Title deed fee calculatorBuyer and seller share, residence and citizenship thresholds

1.How is the title deed fee calculated?

The title deed fee calculator uses the sale price declared at the land registry office. Under item 20/a of tariff No. 4 attached to Fees Law No. 492, a fee of 20 per mille (2%) is charged separately to the buyer and to the seller when real estate is sold.

• Formula: sale price × 0.02 = buyer’s share; sale price × 0.02 = seller’s share; total = sale price × 0.04.
• Minimum value: the declared price cannot be lower than the property’s tax value (Fees Law Art. 63). Declaring less than the real price may lead to a fee difference and a tax loss penalty.
• Time of payment: the fee is paid before the sale at the land registry; registration does not take place without payment.

2.Who pays the title deed fee?

By law, the buyer and the seller each pay their 20 per mille share separately. The parties may agree in the sale contract that the buyer or the seller pays the whole fee; even then, the way the fee is calculated does not change. Since the transfer is not carried out while the seller’s share is unpaid, it is advisable to settle the fee split in writing before the sale.

3.Example calculation

For a home with a declared sale price of 9,000,000 TL, the title deed fee is calculated as follows:

• Buyer’s share: 9,000,000 × 0.02 = 180,000 TL
• Seller’s share: 9,000,000 × 0.02 = 180,000 TL
• Total title deed fee: 360,000 TLIf the USD rate on the sale day is 41.50 TL, the sale price is about USD 216,867: the residence threshold by property (USD 200,000) is met, the citizenship threshold (USD 400,000) is not.

The rate is given only as an example; use the rate on the day of the transaction.

4.Additional items for foreign buyers

The title deed fee calculator shows only the fee. When foreigners acquire real estate, the following items and conditions also apply:

• Valuation report: mandatory when foreigners acquire real estate; it is prepared by a valuation firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK), and the report fee is paid by the buyer.
• Revolving fund service fee: charged by the land registry office in an amount set every year.
• Sworn translator: a buyer who does not speak Turkish needs a sworn translator present at the title deed transaction.
• Power of attorney: if the buyer is not in Turkey, a power of attorney issued abroad must bear an apostille or consular certification and be accompanied by a notarised Turkish translation.
• Restricted zones: real estate in military restricted and security zones cannot be sold to foreigners.

For the full process: buying property in Turkey as a foreigner.

5.Residence permit threshold by property

For homes bought on or after 16 October 2023, a short-term residence permit based on home ownership requires the sale price on the title deed to be at least the equivalent of USD 200,000. For homes bought before that date, the former thresholds in force on the purchase date apply. The home must also not be located in a neighbourhood closed to residence registration and must be used as a residence.

Details: residence permit in Turkey.

6.Citizenship by investment threshold

Citizenship through real estate requires acquiring real estate worth at least the equivalent of USD 400,000 and registering an annotation on the title deed that it will not be sold for 3 years. In practice, the title deed sale price, the value in the valuation report and the amount paid in foreign currency through a bank must each meet this threshold; the foreign currency is converted into Turkish lira at the bank and a Foreign Exchange Purchase Certificate (Döviz Alım Belgesi) is obtained.

Details: Turkish citizenship by investment.