Turkey is a country that attracts Ukrainians and Russians due to the splendor of its nature, wonderful warm climate and the special atmosphere that reigned in it. There are several ways to obtain Turkish citizenship, however, the main requirements set by the authorities of this country are: knowledge of the Turkish language, having your own income, compliance with local laws and regulations, and the absence of diseases that threaten the life and health of people.
The resort town of Alanya located in southern Turkey
Rare cases
Immigrants from other countries can obtain Turkish citizenship by order of the country's ministry in the following cases in 2021:
- If a person imports industrial complexes into this republic;
- If a person has made invaluable contributions to various sectors of the economy;
- The person is a refugee.
You can obtain citizenship after 5 years of legal residence in Turkey. To do this, you must first live legally in the country for several years, having received a residence permit in Turkey.
- Invest money in buying a house or apartment in Turkey. Buying a home in this country is an excellent basis for quickly obtaining a residence permit, and then citizenship.
- Legally gain employment or run your own business.
- Marriage to a Turkish citizen.
- Admission to a higher Turkish educational institution.
Acquiring citizenship through marriage
This method is the fastest. Starting a family gives a foreigner the right to a residence permit for a period of 12 months. Upon expiration of this document, it must be renewed for another 2 years. Then you can start applying for citizenship. And it turns out that it only takes 3 years to get a passport, not five.
To obtain Turkish citizenship status through marriage you must:
- Live in harmonious and solidary family relationships.
- Do not engage in activities that are not compatible with the concept of “harmony and unanimity in the family.”
- Have no barriers in terms of state security and social order.
- If, after the application, the marriage ends due to the death of the Turkish spouse, then point No. 1 is not subject to fulfillment.
Sample ID card in Turkey
- If it turns out that the marriage is invalid, however, the foreigner had positive intentions when entering into it, then his citizenship will be retained.
However, people from other countries who want to acquire Turkish citizenship in this way should know the following: when considering documents for acquiring citizenship, the police will check several times how and where the future family will live.
Police representatives will enter the house or apartment, inspect it, and also conduct a survey among neighbors in order to make sure that the future marriage will not be fake.
And the newlyweds should be prepared for the fact that they will have to undergo a test-interview, during which the commission will examine how well both spouses know each other.
If family ties were fulfilled in Turkey, then, in order to become a citizen of this country, the foreign spouse must:
- Fill out a form at the main administration for migration issues;
- Find out the date of visit that was assigned to him in this service;
- Collect the necessary papers;
- Appear at the branch of the migration service with your significant other;
- Deliver documents to the appropriate office;
- Pay tax of 300 liras.
Acquiring citizenship through the purchase of a house, apartment, plot
To buy a house or apartment in Turkey, you must first obtain a residence permit for six months, and to obtain it you must:
- Have an account in a banking institution of this Islamic country in the amount of at least 3 thousand dollars;
- You need to obtain a tax number from a government agency. It is done upon presentation of a foreign passport;
- All prepared papers, along with 4 photographs and a passport, must be submitted to the Immigration Service.
After submitting documents within 1 week, a person receives a residence permit. If there are 6 thousand dollars or more in his bank account, then the bearer receives a residence permit for 2 years immediately.
The next stage of acquiring citizenship by purchasing real estate is choosing an object. You can consider a house, apartment, land plot, and then you should draw up a purchase agreement by contacting the Cadastral Department.
After completing this point, all documents are sent to the Military Department, where they are checked within 2 to 5 months.
After verification, the foreigner will be issued a certificate of ownership of the property, and this provides certain advantages, namely: the person will not need to renew the residence permit. And if he resides in Turkey for 5 years, he will be able to obtain citizenship.
Sample of residence permit obtained in Turkey
Turkish citizenship by investment: how the program works
Obtaining citizenship by investment is regulated by the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5091. The law has undergone several changes since its promulgation, the most recent of which occurred on September 18, 2021.
Until 2021, it was impossible to obtain Turkish citizenship by investment, but from January 2021, the country began to operate a program giving the right to obtain Turkish citizenship for Russians and other foreigners for investments of $1 million or more. As of September 2021, the minimum investment requirement has been lowered to a minimum investment of $250,000.
What investments can you get Turkish citizenship for?
According to current rules, foreigners have the right to obtain Turkish citizenship by investing in the country's economy. To do this, there are 6 main options for which investments you can get a Turkish passport:
- Purchasing real estate worth more than $250,000 and owning the property for at least 3 years;
- Bank deposit of $500,000 with no withdrawal option for at least 3 years;
- Purchase of government borrowing instruments in the amount of US$500,000 with no option to sell for a minimum of 3 years;
- Purchase of a participation interest in a real estate investment fund or venture investment fund in the amount of US$500,000 without the possibility of selling shares for a minimum of 3 years;
- Opening a company with an authorized capital contribution of $500,000;
- Employment of 50 Turkish citizens.
It is important that all investments can be not only in US dollars, but also in other currencies, for example, Turkish lira or euro. All rules are identical both for citizens of Russia and Kazakhstan, and for citizens of other states.
Who can obtain Turkish citizenship
The Government of the Republic of Turkey makes the most loyal requirements for applicants, in which your:
- Age;
- Floor;
- Religion;
- Job;
- And all the rest.
The only thing that is important to the government, in addition to compliance with the terms of the program, is the integrity of the applicant.
This term refers to the standard verification of involvement in terrorism. It is important for family clients to know that spouses and children under 18 years of age can take advantage of the right to obtain Turkish citizenship by investment. There is one exception for children over 18 years old - if there is a child with a disability in the family, he can also obtain a Turkish passport.
To obtain citizenship you do not need to change your religion or learn a language. Moreover, you do not need to renounce your first citizenship if your country supports dual citizenship.
Can Kazakh citizens obtain Turkish citizenship?
Citizens of Kazakhstan can obtain Turkish citizenship on the same basis as citizens of Russia and citizens of other countries. The key difference between Kazakhstan and Russia is that in Kazakhstan it is prohibited to have dual citizenship. The government of the Republic of Kazakhstan prohibits citizens from having two citizenships, which means that simultaneous possession of Turkish and Kazakh citizenship is officially impossible.
The official procedure involves renunciation of Kazakh citizenship within three days after receiving a new citizenship.
This applies not only to Turkey, but also to Germany, the USA and other countries. The only “workaround” to this rule is not to inform the government of Kazakhstan that you have a second passport. Turkey and Kazakhstan do not exchange data about their citizens, and if a citizen of Kazakhstan does not independently report the presence of a second passport, then without compelling reasons (for example, an international search), the presence of two citizenships will not become known to the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Citizenship Process
The process is divided into 4 stages:
- Preparatory stage: consultation, selection of the appropriate option, obtaining a Turkish tax number (vergi numarası - analogue of the Russian Taxpayer Identification Number), opening an account in a Turkish bank.
- Investment: buying real estate, opening a company, etc.
- Submitting an application for a residence permit;
- Applying for citizenship.
From the moment you apply for a residence permit, you have the right to stay in the territory of the republic legally.
Simultaneously with the application for a residence permit, documents for citizenship are also drawn up. The process of obtaining citizenship lasts about 6-9 months, when a residence permit, on average, is issued in 1-2 months. As a result: from the very beginning of the program you can live in Turkey - first you receive a residence permit, then a passport. A residence permit, like citizenship itself, can be issued for all members of your family.
Citizenship through naturalization
To obtain citizenship in this Islamic country, you need to fulfill a number of requirements, namely:
- It is legal to reside in Turkey for at least 5 years.
- Write a statement of desire to reside in Turkey.
- You need to confirm your income or show funds to exist in this republic.
- Have a medical certificate denying the presence of diseases in the foreigner that could in any way harm the population of Turkey.
- The existence of a certificate of knowledge of the Turkish language.
- Be an adult.
- Be a law-abiding person.
Benefits of Turkish Citizenship
After receiving citizenship, any foreigner receives all the rights of a Turkish citizen: social, political, economic and any others. For example, you will have access to:
- Free healthcare
– Turkey is considered the health resort of the Middle East. Due to the high level of medicine and affordable prices, Europeans also come here for treatment. Citizens of the country have access to free medical insurance; - The right to work
- you can be either an employee or open your own business without any restrictions; - Benefits related to doing business and taxes
- citizenship provides access to all economic and social programs; - Free education for your children
; - Visa-free entry to 110 countries of the world
- in terms of freedom of movement, the Turkish passport ranks 49th among all countries in the world. For example, with a Turkish passport you can travel without a visa to Japan and South Korea.
Turkey is not a member of the European Union or the Schengen Agreement, but for the past decade the EU and the Republic of Turkey have been negotiating closer cooperation in the future, which could ultimately lead to Turkey joining the EU or the Schengen Agreement.
What documents are required for registration?
To obtain Turkish citizenship you need to collect and complete the following papers in 2021:
- Statement;
- Passport, which must have a stamp confirming the document’s certification;
- Confirmed copy of residence permit;
- Papers for ownership of a home or land plot;
- Information about the applicant's income;
- Certificate of marriage or divorce;
- Evidence of sufficient knowledge of the Turkish language;
- Document confirming the absence of dangerous diseases;
- Birth certificate;
- Color photographs, 2 pieces.
Papers should be collected in two folders: the first contains the originals, and the second contains copies.
Procedure for obtaining Turkish citizenship
If all the necessary conditions for obtaining citizenship are met, you can begin the registration procedure. This is done by migration specialists from the Turkish Ministry of Civil Affairs. How to obtain the right to citizenship of Turkey.
- Collect a standard package of documents;
- Find out the coordinates of the Ministry on the website, make an appointment online or by phone.
- The official will conduct a preliminary conversation and point out additional things that are needed to obtain citizenship.
- Having ensured that you have the necessary official papers, you must undergo a second interview and hand in the completed package.
- Documents are sent for verification, which is carried out on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Ministry employees check the data with official sources and exclude the option of providing false information.
- Two certificates are issued. One indicates that the applicant’s application for citizenship has been officially accepted. The second certificate indicates the date of reception at the police;
- At the police station, fingerprinting and photography are done, and another interview takes place.
- In one or two months, it’s time for another interview, this time at the Turkish Ministry. There you will need to explain both your desire to obtain Turkish citizenship and provide all the necessary information about yourself. Note: the conversation is conducted in Turkish. Which gives an applicant for Turkish citizenship the opportunity to show language knowledge.
- The final decision on citizenship is sent by email. When all conditions are met, you can safely expect a positive verdict.
What documents are needed
According to data for 2021, in order to obtain Turkish citizenship, the preliminary list for Russians is as follows:
- Statement;
- Passport with a stamp indicating that it is certified;
- a copy of the residence permit, which must also be officially confirmed;
- documents for a house or plot;
- proof of income;
- either a marriage certificate or divorce information;
- certificate of proficiency in Turkish;
- certificate of undetected diseases;
- birth certificate;
- two color photographs
All papers are sorted into folders - originals and copies, translated into Turkish and certified by a notary.
Duration and cost
The period for consideration of the applicant's papers is from one to two months. When acquiring citizenship by investment, this period is halved.
If citizenship is conditional on marriage, the tax is three hundred lire. In addition, it is necessary to provide for the amount for paying notary services and preparing documents. Depending on each specific case, this figure may vary.
Who can get rejected
The reasons for denial of citizenship are directly related to the security of the country and the law-abiding nature of its inhabitants. As the law says, the following categories cannot accept Turkish citizenship:
- who is suspected of involvement in terrorist activities;
- conducts or has carried out anti-Turkish propaganda;
- military personnel and government officials;
- are on the international wanted list;
- having outstanding convictions over the past 10 years;
- those suffering from dangerous diseases - AIDS, tuberculosis, etc.;
- provided false information.
Is it possible to have dual citizenship with Russia?
Having passports of two states and obtaining dual Russian-Turkish citizenship is impossible, since there is no corresponding agreement between the countries.
But second citizenship of Turkey is quite possible for Russians, as opposed to dual citizenship. The laws of the Russian Federation also allow this. The main thing if you have a second Turkish citizenship is to notify the Russian Migration Service about your Turkish passport.
In this case, both the Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation will consider such a person as their citizen and demand the fulfillment of their civil duties.
