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BKT Tercüme ve DanışmanlıkConsultancy for Foreigners & Sworn Translation

VT-03 Consultancy service

Turkish Citizenship Consultancy

Case management on the investment, marriage and general application routes

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The acquisition of Turkish citizenship is regulated by Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and its implementing regulation. Citizenship may be acquired by decision of the competent authority through the general application route, through marriage to a Turkish citizen, under exceptional circumstances such as the acquisition of immovable property or a capital investment, or through special routes such as adoption and the right of option.

The road to citizenship usually runs through a long-term residence permit or through marriage; certified and apostilled translations of civil status and criminal records issued abroad also go into the file. Pages directly connected to this process: residence permit consultancy, official marriage procedures with foreign nationals, apostille and consular certification and notarised translation.

Each route has its own timeframe, documents and examination process; applications are most often prolonged by missing documents, apostille and translation errors, or a mistaken reading of the conditions. At BKT we determine which route is viable for you, handle the apostille and sworn translation of documents originating abroad, and follow your case through to the outcome.

Citizenship matters are followed from start to finish: we assess the conditions for acquiring Turkish citizenship against your own file and decide together which route to take.

Who is it for?

  • Foreign nationals wishing to apply through investment by acquiring immovable property of the amount stipulated by law
  • Those assessed under exceptional citizenship through fixed capital investment, bank deposits or job creation
  • Foreign nationals who have been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage is continuing
  • Foreign nationals who have resided in Türkiye for five uninterrupted years and meet the conditions of the general application route
  • Those who will apply for a blue card, the right of option or reacquisition of citizenship
  • Those whose application has been refused and who wish to have their case reassessed

Required documents

The list below is for a typical case. Additional documents may be requested depending on your nationality, the type of application and the practice of the relevant authority; the definitive list is given to you in writing at the initial consultation.

  • Passport and, if available, residence permit document
  • Birth certificate or civil registry extract; document showing marital status
  • Apostille certification or consular attestation for documents issued by foreign authorities
  • Sworn translation and notarisation of all foreign-language documents
  • For the investment route, the certificate of conformity and title deed records
  • For the marriage route, the marriage certificate and a declaration of living together as a family unit
  • Criminal record certificate and medical report (where these are requested)

The process step by step

  1. 1

    Identifying the route

    Your situation is assessed in terms of which citizenship route is viable, and a realistic timetable is drawn up.

  2. 2

    Obtaining documents from abroad

    The procurement, apostille certification and sworn translation of documents such as birth, marital status and criminal record certificates are completed.

  3. 3

    Conformity and preliminary steps

    On the investment route the certificate of conformity process is handled, and on the marriage route preparation for the family unit examination is carried out.

  4. 4

    Application

    The file is submitted to the relevant provincial directorate or diplomatic mission; follow-up begins through the application number.

  5. 5

    Examination and outcome

    The interview, investigation and examination stages are followed; after the decision, guidance is provided on the civil registry procedures.

Routes to Turkish citizenship

The routes to Turkish citizenship are each regulated separately in Law No. 5901 on Turkish Citizenship, and they are not interchangeable. Each route has its own condition, its own document list and its own review process; the three routes below cover almost every file that reaches our office.

Application by the general route

The conditions for a Turkish citizenship application by the general route are listed in Article 11 of the law. The core condition of that article is to have resided in Türkiye without interruption for five years, counting back from the date of application. In addition, the applicant must be of age and have the capacity of discernment, confirm the decision to settle in Türkiye through their conduct, have no illness posing a danger to public health, be of good moral character, speak Turkish well enough to take part in social life, have an income or occupation sufficient to support themselves and their dependants, and present no obstacle in terms of national security and public order.

Meeting all of these conditions does not in itself confer a right to citizenship; the administration retains its discretion. Under the second paragraph of the same article, the applicant may also be required to renounce their current citizenship. These are the two points that surprise people most when a file is refused.

Application through marriage

The second route is marriage. Foreign nationals who have been married to a Turkish citizen for at least three years and whose marriage is still subsisting at the time of application may apply by this route. They must also live together as a family, refrain from any activity incompatible with the marital union, and present no obstacle in terms of national security.

Application by the exceptional route and through investment

The third route is exceptional citizenship, granted by decision of the President. Citizenship through investment also rests on one of the subparagraphs of this route. Investment amounts are set not in the law but in the implementing regulation, and they change over time, so we do not publish figures on this page; during the initial consultation we check together the amount currently in force for the type of investment you are planning and give you the result in writing.

Common mistakes

  • Bringing documents obtained abroad to Türkiye without apostille certification
  • Having the translation done by someone other than a sworn translator and skipping notarisation
  • Being unprepared to document the requirement of living together as a family unit on the marriage route
  • Committing to the investment amount without examining the conditions for the certificate of conformity
  • Not realising that breaks in the residence permit disrupt the five-year period

Legal basis

Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law

Legislation and administrative practice may change. The information on this page is for general guidance only; an assessment specific to your case requires a consultation.

Turkish Citizenship Consultancy — frequently asked questions

When can a citizenship application be made through marriage?

The marriage to a Turkish citizen must have lasted at least three years and must in fact be continuing. After the application, an examination is carried out as to whether the couple live together as a family unit.

Is it necessary to give up existing citizenship once Turkish citizenship is acquired?

Turkish law permits multiple citizenship. However, the legislation of your own country may restrict dual citizenship; this should be confirmed with the authorities of that country.

On the investment route, for how many years can the property not be sold?

An annotation is entered in the land register stating that the immovable property underlying the certificate of conformity will not be sold for a period of three years. Transferring it before this period expires puts the status acquired at risk.

How long does the application take?

The duration varies according to the application route, the completeness of the file and the volume of examinations. While the process is generally more predictable on the investment route, the examination stage can take longer on the general and marriage routes.

If my application is refused, can I apply again?

If the grounds for refusal are capable of being remedied, a new application may be filed; recourse to the administrative courts is also possible. Reading those grounds correctly is the most important stage in determining the outcome of a second application.

What are the conditions for Turkish citizenship?

The conditions depend on the route by which you apply. On the general route, five uninterrupted years of residence counting back from the date of application are decisive; on the marriage route, a marriage of at least three years that is still subsisting at the time of application. Both routes require that no obstacle exists in terms of national security and public order. Once we have seen your file, we give you in writing which list of conditions will apply to you.

Which documents are required to apply for Turkish citizenship?

The document list varies with the route of application, but every file contains a passport, a birth certificate, a civil status certificate and their sworn translations. Documents coming from abroad require an apostille or consular certification. We draw up your own list during the initial consultation and note, one by one, where each document is obtained.

Do you have to be in Türkiye to apply for Turkish citizenship?

Within Türkiye the application is made to the governorate of your place of residence, to the Provincial Directorate of Population and Citizenship. If you are abroad, you may apply to the foreign representations. The application may be made in person or by a special power of attorney covering the exercise of this right.

What should be checked before a Turkish citizenship application?

First, which route is open to you. For a foreign national who wants to obtain Turkish citizenship, the residence history, the marital status and any investment plan determine which article applies. An application made by the wrong route costs both time and the service fee.

Is there a fee for a Turkish citizenship application?

A service fee is charged for citizenship procedures; it is set jointly by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance and announced by the Directorate General of Population and Citizenship Affairs. The amounts are updated from time to time, so we do not give figures on this page; we check together during the consultation the current fee for your route of application. Those with no income under the Income Tax Law, and the children in their care, are exempt from this fee.

How long does it take for the result of a Turkish citizenship application to be announced?

The law does not lay down a single period. The time depends on the route of application, the completeness of the file and the review workload. For that reason we do not give an unrealistic date; we tell you which stage your file has reached as it progresses.

What is the difference between citizenship of the Republic of Türkiye and the Blue Card?

The Blue Card is issued to people who were Turkish citizens by birth and left citizenship with a renunciation permit, and to their descendants. A Blue Card holder is not deemed a Turkish citizen; the right to vote and stand for election, duty-free import of a vehicle and household goods, military service obligation and employment in principal and permanent public posts fall outside this scope. This distinction is often confused when an application is being planned.

What does your citizenship consultancy service cover?

Determining which route is open to you, drawing up the document list, running the apostille and translation process for documents coming from abroad, planning the application appointment and keeping you informed as the file progresses. We do not provide legal representation; if your file requires it, we say so plainly.

What do we provide in this process?

An experienced advisory team

Where a case needs legal representation — an objection, an administrative lawsuit, a refusal decision — we state plainly where our consultancy ends.

Grounded in the legislation

We state plainly which law and regulation each service rests on: Laws No. 6735, 6458 and 5901 and the related implementing rules.

Transparency on process and fees

Before we begin, the document list, the steps, a realistic time expectation and the total fee are shared in writing.

One point of contact

Your case is assigned to one person; you speak to the same individual at every stage and follow the process from a single place.

Tell us about your situation and we will get back to you

Your name, a telephone number and a short summary of your situation are enough. When you submit the form, your details open as a ready-made message on WhatsApp; you can review it before sending.

By submitting the form you consent to your personal data being processed solely within the scope of this enquiry.

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Let us assess your case

You do not need to have your documents to hand; describing your current situation is enough for the first step.

0536 089 76 94 Message us on WhatsApp

You can reach us on weekdays between 09:00 and 18:00. The first consultation is free of charge; the fee and the timeline are set out in writing at that meeting.