The process of buying of property in Turkey is now a relatively simple process for foreign nationals following recent changes in legislation.  Foreigners may purchase land and property in Turkey in their own names, and when the time comes to sell, the proceeds of the sale may be transferred out of Turkey.

           Turkey now has a reciprocal agreements with many countries regarding purchase of land and property, with certain restrictions applying within ‘military’ zones.  Those eligible countries are:  United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Greece, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Spain, plus some South American & African countries.  

Once you have found a suitable property the process is as follows:

v    Agree a purchase price, pay deposit and sign contracts. Then agree a date for payments accordingly.(within both parties)
- Send off for searches at the District Land Registry.
- TAPU returned and balance of 10 percent remaýning paýd.
- Purchase registered at local Land Registry Office and title deeds provided

v    Once a purchase price has been agreed, you will  be required to pay a deposit (normally 10% of the agreed price) and sign a  contract, which will detail the property particulars, the agreed price and the named buyer(s).  These contracts can be executed with an English-speaking solicitor.  The solicitor will require sight of  your passport and 8 passport photographs at this time. At this time an agency fee is also taken.

v    Once the contract is signed we will send a request to the District Land Registry office  based in Izmir, where checks will be undertaken to ensure:

v    • That the seller has the legal right to sell the property, (that they are the registered owner on the title deed);
• That the property is in an area available for sale to a foreign national;
• That the property is legally available for sale.

v    If these checks are satisfactory they will return to us a Tapu Kadastro Mudurlugu (TAPU) form.  This process can take between 6 and 12 weeks. 

v    Upon receipt of the completion monies the documents will be taken to the local Land Registry Office for the sale / purchase to be registered, and the buyers to be registered as owners of the property.  At this stage a Land Registry fee is payable which should be remitted by you with the completion funds.  A title deed for the  property is provided giving you proof of ownership.

v    If (as is likely) you are not able to be in Turkey throughout the period of the above process, all documentation and contracts can be signed with the solicitor and we can arranged for you to sign a Power of Attorney for us to act on your behalf, for the limited use of the property purchase process–this would include sending off for the TAPU and registering the property in your name.  This form would be executed with a Notary (similar to a Notary public in the UK).

v    ROLE OF SOLICITOR AND AGENT – Unlike the property purchase process in the UK the solicitor does not receive and forward the funds to the seller, this service is provided in Turkey by the estate agent.  This is another reason to be comfortable that you are dealing with a reputable agency when buying a property here. 

v    VILLAGE PROPERTY - A recent change in Turkish legislation (in July 2003,) now permits foreigners to buy a property outside the boundaries of a municipality, i.e. council district (Belediye) and within a village or rural area.  However, it is still necessary to obtain permission from the Military, prior to purchase, and this can prolong the purchase process.

v    RESIDENCE VISAS - You do not require a residency visa in order to purchase a property in Turkey.  Tourist visa’s are issued at the airport upon arrival in the country at a cost of £10.00 and are valid for multiple entries within a 90 day period from the date of issue.  These visas will be sufficient for stays of less than 3 months.  If you are looking to reside here for longer periods you will need to apply for a Residents Permit once you are here.  Information on what documentation you will need to provide for this should be obtained from the Turkish Embassy in London before you depart.  A Residents Permit is a necessity if you wish to clear any personal goods or a car through Turkish customs. We will be available to assist you in these matters.

By buying the property once only costs

v     1- Purchase price of the property.

v    2- When the title deeds has been received 3 % Land registry fee is payable to register you as the owner. This 3 % will be calculated by the value price at the property from the local registry office  and is much less than the purchase price.

v    3- Solicitors fees are depandant on the price of the property but start at aprox  1 %.

v    4- To change the water and electric connections into your name.

v    5 - An agency fee dependant on the property purchased and the cost.

Running costs of the property

v    1- 0.1 %  tax of the price which is declared on the title deeds.

v    2- Maintanence when the property is in a complex (pool, gardening, security)

v    3- Council taxes 

v    4- Used electric and water bills monthly.