Can Yemeni citizens get Turkish citizenship by investment?

Yes. Turkish citizenship by investment is open to Yemeni 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. Yemeni citizens have bought homes in Türkiye for years; eligibility of the nationality and the property 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 Yemeni citizens.

Dual citizenship under Yemeni law

• Article 22 of the Yemeni Nationality Law No. 6 of 1990, as amended: no Yemeni may take on another nationality without the Minister’s prior permission. A Yemeni who does so without permission remains Yemeni in all respects.
• Article 3(e): a Yemeni emigrant keeps Yemeni nationality after acquiring the host country’s nationality unless he renounces it in writing.
• Article 15: a Yemeni who acquired a foreign nationality and gave up Yemeni nationality may recover it by written request.

Yemeni documents: legalisation

Yemen is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and there is no bilateral exemption with Türkiye. Yemeni documents are authenticated by the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then legalised by a Turkish mission, followed by sworn Turkish translation and notarisation in Türkiye.

• Because of the political division in Yemen, confirm with the Turkish mission which issuing authority’s authentication it accepts before obtaining documents.
• Arabic names must be transliterated exactly as in the passport.

Visa, travel and power of attorney

Yemeni ordinary passport holders need a visa for Türkiye. Holders of a valid Schengen, US, UK or Irish visa or residence permit can obtain a one-month conditional e-visa; there is no age-based exemption.

• Embassy of Türkiye in Sana’aActivities temporarily suspended since 16 February 2015; its website gives a contact address c/o the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh.

Yemeni investors living in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Egypt or elsewhere usually sign their power of attorney at the Turkish mission in their country of residence. A power of attorney can also be signed at a notary in Türkiye with a sworn translator during a visit.

Transferring funds from Yemen

• The United States re-designated Ansarallah (the Houthis) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2025, and OFAC sanctioned Yemen Kuwait Bank for Trade and Investment and the International Bank of Yemen. Turkish banks apply strict compliance checks to funds linked to sanctioned banks or areas.
• In practice, Yemeni investors pay from bank accounts held outside Yemen or through banks with no sanctions exposure, and keep full source-of-funds records.
• On the Turkish side: documented bank transfer in the investor’s name, sale of the foreign currency to a Turkish bank and a Currency Purchase Certificate (DAB).

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.