Citizenship by Investment
Turkey's CBI program is one of only two routes to direct citizenship that confer eligibility to apply for the US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa (the other being Grenada). Established in 2017 and refined through 2022, it provides a Turkish passport in months through qualifying real estate or capital investment — and, critically, a viable downstream pathway for the holder and family to live and operate a business in the United States under the E-2 framework.
- Real Estate Investment
- From $400,000
- Capital / Bond / Deposit
- From $500,000
- Processing
- 3–6 months
- Stay Requirement
- None
- Citizenship
- Lifetime, hereditary
- Visa-Free Access
- 110+ countries · E-2 eligible
When the destination is, in fact, the United States.
Turkey's CBI is rarely chosen for Turkey itself. It is chosen because Turkish citizenship — like Grenadian citizenship — confers eligibility for the US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, the non-immigrant visa that allows the holder and their family to live and operate a qualifying business in the United States, renewable indefinitely. For non-US-citizen family members of Americans, or for clients seeking an alternative to EB-5 with faster timing and lower irreversibility risk, Turkey is consistently in scope.
Turkish citizens may apply for the US E-2 Investor Visa — among the most desirable non-immigrant visas the US issues.
Standard processing is fast — among the most predictable timelines for any direct-citizenship program.
The real-estate route results in a usable, lettable Turkish property in addition to the citizenship.
Citizenship is transmitted to children and grandchildren under Turkish nationality law.
How to qualify.
Acquisition of qualifying Turkish real estate at $400,000 or above (the threshold rose from $250,000 in 2022). Three-year minimum holding. The dominant route — both for cost efficiency and for the E-2 use case where the Turkish property serves as part of the broader investment story.
Fixed capital investment in a Turkish business, government bonds, real-estate investment fund participation, or venture capital fund. Three-year holding. Used by clients who prefer to avoid direct property ownership.
Qualifying deposit with a Turkish bank for three years. Capital-preserving but illiquid; subject to Turkish banking regulations and currency considerations.
- Verifiable lawful source of investment funds.
- Acquisition of qualifying Turkish real estate at $400,000+ (or qualifying capital investment at $500,000+).
- Three-year holding period for the qualifying investment.
- Clean criminal record across all countries of prior residence.
- Tapu (title deed) registration with annotation of CBI status (irrevocable for three years).
How we run this program.
Confidential intake. If the E-2 is the driver, US immigration counsel coordinated from the start. Property selection independent of any developer.
Tapu (title deed) issued, qualifying-investment annotation registered. Source-of-funds documentation assembled.
Citizenship application filed. Approval typically in 3–6 months. Turkish passport issued.
Once Turkish citizenship is conferred, US E-2 application initiated. We coordinate with US immigration counsel for the E-2 component.
Questions worth answering candidly.
Why choose Turkey over Grenada for E-2 access?+
Turkey is faster and offers a tangible real-estate asset; Grenada has a stronger passport for visa-free travel and a much smaller country footprint to manage. Cost-wise both are competitive at the entry threshold. The choice often comes down to whether the client values speed and a property asset (Turkey) or visa-free access and a smaller jurisdictional footprint (Grenada). We model both for clients open to either.
What's the deal with Turkish real estate prices?+
Turkish real-estate valuations for CBI are denominated in USD by formal appraisal at acquisition. Currency fluctuation can affect the listing price in lira but does not affect the qualifying USD threshold. We work only with developers and properties whose appraisals stand up to government scrutiny.
Will US authorities know I have Turkish citizenship?+
Yes — US citizens must report all foreign citizenships and passports on relevant tax and disclosure forms. The E-2 application itself, of course, makes the Turkish citizenship explicit to US immigration. There is no path that involves concealment, and we do not pursue any such path.
Can I sell the property after three years?+
Yes. The qualifying investment must be held for three years with a registered annotation. After three years, the annotation can be removed and the property freely transferred without affecting citizenship.
Considering Turkey? Let's talk before you commit.
Thirty minutes with an experienced advisor. We'll tell you, candidly, whether this program is the right fit — and if it isn't, which one is.
You speak directly with an experienced advisor — not an intake associate.