Is it still possible to get a residence permit in Turkey by buying real estate? Which areas of Istanbul are open for residence permit 2023? What about other popular regions of the country? Specific answers—in our material.

Context. What's happening in the Turkish real estate market right now?

Not so long ago it was quite easy to get a Turkish residence permit, but those times are over—as of July 1, 2022, the country has 1,169 closed districts in 58 cities. This means that a foreigner who decides to buy real estate there, will not be able to register or live in this property. And therefore, can not get a primary residence permit and legally stay in the country. Plus, now you can get ikamet only if you have real estate (to do it on the lease is no longer possible, starting in December 2022).

You can download the full list of closed areas in Turkey on the Interior Ministry's website. But open areas, of course, there are also—about them today and we will talk about them.

It is worth noting that starting in 2022, the Turkish government has changed the rules for obtaining citizenship and residence permits on the basis of real estate ownership. Now, a residence permit is required to purchase a home worth at least $75 thousand in popular regions such as Istanbul and Antalya, and $59 thousand in other regions of the country.

Lost prospects or a new round in the market? Review on the real estate market in Turkey. Analytics from REALTING

What does a residence permit in Turkey give?

The Turkish residence permit is not only an opportunity to legally reside in the country for a long time. It provides a number of privileges:

  • The ability to open accounts in various local banks. Not all financial institutions are willing to cooperate with foreigners who do not have a residence permit.
  • Ease of registration of a local SIM card. Tourist SIM cards are much more expensive and, in addition, they are often blocked after 1–2 months of use.
  • Ability to send your child to a local school. Without a residence permit, this can be problematic.
  • Purchase of a name pass, which allows you to save money on public transportation. For tourists, only non-personalized passes are available, which are often more expensive.
  • The ability to live in the country without having to leave every 60 days. As long as your residence permit is valid, you do not have to leave the country.
  • Savings on cultural entertainment, such as museum tickets.

According to data for September 2023, there are just over 1.2 million foreigners living in Turkey on existing residence permits, up from 1.3 million in 2022. Most foreigners are registered in Istanbul, Antalya, and Ankara.

List of open areas of Turkey for obtaining a residence permit

City

Open neighborhoods

Alanya

The central part of Payallar, Oba, Okurcalar, Tosmur, Center, Cikcilli, Ciplakli, Demirtaş district.

Antalya

Altyn Taş, Kepez, Gençlik, Muratpaşa.

Istanbul

Bahçeşehir, Büyükçekmece, Kadıköy, Eyüp, Üsküdar.

Mersin

Mesitli, Tomiuk, Cheshmely, Arpachbakhshish, part of the neighborhoods in Eneshihir

Izmir

Cesme, Urla, Foça, Bayrakli, Alsanjak, Halkapınar (Konak). 

Bursa

Mudanya, Gemlik.

Open neighborhoods in Alanya—what you can buy right now 

  
Duplex 2 bedrooms
Payallar, Turkey
€142,000
3 Rooms 2 Bedrooms 2 bath 100 m² 4/4 Floor
  
1 bedroom apartment
Demirtas, Turkey
€87,000
2 Rooms 1 Bedrooms 40 m² 2/4 Floor
  

Open neighborhoods in Istanbul—what you can buy right now 
2 bedroom apartment
Ueskuedar, Turkey
€570,387
2 Bedrooms 2 bath 90 m²
  
2 bedroom apartment
Ueskuedar, Turkey
€448,829
2 Bedrooms 2 bath 104 m² Number of floors 7
  
2 bedroom apartment
Eyuepsultan, Turkey
€224,414
2 Bedrooms 1 bath 70 m² 2/6 Floor
  
3 room apartment
Basaksehir, Turkey
€473,140
3 Rooms 2 bath 168 m²
  
2 bedroom apartment
Basaksehir, Turkey
€388,050
2 Rooms 2 Bedrooms 2 bath 135 m²
  
Apartment
Bueyuekcekmece, Turkey
€457,244
  

Open neighborhoods in Izmir—what you can buy right now 
Villa 3 bedrooms with Balcony, with Sea view, with Household appliances
Cesme, Turkey
€3,88M
5 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 3 bath Number of floors 2
  
3 bedroom townthouse
Cesme, Turkey
€1,03M
4 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 3 bath 338 m² 1/2 Floor
  
3 bedroom house
Urla, Turkey
€573,000
6 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 1 bath 320 m² Number of floors 4
  
Villa 6 bedrooms with parking, with Sea view, with Terrace
Urla, Turkey
€2,35M
7 Rooms 6 Bedrooms 145 m² Number of floors 2
  
2 bedroom apartment
Konak, Turkey
€437,137
3 Rooms 2 Bedrooms 79 m² Number of floors 24
  
5 bedroom apartment
Urla, Turkey
€2,04M
6 Rooms 5 Bedrooms 494 m² Number of floors 2
  

Open neighborhoods in Bursa—what you can buy right now 
3 bedroom apartment
Mudanya, Turkey
€142,000
4 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 2 bath 150 m² 1/6 Floor
  
3 bedroom apartment
Mudanya, Turkey
€135,000
4 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 2 bath 145 m² 1/4 Floor
  
2 bedroom apartment
Mudanya, Turkey
€134,000
3 Rooms 2 Bedrooms 2 bath 115 m² 1/5 Floor
  
Duplex 5 bedrooms
Gemlik, Turkey
€299,000
6 Rooms 5 Bedrooms 2 bath 325 m² 6/6 Floor
  
3 bedroom apartment
Gemlik, Turkey
€168,000
4 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 2 bath 200 m² 1 Floor
  
Duplex 3 bedrooms
Gemlik, Turkey
€138,000
4 Rooms 3 Bedrooms 2 bath 200 m² 2 Floor
 

However, it is important to note that there is still a chance of opening closed areas—so said a local market expert in our recent interview. Plus, we learned that the country's government is now preparing a new residence visa system for foreigners. The continuation, in all likelihood, follows.