Why to get a “Turkish Passport”

By Justin Mays

There has been a lot of buzz around the Turkey Citizenship through property ownership scheme in recent years. Buyers who purchase property in Turkey worth at least $400,000 USD can find themselves on the path to Turkish citizenship. Owners are required to hold the property for three years but their spouse and children under the age of 18 will also be granted a Turkish passport. 

According to the Henley Passport Index, Turkish citizens have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 110 countries and territories, ranking 57th worldwide in terms of travel freedom. Turkish passport holders have access to 72 countries visa-free. Turkey is also among the candidate countries for accession to the European Union. If Turkey does join the European Union the ranking will only move up. 

Passports are issued by the General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs. The validity of the passport is for ten years and it currently costs 1265.40 TL including the compulsory booklet fee. Aside from global mobility, some benefits of getting a Turkish passport include having full access to all government programs, permission to work, retirement programs,  and buying property without waiting for a military check.

 Although the citizenship by investment program does not require that you have to reside in your Turkey Properties, with its hospitable culture and first-rate lifestyle it is easy to enjoy living in Turkey.