How to buy an apartment in Turkey in 2026

A 60 m2 flat by the sea in Alanya averages about USD 77,000, yet a residence permit requires a purchase of at least USD 200,000. Prices in Alanya, Antalya, Mersin and Istanbul, the 4% title deed fee, owner taxes, citizenship from USD 400,000 and what changed for buyers from Russia in 2025-2026.

In 2022 Russian citizens bought 16,312 homes in Turkey; in 2025 they bought 3,649. They are still the largest group of foreign buyers, but the market has changed around them: a property-based residence permit now requires a purchase of at least USD 200,000, some neighbourhoods are closed to new foreign residents, and renting to tourists by the night needs a licence.

There is good news too. Lira prices are rising more slowly than inflation and roughly in line with the dollar, so a flat in Alanya or Mersin costs about the same in dollars as it did a year ago, and in Kemer slightly less. Below: prices by city, how the deal works, what an owner pays in tax, and where buyers most often lose money.

All amounts are converted into US dollars at the official rate of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB) for 2 October 2026.

How much does an apartment by the sea in Turkey cost in 2026

The average asking price across Turkey is about USD 870 per square metre. On the coast it is higher: about USD 1,290 per square metre in Alanya and about USD 750 in Mersin. That is almost a twofold gap, and the Mediterranean in Mersin is no less wet for it.

The official picture: according to the Turkish central bank's house price index, prices in August 2026 were up 23% year on year in lira but down 6.5% after inflation, the ninth month of real decline in a row. Over the same year the dollar gained about 18% against the lira at the TCMB rate, so in dollars resort property has barely moved, while Istanbul is up about 8%. For a buyer holding hard currency, this is the rare moment when the seller is the one worrying about the exchange rate.

These are average asking prices from the latest 2026 data, not transaction prices: official statistics do not break prices down by resort district. There is room to negotiate, especially on resale, and a new build with a pool usually costs more than the district average.

What matters for residency: a 60 m2 flat by the sea averages USD 45,000-110,000. The residence permit threshold is USD 200,000. A typical holiday-and-rental purchase does not come with a permit, and that is better learned before the deposit than after it.

Who buys property in Turkey and how much: 2025-2026 statistics

Foreigners bought 21,534 homes in Turkey in 2025, 9.4% fewer than a year earlier, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu, TÜİK). That is 1.3% of all home sales in the country. In the record year of 2022 foreigners bought 67,490, three times as many.

The top three regions in 2025 were Istanbul (7,989 purchases by foreigners), Antalya province, which includes Alanya and Kemer (7,118), and Mersin (1,800). Russian citizens led the buyers (3,649), followed by Iran (1,878) and Ukraine (1,541).

The decline slowed in 2026. From January to August foreigners bought 13,141 homes, 6.3% fewer than a year earlier, and in August sales matched last year's level: 1,938 deals, up 0.1%. Russians were again first in August with 343 purchases.

In practice this gives buyers more time to check a property and negotiate. The flip side is the same: selling on to another foreigner quickly has become harder.

Alanya, Antalya, Mersin or Istanbul: where to buy

Choosing a city is choosing a way of life, not just a price per square metre.

Alanya

The resort Russian-speaking buyers know best: Mahmutlar, Oba, Kestel and Cikcilli are densely built with pool complexes, and the choice is more overwhelming than scarce. The average is about USD 1,290 per square metre; prices rose 18% in lira over the year and stayed flat in dollars. The downsides: many look-alike new builds, stiff competition for tenants, and about two hours by car to Antalya airport, with only the small Gazipasa airport closer. More on life there in our Alanya city guide.

Antalya

A city of more than a million people with year-round life, hospitals, private schools and an international airport. Prices inside the province vary hugely: Kepez at about USD 920 per square metre, beachside Konyaalti at about USD 1,720, Kemer at about USD 1,770. Districts and prices are covered in our Antalya city guide.

Mersin

The most affordable sea among the major destinations: about USD 750 per square metre on average, around USD 780-790 in coastal Mezitli and Erdemli. A port city with fewer tourists and mild winters. The downside mirrors the upside: fewer holiday tenants and slower resale. Residency here takes a very large flat: USD 200,000 at the average price buys about 270 m2.

Istanbul

Not a resort but a megacity. The average is about USD 1,360 per square metre, USD 3,500-3,800 in Kadikoy and Besiktas, about USD 700 in Esenyurt. Istanbul has quite a few neighbourhoods closed to new foreign residents, so the address is checked before any deposit. More in our Istanbul city guide.

To compare Turkey with other countries that sell seaside homes to foreigners, see our overview of where to buy property abroad.

Apartment, residence permit or passport: what a purchase in Turkey gets you

The same flat can be just a flat, grounds for a residence permit or the first step to a Turkish passport. The difference lies in the amount and in how the deal is structured, so the goal is set before choosing the property.

The bridge between the first and third rows is ordinary naturalisation: after 5 years of uninterrupted residence on a permit, the holder can apply for citizenship on general grounds (Article 11 of Citizenship Law No. 5901), but Turkish language skills and real life in the country are expected. All residence routes, not just property, are on our Turkey residence permit page.

How to buy an apartment in Turkey: step by step

The transaction itself is simpler than in most of Europe: no notary is needed for the sale, the contract is signed at the land registry, and with documents in order it all fits into one appointment. The difficulty is the preparation: the signature takes an hour, while the consequences of an unchecked title extract can last for years.

1. Tax number. A tax number (vergi numarası) is issued on a passport at a tax office; without it there is no bank account and no deal.
2. Turkish bank account. Payment and currency exchange go through it.
3. Checking the property. The land registry extract shows the owner, mortgages and seizures. Separately, check the occupancy permit (iskan), arrears on complex maintenance fees (aidat) and utilities, and, for residency, whether the neighbourhood is closed to foreigners.
4. Preliminary contract. If the building is under construction, the buyer signs a notarised promise-to-sell contract (satış vaadi sözleşmesi) with the developer. Under Turkish law such a contract without notarisation is invalid, leaving nothing to enforce.
5. Valuation. Since 2019 a foreigner cannot buy a home without a report from a valuer licensed by the Capital Markets Board (Sermaye Piyasası Kurulu, SPK). The report is valid for 3 months.
6. Money. Foreign currency is credited to a Turkish account, the bank sells it to the central bank and issues a foreign exchange purchase certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi, DAB). The land registry has required this document since 2022.
7. Earthquake insurance. The compulsory earthquake insurance policy (DASK) is taken out before the deal and renewed every year.
8. Application and fees. The application goes to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü, TKGM) through the Web Tapu system, and the title deed fee and service charge are paid before signing.
9. Signing. The parties or their representatives under a power of attorney sign at the land registry, with a sworn translator if needed, and the buyer receives the title deed (tapu).
10. After the deal. Transfer water, electricity and gas and, if residency is the goal, book an appointment on the migration service's e-ikamet portal.

From 1 December 2026 a state secure payment system (Güvenli Ödeme Sistemi) will be added: the buyer's money will be blocked at a bank and released to the seller at the same moment ownership transfers. Turkey's Ministry of Trade has postponed the start several times, most recently from 1 October.

Closing costs: the 4% title deed fee and other payments

The main payment on purchase is the title deed fee (tapu harcı): 4% of the price on the title deed. Under Fees Law No. 492 it is split equally between buyer and seller, but in the resorts it is often agreed that the buyer pays it all. This point is settled before the deposit, not at the land registry counter.

Worked example. A flat in Alanya for exactly $200,000, to clear the residency threshold. The title deed fee is about $8,000, or $4,000 if the seller pays their half. The land registry charge is up to $140. A one-year residence permit with the card costs about $600. Total paid to the state: about $8,800. Valuation, insurance and the translator are paid separately.

Turkish residence permit through property: the USD 200,000 threshold

Buying a home remains a legal basis for a short-term residence permit under Article 31 of the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458. But since 16 October 2023 the Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı) accepts such applications only for purchases of at least USD 200,000 in every city. Before that, USD 75,000 was enough in the large cities and USD 50,000 elsewhere.

• Which price counts. The price on the title deed at the central bank rate on the day of purchase. Understating it to save on the fee can cost the permit.
• Which applications. First permits, switches from another basis and renewals. Flats bought before 16 October 2023 are assessed under the old thresholds.
• Closed neighbourhoods. Since 2022 the authorities have closed neighbourhoods where foreigners exceed 20% of residents to new foreign registrations, and the list changes regularly. A flat in such a neighbourhood can be bought; registering to live in it cannot. The address is checked before the deposit.
• Cost. Under the 2026 tariff the fee for the first month is up to $70, the next 11 months about $510, and the card about $20. A year comes to about $600, two years about $1,200, insurance extra.
• Duration. Up to 2 years at a time, renewable while the flat is owned.
• What next. After 8 years of uninterrupted residence a long-term permit can be requested (Article 42 of Law No. 6458), and after 5 years an application for citizenship by naturalisation.

If the flat costs less than the threshold, residency has to rest on another basis, and requirements for the tourist permit have tightened in recent years. How the tourist permit, rentals and other routes work now is covered in our article on the Turkish residence permit in 2026.

Turkish citizenship through property from USD 400,000

Turkey grants a passport for buying property worth at least USD 400,000 under Article 12 of Citizenship Law No. 5901. It is citizenship straight away, and the application can include a spouse and children under 18. The entry price is high: in 2022 the threshold was raised from USD 250,000 to 400,000, and in 2023-2024 the rules on the property and its valuation were tightened.

• Eligible property. Since 12 December 2023, only a flat with registered unit ownership (kat mülkiyeti), a right to a unit in a building under construction (kat irtifakı), or a plot with a finished building on it. Bare land no longer qualifies.
• Three years without selling. A no-sale annotation (şerh) for 3 years is entered in the land registry.
• Valuation. Since 4 March 2024 the report is prepared only by the valuation company of the state Housing Development Administration (Toplu Konut İdaresi, TOKİ), and the value in it must be at least USD 400,000.
• Payment. Only through a Turkish bank with a DAB certificate, no cash.
• History of the property. The flat must not have been used for citizenship before, and resales between foreigners after 12 January 2017 are checked separately.
• Procedure. The land registry issues a certificate of conformity (uygunluk belgesi), the investor obtains a residence permit and applies for citizenship; the decision is made by the President of Turkey, with no statutory deadline.

Honest arithmetic: USD 400,000 locked for 3 years in an asset that has barely grown in dollar terms over the past year, plus the 4% title deed fee. It suits those for whom the passport matters more than the yield. Russia allows dual citizenship, but a second passport must be reported to the Russian Interior Ministry. Programme details are on our Turkish citizenship page, and a comparison with other countries is in our piece on how to buy citizenship.

Buying an apartment in Turkey as a Russian citizen: transfers, accounts and rubles

From 8 December 2025 the Bank of Russia lifted the limits on foreign currency transfers abroad for Russian citizens that had applied since 2022. On the Russian side, sending money for a flat has become easier. The bottleneck is now in Turkey.

• Banks. Since the United States expanded secondary sanctions against foreign banks in December 2023, Turkish banks have scrutinised clients with Russian passports more closely: they ask where the money comes from and may refuse a transfer or close an account. Income documents are best gathered in advance, see our article on source of funds.
• Paying in rubles. Buying a Turkish flat directly for rubles is not possible: the contract price is in lira, and the land registry needs proof that foreign currency was sold to a Turkish bank. Schemes where an intermediary takes rubles to a Russian card and pays the seller leave no bank trail: proving later who paid what is hard, and for citizenship such a payment will not qualify.
• Obligations at home. A Russian tax resident must notify the tax service of an account opened at a Turkish bank and declare rental income and, where required, the gain on a sale. Turkey takes part in the automatic exchange of financial account information (CRS), a reminder that declaring is an obligation, not a formality.
• Double taxation. Russia and Turkey have a 1997 agreement on the avoidance of double taxation: tax on rent from a Turkish flat is paid in Turkey and can be credited in Russia.

How to open an account and pass a bank's checks is covered on our personal account in Turkey page.

What taxes does an apartment owner pay in Turkey

A flat by the sea is the most intuitive dream of anyone moving abroad. A residence permit does not always come with it; taxes always do. The consolation is that for an ordinary flat they stay modest until it is rented out or sold.

One more cost the brochures stay quiet about: the monthly complex maintenance fee (aidat). The pool, security and gardens are not free, and the fee can easily eat a noticeable share of rental income.

Short-term letting only with a licence

Since 1 January 2024, under Law No. 7464, letting a home to tourists for up to 100 days requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In an apartment building, all owners must consent, and the fine for letting without a permit in 2026 is about USD 3,700 per flat, rising to USD 37,000 if the letting continues. The amounts are indexed every year. Without the permit, a payback model built on nightly rentals turns into a model of fines.

A new break for people who move

Law No. 7582 has been in force since 4 June 2026: if a buyer moves to Turkey and becomes a tax resident after three calendar years without residence or tax liability in Turkey, their foreign income is exempt from Turkish income tax for 20 years. Inheritances during that period are taxed at 1%. The relief applies to those who became resident from 1 January 2026. Rent from a Turkish flat is not covered: it is Turkish-source income.

More on our taxes in Turkey page and in our article on tax residency and the 183-day rule.

What changed in 2025-2026

• Foreigners buy less: down 9.4% in 2025 and 6.3% in the first eight months of 2026.
• Prices lag inflation: down 6.5% year on year in real terms on the central bank index.
• A break for newcomers: Law No. 7582 exempts new residents' foreign income from tax for 20 years.
• Property tax recalculated: tax values rose, but by no more than threefold on 2025.
• Secure bank settlement becomes mandatory from 1 December 2026.
• Transfers from Russia: Bank of Russia limits lifted from 8 December 2025.

The thresholds for residency (USD 200,000) and citizenship (USD 400,000) did not change in 2025-2026.

Risks and pitfalls when buying an apartment in Turkey

Most trouble comes not from treacherous laws but from haste: the flat is chosen during a three-day viewing trip and checked afterwards.

• No occupancy permit (iskan). Such buildings can have problems with permanent utility connections, mortgages and resale. The iskan deadline is a must-have clause in a developer contract.
• Off-plan. Buying at the foundation stage is cheaper, but money reaches the developer before the flat exists. Protection: a notarised contract, kat irtifakı in the registry and staged payments.
• Foreigner pricing. The same flat may be offered to a foreigner and a local buyer at different prices. Comparing with Turkish-language listings and an independent valuation are the best insurance against an accent surcharge.
• Understated deed price. Saving on the fee becomes a tax risk, and around USD 200,000 it means a refused permit.
• Closed neighbourhood. A flat but no residence registration. Check the address before the deposit.
• Seismic risk. Year of construction, design and the DASK policy are checked before purchase; a building put up under old construction codes is cheaper for a reason.
• Liquidity. There are a third as many foreign buyers as in 2022. A flat in a complex where twenty identical ones are for sale is hard to sell quickly.
• Inflation. Taxes, fees and utilities rise with Turkey's double-digit inflation.

Who buying in Turkey suits, and who it does not

It suits wintering by the sea, families moving to Antalya or Istanbul for the long term, and those who can put USD 400,000 aside for three years for a second passport.

It does not suit anyone counting on a residence permit for a USD 70,000 flat, on fast price growth in dollars, or on nightly rentals without a licence. If the main goal is residency in the EU, compare Turkey with other countries in our overview of residency through property in 2026.

How we help with buying an apartment in Turkey

We start with the goal, not the catalogue: a flat for wintering, a residence permit or a passport each require a different budget, different checks and a different deal structure. Property checks and the transaction are handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.

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