Can Saudi citizens get Turkish citizenship by investment?

Yes. Turkish citizenship by investment is open to Saudi citizens on the same terms as other foreign nationals. Under Article 12/1-b of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 and Article 20 of its Implementing Regulation, it is enough to complete one of the qualifying investments and obtain an investor residence permit; citizenship is then granted by Presidential decision. There is no prior-residence or Turkish-language requirement.

• Real estateAt least USD 400,000, with a three-year no-sale annotation on the title deed. The most common route.
• Bank deposit, government bonds, fund shares, private pensionAt least USD 500,000 each, held for three years.
• Fixed capital investmentAt least USD 500,000, confirmed by the Ministry of Industry and Technology.
• Job creationEmployment of at least 50 people, confirmed by the Ministry of Labour.

Under Article 35 of the Land Registry Law No. 2644, foreigners may buy property in Türkiye if their country is among those designated by the President, outside military and security zones and within area limits. Eligibility of the nationality and the specific property should be confirmed before any payment. We are not aware of any nationality-based restriction on property purchases by Saudi citizens; eligibility is still confirmed at the land registry before payment.

Property types, payment rules, the Currency Purchase Certificate (DAB) and the certificate of conformity are explained in detail in our Turkish citizenship by investment guide; this page focuses on what is specific to Saudi citizens.

Dual citizenship under Saudi law

Turkish law allows multiple citizenship, so Türkiye does not ask Saudi applicants to give up their nationality. The question is how Saudi law treats a Saudi who acquires Turkish citizenship.

• Article 11 of the Saudi Arabian Nationality System: a Saudi national is not permitted to acquire a foreign nationality without prior permission from the Prime Minister.
• A Saudi who acquires another nationality without permission is still considered Saudi, but under Article 13 Saudi nationality may be withdrawn by decree for violating Article 11. Withdrawal is discretionary, not automatic.
• Article 12 contains special rules on the wife and minor children of a Saudi who acquires another nationality; their position should be checked case by case.

Saudi documents: apostille

Saudi Arabia acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 8 April 2022, and the Convention has been in force for Saudi Arabia since 7 December 2022. Saudi public documents (birth and marriage certificates, family records, powers of attorney issued by a notary) are therefore certified with an apostille instead of consular legalisation.

• Apostilled documents are translated into Turkish by a sworn translator in Türkiye and notarised.
• Names must be transliterated into Latin script exactly as in the passport; inconsistent spellings of Arabic names are a common reason for missing-document requests.
• The family record (sijil al-usra) is typically used to prove marriage and children.

Visa, travel and power of attorney

According to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi ordinary passport holders are exempt from visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This is enough for the in-person steps (fingerprints for the residence permit and, where needed, the citizenship application).

• Embassy of Türkiye in RiyadhCovers regions not served by Jeddah.
• Consulate General in JeddahCovers Makkah, Madinah, Tabuk, Al Bahah, Asir and Jizan.

The purchase, title transfer and paperwork can be handled through a power of attorney issued at a Turkish mission in Saudi Arabia or before a Saudi notary with an apostille, then translated into Turkish.

Transferring funds from Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia does not apply general foreign-exchange controls on transfers abroad; the Saudi riyal is pegged to the US dollar. For Turkish citizenship, what matters is the paper trail:

• The price must be sent by bank transfer in the investor’s name, and SWIFT records must be kept. Cash is not accepted.
• The foreign currency is sold to a bank in Türkiye, which issues a Currency Purchase Certificate (DAB); without it the title cannot be registered for citizenship.
• Banks may ask for source-of-funds documents under anti-money-laundering rules; preparing these early avoids delays.

Spouse and children

Under Article 12/1-b of Law No. 5901, the investor’s foreign spouse and the minor (under 18) or dependent children of the investor and spouse are included in the same file without additional investment. Parents and siblings are not covered and need their own investment.

• Where there is more than one spouse, only one spouse can be included, because of Turkish public order.
• For children from another marriage, the other parent’s consent or a custody document may be requested.
• For a child close to 18, the file should be prepared early, as the process can take time.

Under Article 12 of the Saudi Nationality System, the effect on a Saudi wife and minor children of a Saudi who acquires another nationality is regulated separately; check their position before including them in the Turkish file.