Turkish Citizenship by Bank Deposit: USD 500,000 Investment and Three-Year Holding Rules

Turkish Citizenship by Bank Deposit: USD 500,000 Investment and Three-Year Holding Rules

17.10.2026

Turkish Citizenship by Bank Deposit: Legal Framework and Investment Requirement

Turkish law permits certain foreign nationals to acquire Turkish citizenship exceptionally where they satisfy one of the investment conditions prescribed by the legislation. The relevant framework is based on Article 12 of Law No. 5901 on Turkish Citizenship and Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law. The final citizenship decision remains subject to the statutory procedure and competent authority assessment.

The bank-deposit route is one of the qualifying investment alternatives under Article 20 of the implementing Regulation. Under the current provision, a foreign national may qualify by depositing at least USD 500,000, or the equivalent amount in foreign currency, with banks operating in Türkiye and undertaking to maintain the deposit for three years. The foreign currency must be converted into Turkish lira through an authorised bank, which issues a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi – DAB) to document the conversion. The resulting Turkish lira deposit must be maintained for the full three-year period. Compliance with this investment condition is determined by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK).

The requirement is therefore more precise than simply having USD 500,000 available in a Turkish bank account. The deposit must be structured as a qualifying investment under the citizenship framework and must be capable of being verified by the competent authority.

The bank-deposit route should also be distinguished from the other investment routes available under Article 20. For example, the current property route requires at least USD 400,000 and a three-year restriction against sale, whereas the bank-deposit route requires at least USD 500,000 and a three-year holding commitment. These are separate investment conditions with different compliance mechanisms.

The three-year requirement is an investment condition rather than a general requirement to reside in Türkiye for three years. The investor must maintain the qualifying investment for the prescribed period, while the citizenship application itself follows a separate administrative process. Interest earned on the deposit may be withdrawn or transferred separately, provided that the principal amount required for the qualifying investment remains intact throughout the three-year period.

This distinction is important because Turkish citizenship by bank deposit is not obtained merely by transferring the required amount and submitting a citizenship application. The investment must first be recognised as satisfying the relevant condition, after which the applicant proceeds through the prescribed citizenship procedure. Consulting a reputable law firm or citizenship lawyer in Turkey ensures that bank deposit structures, BDDK compliance checks, and citizenship applications are coordinated seamlessly.

The current NVİ guidance states that applicants using the investment route must satisfy one of the investment conditions in Article 20 and obtain a Certificate of Conformity from the relevant authority. For the bank-deposit route, the Certificate of Conformity is obtained through BDDK.

The Certificate of Conformity confirms that the relevant investment condition has been satisfied. It should not be confused with the final decision granting Turkish citizenship.

The citizenship process remains subject to the applicable requirements under Law No. 5901 and the implementing regulations. NVİ explains that, following satisfaction of the investment condition and issuance of the Certificate of Conformity, the investor proceeds to the relevant short-term residence permit stage and then submits the citizenship application through the prescribed procedure.

For foreign investors, the legal significance of the bank deposit therefore lies in satisfying a specific statutory investment condition. The amount, banking arrangement, three-year commitment and documentary evidence should all be considered before the funds are transferred.

USD 500,000 Bank Deposit in Turkey: Procedure and Documentation

The practical process begins with the investor establishing the appropriate banking arrangement in Türkiye. Article 20 refers specifically to a deposit made with banks operating in Türkiye. The relevant investment must then be capable of being identified and verified as the deposit relied upon for the citizenship application.

The investor should therefore discuss the intended citizenship investment with the relevant bank before transferring the funds. Banks are subject to their own regulatory and customer due-diligence obligations, and satisfying the citizenship investment requirement does not remove those banking requirements. The wording of Article 20 is important because the regulation refers to USD 500,000 or its equivalent in foreign currency. The investment should consequently be structured in accordance with the applicable banking and currency rules rather than treated as an informal balance maintained in an account.

Where the investment involves currency conversion or a Turkish lira equivalent, the applicable banking procedure should be confirmed at the time of the transaction. The investor should not rely solely on an exchange-rate calculation made independently of the bank's records.

The banking documentation should establish a clear connection between the investor and the qualifying deposit. Records showing the transfer of funds, the establishment of the deposit and the relevant account should be retained throughout the citizenship process.

This is particularly important because BDDK is responsible for determining whether the bank-deposit investment satisfies the condition in Article 20. NVİ expressly identifies BDDK's Financial Consumer Relations Department as the relevant authority for the Certificate of Conformity for the deposit route.

The Certificate of Conformity is therefore based on the competent authority's assessment of the investment. It is not simply a document issued automatically by the bank when the investor reaches the required amount.

The investor should also distinguish the bank's documentation from the citizenship application documents. The bank records establish the financial investment, while the citizenship application requires additional documents concerning the applicant and, where applicable, accompanying family members.

NVİ's current guidance states that investment-route applicants must obtain the relevant Certificate of Conformity, obtain a short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, and then apply for citizenship through the prescribed authority.

The investment file should therefore be prepared before the citizenship application is submitted. Any discrepancy in the applicant's identity information, banking records or investment documentation should be addressed at an early stage.

The same principle applies where the investor uses more than one account or transfers funds between accounts before the investment is formally assessed. The investor should obtain confirmation from the relevant bank and, where appropriate, legal advice before restructuring the funds.

The objective is to maintain a documentary record from the initial funding through to the Certificate of Conformity. A clear record reduces the risk of uncertainty concerning which funds constitute the qualifying investment.

It is also important not to confuse the USD 500,000 investment threshold with the investor's overall financial expenditure. Banking charges, professional fees and other expenses associated with the process should not automatically be treated as part of the statutory investment merely because they are incurred in connection with the application.

The qualifying amount should be assessed according to the applicable citizenship rules and the manner in which the competent authority determines the investment. Where the transaction contains unusual features, the structure should be reviewed before the funds are committed.

Three-Year Bank Deposit: Holding Rules and Compliance

The three-year holding requirement is an express element of the bank-deposit route. Article 20 requires the foreign national to place at least USD 500,000 or the equivalent amount with banks operating in Türkiye with the condition that the deposit is held for three years.

This requirement should be treated as a continuing investment obligation. It is not simply a condition that is satisfied on the day the investor deposits the money.

The investor should therefore consider the effect of any proposed transaction affecting the qualifying deposit before making a withdrawal, transfer or other change. The fact that the Certificate of Conformity has already been issued does not justify assuming that the investment can subsequently be altered without regard to the three-year condition.

The legislation does not provide a general basis for treating every temporary withdrawal as permissible provided that the investor later restores the balance. Accordingly, an investor should not rely on an informal assumption that a shortfall can automatically be corrected at a later date.

The same caution applies to transferring the qualifying investment to another account or changing its banking structure. Whether a particular change preserves compliance depends on the nature of the transaction and the applicable implementation requirements.

For this reason, the bank should be consulted before any material change is made to the qualifying deposit. Where the proposed transaction could affect the investment condition, legal advice should also be obtained.

The investor should retain evidence showing the continuation of the qualifying investment throughout the relevant period. This may become important if the authorities require confirmation that the three-year undertaking has been respected.

The three-year period should also not be confused with the period for processing the citizenship application. The investment condition and the administrative processing of the citizenship application are separate matters.

An investor may complete the citizenship application process before the three-year investment period has expired. The three-year undertaking nevertheless remains relevant to the qualifying investment and should continue to be respected.

The treatment of interest and other banking returns should similarly be considered separately from the principal qualifying investment. The legal requirement concerns the qualifying deposit and its prescribed holding period. Any proposed change to the deposit or banking product should therefore be assessed before implementation.

Currency movements also require care. Where the investment is denominated or maintained through a currency structure involving foreign currency or its Turkish lira equivalent, the investor should not independently assume that an exchange-rate movement automatically changes the legal status of the investment.

The relevant question is whether the qualifying investment continues to satisfy the applicable requirements and remains capable of being verified by the competent authority.

This is particularly relevant for investors who intend to use the deposited funds for other purposes during the three-year period. A withdrawal may have banking consequences even where the investor intends to replace the amount later.

The safer approach is to treat the qualifying deposit as restricted for citizenship purposes unless the proposed change has been reviewed and confirmed as compliant.

Citizenship Application and Certificate of Conformity

The bank deposit is one stage of the citizenship process rather than the citizenship application itself. Under the current administrative procedure, the investor must first satisfy an investment condition under Article 20 and obtain the corresponding Certificate of Conformity.

For the deposit route, BDDK is the institution responsible for determining that the required investment condition has been met. NVİ expressly identifies BDDK as the competent institution for the deposit-based Certificate of Conformity.

The Certificate of Conformity should be understood as confirmation of investment eligibility. It does not itself confer Turkish citizenship.

Following the investment stage, NVİ's current guidance identifies the relevant short-term residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 as part of the investment citizenship process. The citizenship application is then made through the prescribed authority. Relying on professional citizenship and residency support services in Turkey helps foreign investors manage the transition between the BDDK Certificate of Conformity and the formal residence permit application without administrative delays.

The final citizenship decision is separate from the investment assessment. NVİ states that citizenship applications are evaluated by the Directorate General of Civil Registration and Nationality and that, where the relevant requirements are satisfied and there is no obstacle concerning national security or public order, the matter is submitted for the final decision.

The investor should therefore avoid describing the bank-deposit route as an automatic citizenship entitlement. The statutory investment condition provides the basis for the exceptional route, but the citizenship procedure remains subject to the applicable legal assessment.

Documentation should be prepared consistently from the beginning of the transaction. The investor's passport and identity information, banking records, investment documentation and citizenship application should correspond.

Where family members are included, the relevant civil-status and family documents should also be reviewed before submission. NVİ's published guidance identifies documentation concerning marriage, divorce, death and family relationships among the documents that may be required depending on the application.

The bank-deposit records should remain available throughout the process. The investor should retain the documents demonstrating how the qualifying amount was established and any documentation issued for the BDDK compliance assessment.

The three-year commitment should also remain under review after the Certificate of Conformity is issued. A subsequent withdrawal, transfer or restructuring should not be undertaken on the assumption that the investment condition has ceased to matter.

For investors who need access to the funds during the three-year period, the proposed banking arrangement should be considered before the investment is established. A structure that creates uncertainty over the qualifying deposit may create avoidable issues later.

The most appropriate approach is therefore to coordinate the banking and citizenship stages from the beginning. The investor should understand the investment requirement, confirm the banking structure, obtain the relevant Certificate of Conformity and preserve the investment in accordance with the applicable three-year condition.

Turkish citizenship by bank deposit is consequently a regulated investment route rather than a simple account-opening procedure. The USD 500,000 threshold, BDDK assessment, Certificate of Conformity and three-year holding requirement should be considered as parts of one legal process.

FAQ

Can I withdraw or transfer part of the USD 500,000 during the three-year period?

No. The USD 500,000 deposit must be maintained for the full three-year period to satisfy the investment requirement for Turkish citizenship. Withdrawing or transferring any portion of the qualifying deposit during this period may result in the loss of eligibility for citizenship by investment.

Does the entire USD 500,000 have to remain in one Turkish bank account?

For clarity and ease of compliance, it is advisable to maintain the entire qualifying investment with a single Turkish bank throughout the three-year period. This helps simplify the documentation, monitoring, and verification of the investment by the relevant authorities.

What happens if the bank deposit falls below USD 500,000 during the three-year period?

The key requirement is that the investment must be equivalent to at least USD 500,000 at the time of the initial foreign currency conversion, as documented by the Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi – DAB). Once converted into Turkish lira, subsequent exchange rate fluctuations do not affect the investor's eligibility, provided that the qualifying Turkish lira deposit is maintained throughout the three-year period.

Summary

The Turkish bank-deposit route requires a foreign national to place at least USD 500,000 or the equivalent amount with banks operating in Türkiye and undertake to maintain the investment for three years. Article 20 of the implementing Regulation identifies BDDK as the competent authority for determining compliance with this investment condition. The investor must obtain a Certificate of Conformity before proceeding through the remaining citizenship procedure, and the qualifying investment should not be withdrawn or restructured without first assessing the effect on continued compliance.

For legal assistance with your bank deposit investment or Turkish citizenship application, contact Gokalp Legal.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice.