Residence in Türkiye through property: the official conditions and how the purchase money gets there

“Buy a home in Türkiye and get residence” is a line you see in a lot of advertising, but the real conditions are written in the official documents of Türkiye's migration authority and have changed several times in recent years. This article has two parts: first, the official framework of property-based short-term residence as of writing (October 2026), with sources; second, the part that is written about far less: how the purchase money gets from Iran to Türkiye and what has to be ready in advance. It is general information, not legal or immigration advice; check the conditions on the official system before any step.

The legal framework: short-term residence for property owners

Türkiye's Law on Foreigners and International Protection (No. 6458) defines the types of residence permit, and owning a residential property in Türkiye is one of the grounds for a short-term residence permit. This residence is not citizenship, does not by itself allow work, and has to be renewed periodically. First applications, extensions and changes of permit type are made through the migration authority's e-İkamet system.

The property value condition as of writing

The official document list for a short-term residence application on e-İkamet sets the following condition next to the “copy of the title deed”:

• The property's value at the date of purchase must be at least the lira equivalent of USD 200,000.
• The property must be a residence used by the applicant for living; use for rental or similar income is not allowed.
• For property acquired by inheritance or donation, a current valuation report (ekspertiz) is required.
• For extensions, a title-deed continuation certificate (tapu devam belgesi) is requested.

According to Turkish law firms, the threshold was raised to USD 200,000 in the autumn of 2023 and lower figures applied before; the exact date of the change differs between sources, and we quote it as law-firm commentary, not official text. The practical point: if older sources show smaller figures, they are no longer valid, and the basis is always the current document list on the official system.

Neighbourhood and district restrictions

Owning property anywhere in Türkiye does not lead to residence. For some neighbourhoods and districts where the share of foreign nationals is high, the migration authority does not accept first applications. For example, the Istanbul migration office announced that first applications for property-based (and investment-based) residence in Fatih and property-based residence in Esenyurt would not be accepted from 15 January 2021. These lists are updated; before signing any contract, ask the provincial migration office about the neighbourhood in question, because buying in a closed neighbourhood means spending without reaching the residence goal.

Residence by property or citizenship by investment?

Do not confuse the two programmes. Short-term residence based on property is what this article describes: a periodic, renewable permit. Citizenship by investment is a separate programme with its own threshold, holding commitment and process, involving other authorities as well, and is not the subject of this article; check its figures in separate official sources.

The money part: how the purchase money gets from Iran to Türkiye

Most guides fall silent at exactly this point, although for an Iranian buyer it is the hardest part. Put three facts side by side:

1. Property in Türkiye is paid for in lira, and a foreign buyer usually has to convert their foreign currency to lira through a Turkish bank and obtain a foreign-exchange purchase document (Döviz Alım Belgesi). The DAB mechanism, why it is required and the common mistakes are explained separately in moving money for a property purchase in Türkiye and the DAB.
2. Direct bank transfers from Iran to Türkiye are restricted. The money therefore usually has to reach your account at a Turkish bank by other routes. The complete guide to moving money from Iran to Türkiye compares them.
3. Before money can reach an account, you need the account. Opening an account at a Turkish bank as a foreign national has its own conditions, covered in the guide to opening a bank account in Türkiye.

The routes Iranian buyers commonly use:

• A lira transfer to a Turkish bank account through an exchange office: you settle in toman in Iran and lira is credited to your account in Türkiye. The rate and fee are stated before execution, and for larger amounts identity and source-of-funds documents are usually requested. See transfers to Türkiye.
• In-person conversion of cash or USDT in Istanbul: for part of the amount or for side costs; cash or USDT is converted to lira at the exchange office and, if needed, deposited to your account.
• Several steps over time: a property purchase is rarely a single payment; the deposit, the balance and the notary and tax costs fall at different times, and the money transfers can be aligned with that schedule.

On every route, ask three things in advance: the rate and fee (before execution), the documents required for your amount, and how the receipt and deposit records are issued, because those records are useful later for the DAB and for the bank's questions.

Checklist before signing a contract

• Read the current value condition on the e-İkamet document list and measure the property's value with an official valuation report, not the listing price.
• Ask the provincial migration office whether the neighbourhood is open or closed.
• Open your Turkish bank account before moving money and ask the bank about its conditions for receiving large amounts.
• Arrange the transfer route and the source-of-funds documents with the exchange office in advance and get the rate and fee in writing.
• Ask the bank how the conversion to lira and the DAB are handled, and keep the receipts.
• Use an independent legal adviser to check the title deed, any debts on the property and the contract.

In short

Property-based short-term residence in Türkiye is an official route with written conditions: a residential property for personal use, a value of at least the equivalent of USD 200,000 at the purchase date according to the official document list as of writing, and a neighbourhood that is not closed to first applications. Its money part, getting the purchase funds from Iran to a Turkish bank account and converting them lawfully to lira, needs as much planning as the residence itself; with a quoted rate and fee and the documents prepared, it is manageable too.