Residence, property and company formation in Turkey for non-EU nationals: a review of official sources

Turkey attracts people from many countries outside the European Union who want to live there for longer periods, buy property, retire or start a business. The binding rules are set out in Turkish legislation and on the portals of Turkish authorities, mostly in Turkish. This working paper summarises the official sources on three topics: residence permits (ikamet), acquisition of real estate (tapu) and company formation. It draws on the Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458, the Land Registry Law No. 2644, the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 and the portals of the competent authorities, and adds peer-reviewed research on foreign real-estate investment and international retirement migration. It also names English-language resources that guide applicants through these steps and discusses the limits of such overviews. The paper is not legal advice.