Selling Homes to Foreigners: What to Watch For

A single document obtained in the wrong order can get a title registration rejected even after the full amount is paid. Obtaining the Foreign-Exchange Purchase Certificate after the transaction is enough for the Land Registry to reject the application. Selling homes to foreigners is therefore a technical process that proceeds in the right order; it does not forgive mistakes.

In this guide you'll find:

The legal limits and required documents in sales to foreigners
The rules on the foreign-exchange purchase certificate, appraisal and VAT exemption
The citizenship condition and the most common mistakes

Note: This content is for general information, not legal advice. Consult a lawyer and a financial advisor for your own transaction.

Can foreigners buy a home in Turkey?

Yes, but with conditions. The basis for foreign individuals acquiring property is Article 35 of Land Registry Law no. 2644. According to information reported by Denge Hukuk, the reciprocity requirement was abolished by Law no. 6302 in 2012.

But this does not mean everyone can buy. The right of acquisition is limited to nationalities permitted by the President. For example, Syrian citizens cannot acquire property in Turkey. For this reason, before starting a sale you need to confirm that the buyer's nationality is eligible.

A sale to a foreigner is not considered complete with a sale-promise contract. The transaction must be formally carried out at the Land Registry. In this respect it is the same as a standard transfer; we covered the process in detail in our title-deed transfer in home sales guide.

Legal limits

Foreign acquisition is subject to certain limits. When these limits are exceeded, the title application is rejected. The main restrictions are:

Military and security zones: Sales to foreigners cannot be made in military-restricted zones. In security zones, a sale is only possible with the Governorate's permission.
Nationwide cap: A foreign individual can acquire at most 30 hectares of property nationwide; this limit can be raised to 60 hectares by a Presidential decree.
District-level limit: The acquired property cannot exceed 10% of the privately-owned area of the district.
Agricultural land: Permission from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is required for agricultural land.

According to information reported by İnanlı Hukuk, in every transaction the Land Registry offices must check whether the property is on the boundary of a restricted zone using the Ministry of National Defense maps. For this reason, the eligibility of the zone must be clarified before any payment is made.

Required documents and the appraisal report

A transaction with a foreign buyer requires several additional documents compared with a Turkish citizen. Missing paperwork is the point at which the process most often gets stuck.

Turkish tax number: The foreign buyer must obtain a tax number before the transaction.
Passport and translation: ID and passport are submitted with a notarized translation when required.
Sworn translator: If one of the parties does not speak Turkish, a sworn translator must be present at the land registry.
DASK and market-value certificate: Compulsory earthquake insurance and a market-value certificate from the municipality are required.
Appraisal report: A valuation report prepared by a CMB-licensed institution is mandatory.

The validity of the appraisal report matters. According to information reported by Kulaçoğlu Hukuk, this report is valid for 3 months from the date it is issued and is recorded in the TAKBİS system. Before the sale is completed, you must check whether the report has expired.

Foreign-Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB): the most critical step

This is the most technical and most error-prone step of selling to a foreigner. The buyer cannot send the amount to the seller directly in foreign currency. The process follows a specific order:

The buyer converts the foreign currency at a bank in Turkey, to be sold to the Central Bank.
The bank issues the Foreign-Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB) documenting the transaction.
Payment to the seller is made in Turkish Lira, with reference to the DAB.
The DAB is submitted to the Land Registry before the title transaction.

The order is critical. According to information reported by BAF Hukuk, if this order is wrong, the Land Registry rejects the transaction even if the full amount has been paid. Registration in a foreigner's name cannot be done without a DAB. For this reason, the foreign currency must be converted before the transaction and the document prepared in advance.

VAT exemption

Selling a home to a foreigner carries an important tax advantage. Under Article 13/1-i of the VAT Law, a sale made under certain conditions is exempt from VAT. This both lowers the cost for the buyer and speeds up the sale.

To benefit from the exemption, the following conditions are required together:

It must be a first delivery. The exemption applies only to the first sale by the constructing firm; intermediate sales are out of scope.
The buyer must be eligible. A foreigner not resident in Turkey, a foreign-based institution, or a Turkish citizen living abroad for more than 6 months.
The amount must come in foreign currency. According to the framework reported by Erdem & Erdem, at least half of the amount must be brought into Turkey in foreign currency before the invoice date, and the rest within one year at the latest.

One warning concerns the annotation. If a home bought with the exemption is sold within one year, the uncollected tax is charged together with default interest. For this reason, a one-year disposal restriction is annotated on the deed.

The Secure Payment System and the foreign buyer

In 2026 the mechanics of the sale change. According to the Ministry of Trade's announcement, the Secure Payment System becomes mandatory in all real estate sales from 1 October 2026. The system holds the sale price in a blocked account and transfers it to the seller once the title registration is complete.

This system also covers foreign buyers. However, in foreign transactions the requirement for a foreign-exchange purchase certificate and a bank branch continues. In other words, the DAB process and the secure-payment flow must be planned together.

You can find the general workings of the process and its exceptions in our title-deed transfer article. Managing the two mechanisms together requires attention, especially in project sales.

The $400,000 citizenship threshold

A large share of foreign buyers purchase for citizenship by investment. According to the 2026 conditions reported by Space İstanbul, this requires acquiring a property worth at least $400,000. This amount can be met with a single home or the total of more than one property.

The process includes several mandatory elements:

Three-year no-sale annotation. An annotation is placed on the deed stating the property will not be sold for 3 years; an early sale cancels the citizenship.
Alignment of three values. The appraisal report, the DAB and the amount declared on the deed must all be above $400,000 and consistent with one another.
Timeshare excluded. Properties of a timeshare nature are not accepted in a citizenship application.

According to information reported by Denge Hukuk, the exact alignment of these three values is a legal requirement; a mismatch leads to the rejection of the application. The total time, including the title stage, the certificate of eligibility and the citizenship application, usually takes 6-8 months.

What to watch for: common mistakes

Mistakes in sales to foreigners cost both buyer and seller time and money. The most common ones are:

Skipping the encumbrance check. Whether there is a mortgage, lien or annotation on the deed must be examined before the sale.
Not verifying the block, sheet and parcel. It is common for the shown property to differ from the one registered on the deed.
Pricing far above market value. An inflated price can cause the appraisal to come in below $400,000 and prevent obtaining the certificate of eligibility.
Risk of a fake power of attorney. In a proxy transaction the powers must be clear and the document verified.
Understating the real price. A collusive transaction leads to rejection of the citizenship application and a tax penalty.

These items prevent irreversible outcomes such as a title-annulment case. Because the process has many stakeholders, working with a lawyer experienced in foreign transactions is the safest route.

Foreign-customer management for construction firms

The foreign-customer process is multi-step even for a single buyer. If a construction firm is managing dozens of foreign leads, foreign-currency payments and documents at once, scattered tracking quickly turns into risk.

To gather the multilingual lead flow and customer history in a single panel, a real estate CRM keeps the process organized. To show a unit to a foreign buyer from afar, a digital 3D model makes block, floor and view selection interactive. Running foreign-currency, installment and collection tracking with the accounting module prevents conditions like the VAT exemption from slipping through.

If you want to automate document and process management, our real estate sales automation and KVKK compliance guides offer a complementary roadmap.

Conclusion

Selling homes to foreigners, when managed well, is a profitable transaction for both the firm and the buyer. The four standout points are:

Legal limits such as military zones, nationality eligibility and the 30-hectare cap must be checked in advance.
The foreign-exchange purchase certificate must be obtained before the transaction; an order error gets the registration rejected.
With the conditions of first delivery, bringing in foreign currency and holding for one year, the sale is exempt from VAT.
For citizenship, $400,000, a 3-year annotation and the alignment of the three values are required.

To manage your foreign-customer processes end to end on a single platform, request a demo from Evon. For more content, explore the Evon Blog page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can foreigners buy a home anywhere in Turkey?

No. Sales cannot be made in military-restricted and security zones. In addition, a foreigner can acquire at most 30 hectares of property nationwide.

Is the Foreign-Exchange Purchase Certificate (DAB) mandatory?

The foreign buyer must convert the amount into foreign currency, obtain a DAB and present it before the title transaction. Registration in a foreigner's name cannot be done without a DAB.

Is there VAT on selling a home to a foreigner?

If the conditions of first delivery, bringing in foreign currency and holding for one year are met, a home sale to a foreigner is exempt from VAT.

How much of a property must be bought for citizenship?

As of 2026, a property worth at least $400,000 and a 3-year no-sale annotation on the deed are required.

Is secure payment mandatory in sales to foreigners?

From 1 October 2026, yes. Foreign buyers usually run the transaction through a bank branch together with the foreign-exchange purchase certificate.