Buying Property in Turkey as a Foreigner

Foreigners can buy property in Turkey, and the transfer itself happens at a government office, not at a notary. Still, almost everything you bring to that office involves translation or notarization. Here is what the paperwork usually looks like. It is a document guide, not legal advice, and a property lawyer should check the purchase itself.

Where the transfer happens

Title deed (tapu) transactions are carried out at the land registry offices. You can attend yourself or send a representative who holds a notarized power of attorney. In most cases the notary is not part of the transfer itself. Its role is in the documents that go with it, such as the power of attorney and certified translations.

What you usually bring

• Your passport, with a Turkish translation. The passport is normally translated and notarized. See our guide to passport translation for foreigners.
• A Turkish tax number. Foreign buyers need one, because it is recorded on the title deed. We explain how in our guide to the tax number for foreigners.
• A power of attorney, if someone else attends for you. If it was issued abroad, the land registry typically expects the properly legalized original together with a notarized Turkish translation of it.
• The property details. The title deed information, or the district, block and plot numbers, so the office can find the property.
• Payment of the official title deed fees, which are calculated on the declared value of the property. Ask the office or your lawyer for the current rates.

The sworn translator

The land registry works in Turkish. If the buyer, or the person representing the buyer, doesn't speak Turkish, a sworn translator has to be present during the transaction. This applies even when everything else is ready, so arrange the translator before the appointment, not on the day.

If you can't attend: the power of attorney

Many foreign buyers sign a power of attorney so a lawyer or representative can complete the purchase. Make it specific to the purchase rather than a broad document, because land registry offices and lawyers generally prefer a narrow, clearly worded authority. We cover this in more detail in our guide to the power of attorney for property and vehicles.

What the notary does, and doesn't do

• Does: issues or certifies the power of attorney, notarizes the passport translation and other translated documents.
• Doesn't: check the property's legal status, set the price, or carry out the title deed transfer. Those are for the land registry, and for your lawyer's due diligence.

Problems that cause delays

• Name mismatches. The name in your passport, translation, tax number and power of attorney should all be spelled the same way.
• No translator on the day. The transaction can't go ahead without one if nobody present speaks Turkish.
• A power of attorney that is too vague or not accepted. Ask the land registry office, or your lawyer, what wording they want before you sign.
• Property restrictions. Some legal limits apply to foreign buyers, for example in certain areas. Have your lawyer or the land registry confirm the property is eligible before you pay a deposit.

How we help

We handle the translation and notary side: the sworn translation and notarization of your passport and other documents, the notary appointment for a power of attorney, and the legalization steps for documents issued abroad. We aren't a real estate agency or a law firm, so the purchase contract, price and due diligence are for your lawyer. Tell us what you have and where it was issued, and we'll tell you what each document needs.