The Benefits of the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Programme

Turkish Citizenship – Asia and Europe Combined

Dr. Antoine Saliba Haig | 27 Aug 2019

Turkish Citizenship by investment benefits

The Republic of Turkey connects the two continents of Europe and Asia allowing foreign nationals to experience both Eastern and Western culture. With its deeply rooted traditions and rich heritage, cultural wealth and historical background, climate and nature life, along with its constant economic growth, Turkey has as from the mists of time been regarded as an attractive destination for travellers and investors to obtain residency or citizenship. Moreover, it is regarded as one of the most respected countries globally due to its strong economic structure and stability and is in fact a member of the UN, NATO, the IMF, the World Bank and the G-20. Furthermore, Turkey also joined the EU Customs Union in 1995 and commenced accession negotiations with the European Union.  
Nowadays, Turkish citizenship is available for anyone who is willing to invest at least USD $250,000 in Turkish real estate or deposit at least USD 500,000 in a Turkish bank. There are other methods which lead to the acquisition of Turkish citizenship but these two are the most popular with investors.  

Turkish Citizenship by Investment - Benefits 

The acquisition of Turkish citizenship grants various benefits including the following: 

Possibility to acquire Turkish citizenship within 3 months to 1 year 

The acquisition of a Turkish Citizenship usually takes around 3-12 months for both the applicant and family members. This includes the spouse and children under the age of 18 years. Children over the age of 18 cannot be included and must submit their own application. 
The duration of the process depends upon the documentation provided for the application along with the investment plan undertaken. These two criteria play an important role when identifying the time period for an acquisition of the Turkish Citizenship. A residence permit is granted to the applicant and his or her family during the application process.  

Visa free to 117 countries or territories  

Individuals who acquire Turkish citizenship currently have the right to travel to over 117 countries and territories. A Turkish passport holder can currently visit 68 countries visa-free and is also able to receive a visa on arrival from 38 countries. Turkey’s future accession to the European Union will facilitate travel, work and education opportunities within the European Union.  

The right to live and work in Turkey 

This programme enables a foreign national to live and work in Turkey. Naturalized Turkish Citizens will have equal rights along with other Turkish Citizens with respect to the right to vote, healthcare, and education. 

Property acquired under the Turkey Citizenship Programme may be rented out 

Upon purchase of property there are no restrictions with respect to renting out the property acquired as long as it is not sold for a period amounting to 3 years. In addition, an investor may purchase more than one property, be it residential or commercial, as long as the total value is not less than USD 250,000. 

Possibility of including the spouse and children under the age of 18 in the same application 

This programme offers the possibility for the main applicant to acquire citizenship along with his or her family members; this includes the main applicant’s spouse and children below 18 years old by applying for any of the investments stipulated by the Turkish Citizenship Law. Furthermore, the citizenship acquired shall last a lifetime and it shall be passed on to future generations. 

Turkey allows dual citizenship 

Turkish Citizenship Law allows dual or multiple citizenships; therefore, the applicant would have the right to maintain his or her nationality of origin. Nevertheless, what must be taken into consideration is that the applicant’s country of origin may ask for a renunciation of the applicant’s citizenship upon acquisition of the Turkish Citizenship. 

No need to sit for a language or culture test 

No culture and language test or interview are required. 

No minimum stay requirement 

The Turkish Citizenship by Investment programme does not require any minimum physical stay requirement as a requisite to maintain citizenship.  

No need to declare your wealth 

When applying for Turkish Citizenship, it is not required to declare your assets or income that you currently have in other countries. The applicant would need to provide evidence of a clean police background as well as clean source of funds. 

Turkey has 242 Diplomatic Missions all over the World  

With 242 diplomatic missions worldwide, Turkey has the 5th largest diplomatic network in the world. In the past 16 years there was a total of 79 new missions opened, 93 diplomatic missions in Europe, 69 in Asia, 46 in Africa, 30 in America and 4 in Oceania. In the year of 2018 there have also been operations of new Turkish Embassies in Freetown, La Paz, Malabo, Port of Spain, Asuncion & Bujumbura.  The existence of these missions are beneficial for any situation which a Turkish citizen may come across whilst abroad. 

Turkish Citizens can apply for the U.K.’s Ankara Agreement 

The U.K.’s Ankara Agreement grants Turkish applicants the opportunity to acquire a Businessperson visa and work permit for a period of 12 months which is also extendable for a maximum of 3 years both for the applicant and his/her family members. The applicants are also given the opportunity to apply for permanent settlement within the UK. Once the eligibility requirements have been met, Turkish citizens may start a new business or help run an established business in the UK.  

Turkish Citizens may also apply for USA’s E1 and E2 visas 

The E1 and E2 Visas are also available for Turkish citizens who would like to carry on substantial trade or invest in a US enterprise. The USA E1 and E2 visas are only exclusively available to US treaty countries and Turkey is a treaty country for both the E1 and E2 Programmes. The E1 type of visa is for non-immigrant international traders who would be allowed to trade on their own behalf, whilst the E2 visa is for non-immigrant investors who are admitted to the USA when investing a substantial amount of capital. These applicants are given the right to reside in the United States with the opportunity to live, work and bring his/her spouse, children or even employees under certain required conditions.  

 


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