a foreigner.

This is also where working with an independent advisor earns its cost: a valuation and a title search that are independent of the seller, and a realistic price, are the foundation every later step rests on.

Repatriating profits and capital

You can send money earned in Turkey back out of the country: Law No. 4875 permits the free transfer of profits, dividends, sale proceeds, liquidation proceeds, and loan repayments. The transfer goes out through the same banking channel the capital came in on, and having the source documented at entry matters again at exit.

The most common delay traces back to an incomplete source-of-funds declaration at entry; on the way out, the bank wants to see how the money arrived and that any tax on it was settled. Withholding tax on distributed company profits (around 15% as of 2026) and any tax due on real estate sale gains both affect the net amount transferred; these rates change and should be confirmed before you transact.

How investment links to residency and citizenship

An investment in Turkey that clears certain thresholds can also open a path to residency or citizenship. As of 2026, the most common route is buying real estate worth at least USD 400,000 and committing not to sell it for three years; this threshold was raised from USD 250,000 in 2022, and the price must arrive in foreign currency through the banking system. A bank deposit or fixed capital investment of at least USD 500,000, held for three years, is also accepted; both the amounts and the conditions change and should be confirmed before you commit.

A Turkish citizenship application does not require physical residence or a language test; what matters is making the investment and holding it for the commitment period. Even so, Turkish authorities review the application and approval through an administrative process, and the outcome is never certain in advance. If citizenship is not an immediate goal, residence through property ownership or a company, including short-term or work-permit-based status, is also an option. For the application itself, see our guide on how to obtain citizenship by investment in Turkey, and for the program overview, our Turkey citizenship by investment page.

Comparing the investment routes

Investment route	Typical minimum (2026)	Watch for
Real estate (citizenship)	USD 400,000	3-year holding, foreign-currency transfer, valuation report
Bank deposit (citizenship)	USD 500,000	3-year holding, foreign currency, funds blocked
Limited company (LTD)	TRY 50,000 capital	MERSIS registration, bookkeeping duties
Joint-stock company (A.S.)	TRY 250,000 capital	Heavier reporting, more flexible shareholding
Individual real estate	Varies by property	30-hectare and 10%-district limits

The figures above are directional; confirm current values before you transact.

Taxes and ongoing obligations

What you pay on top of the sticker price, and the obligations that recur every year, shape the real return as much as the entry price. For real estate, the title deed fee (around 2% for the buyer and 2% for the seller on the declared value, as of 2026), annual property tax, and income tax on any rental income are the main recurring items.

If you sell an individually held property after holding it for more than five years, the gain is exempt from capital gains tax; selling sooner makes the gain taxable. Turkey has signed double taxation treaties with more than 85 countries, so being taxed a second time on the same income in your home country is avoidable in most cases. Rates and exemptions change, and your own country's rules matter too, so confirm these items with a tax advisor.

Risks to watch

The most common mistake is focusing on the sticker price and ignoring the tax and side costs above, which reshape total returns from the outset. In practice, three points decide how smoothly the process runs.

First, an insufficiently documented source of funds, which can delay both the bank transfer and a later citizenship application. Second, a property priced above market or carrying a problematic title deed; an independent valuation and a title search are the strongest safeguard against this. Third, programs change often: thresholds, withholding rates, and eligibility rules are updated from year to year, so every figure needs confirming at the time you act.

As an independent consultancy that has guided more than 2,000 clients from over 40 countries since 2018, each through a single senior point of contact, we see these three points decide most of the outcome. Our Director of Investment and Immigration Programs, Burak Ünal, and his team stay independent of the seller and manage the process end to end. You can request a free initial consultation for a roadmap suited to your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreigner own 100% of a company in Turkey?

Yes. Under Law No. 4875, a foreign individual or company can own up to 100% of a Turkish company outside a few regulated sectors, and there is no requirement for a Turkish partner. This holds as of 2026 and should be confirmed sector by sector before you transact.

What do I need to open a bank account in Turkey?

You first need a foreign investor tax number from the tax office, then a passport and usually a declared Turkish address. The bank may also ask for documentation on the source of the funds; preparing this in advance speeds up the process.

How should I bring money in from abroad?

It is best to bring the money in through the banking system, in your own name, with the investment purpose stated in the payment reference. For a real estate purchase, the price arriving in foreign currency against a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate is expected for both the title deed transfer and any later citizenship application.

Can I send my earnings in Turkey back abroad?

Yes. Law No. 4875 allows the free transfer of profit, dividends, and sale proceeds abroad. Transferring through the same banking channel the money arrived on, with the source documented, avoids queries on the way out.

Does buying real estate give me automatic citizenship?

No, it is not automatic. As of 2026, buying real estate worth at least USD 400,000 and holding it for three years creates eligibility to apply; Turkish authorities assess the application and approval through a separate administrative process, and the outcome is never certain in advance. Thresholds and conditions change and should be confirmed at the time.

How much real estate can a foreigner buy in Turkey?

A foreigner can acquire up to 30 hectares of real estate nationwide, and foreign ownership in a single district cannot exceed 10% of that district's area. The property also cannot be located in a military or security zone.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, immigration, or investment advice. Programs and amounts change; confirm current details and your personal eligibility with a qualified advisor before acting.