Citizenship Workflow

Internal only

This document contains protected Ikamet operational intelligence. Access restricted to Ikamet team via Cloudflare Access.

Citizenship routes

Route	Requirement	Typical timeline
By investment	$400,000 USD real estate (held 3 years)	6–12 months
By residence	5 years continuous legal residence	12–24 months
By marriage	3 years married to Turkish citizen	12–18 months
By Turquoise Card	5 years with Turquoise Card	6–12 months
Exceptional (Council of Ministers)	Significant contribution	Variable

Citizenship by investment (most common Ikamet path)

Qualifying investments

• Real estate: $400,000 USD minimum, held for 3 years, registered with Land Registry
• Fixed capital investment: $500,000 USD
• Bank deposit: $500,000 USD for 3 years
• Government bonds: $500,000 USD for 3 years
• Employment: 50 Turkish employees

Required documents

• Valid passport
• Title deed (tapu) with Conformity Certificate (Uygunluk Belgesi) from Land Registry
• Valuation report from a CMB-licensed appraisal firm
• Bank statements showing fund transfer
• Criminal record certificate (apostilled, sworn translation)
• Birth certificate (apostilled, sworn translation)
• Marriage certificate if applicable (apostilled, sworn translation)
• Biometric photos
• Health insurance

Workflow stages

PENDING
  → AWAITING_DOCUMENTS          Document collection phase
  → SUBMITTED                    Filed with Directorate General of Civil Registration
  → UNDER_REVIEW                 Security background checks
  → COMPLIANCE_REVIEW            Detailed document verification
  → APPROVED                     Council of Ministers approval
  → ISSUED                       Turkish ID (TC kimlik) and passport issued
  → COMPLETED

Key milestones

1. Real estate purchase — Must be complete with title deed (tapu) transferred. Requires DASK insurance. Verify conformity certificate before purchase.
2. Valuation report — Must be from a CMB-licensed appraiser. Report must confirm value meets threshold.
3. Land Registry annotation — “Not to be sold for 3 years” annotation is required.
4. Application submission — Via Directorate General or authorized notary.
5. Biometrics appointment — At Immigration office.
6. Citizenship approval — Council of Ministers resolution.
7. Document issuance — TC kimlik and passport.

Common issues

• Property value below threshold on valuation report
• Non-CMB-licensed appraiser used
• Fund transfer from a third-party account (must be applicant’s own account)
• Criminal record issues — even minor records can cause delays
• Translation errors on foreign documents

Family members

Spouse and children under 18 can be included in the same application. Each family member requires the same document set (translated, apostilled). Children over 18 apply separately.

Post-citizenship

After citizenship is granted, the customer’s file should be transitioned:

• Create a Turkish ID record in the system
• Note the new TC number for all future applications
• Update all active permits to reflect new citizen status
• Close the citizenship application with status COMPLETED