The Advantages of Turkish Citizenship | Vancis Capital

Turkey is a popular country due to its geographical importance as it connects Europe and Asia. Recently, Turkey made it easier for both businessmen and individuals to get citizenship.

Getting Turkish citizenship offers many business chances and good investment options. That is why it attracts people from all kinds of countries, whether they are less developed than Turkey or even more developed.

In this blog, we'll discover what are the benefits of Turkish citizenship. We'll also examine what being a citizen of Turkey means and what are the requirements to obtain Turkish citizenship.

Becoming a citizen of Turkey means entering a legal relationship with the nation. For instance, you will be subject to Turkish taxation laws. On the other hand, the state of Turkey will uphold your rights and govern you.

You can obtain Turkish citizenship in 5 ways: Birth, marriage, investment, naturalization, and descent. The citizenship process usually takes up to 3 months.

Each path to Turkish citizenship has its own restrictions, requirements, and eligibility status. Let's take a look at them:

• Descent: To apply for citizenship by descent, one of your parents must be Turkish at the time of your birth. You'll need to provide documents that state your parents' Turkish citizenship. You need this documentation to prove one of your guardians was Turkish when you were born.

• Birth: Those born in Turkey can apply to become citizens. However, you need to have proof your parents were not in Turkey temporarily. When you were born, your parents could not have been visiting Turkey as tourists.

• Investment: For three years, you need to either:
  • Deposit $500,000 in a Turkish bank account
  • Invest $400,000 in Turkish real estate. As of January 2024, the minimum threshold for real estate investment in Turkey is set to rise to US$ 600,000.
  • Hire 50 Turkish employees

• Marriage: Citizenship through a civil union requires you to get married there and live with your spouse. However, your marriage needs to be honest - no ulterior motive. Also, neither you nor your spouse can endanger your marriage.

• Naturalization: To be eligible to become Turkish over time, you need to spend 5 consecutive years in the country. After that, you also need to show intent to live in Turkey.

• Dual Citizenship: In Turkey, dual citizenship is allowed. However, the country you currently belong to needs to accept dual citizenship. Otherwise, you may need to renounce that citizenship before legally becoming Turkish.

• Certificates: When it comes to documentation, to become a citizen by descent, you need to submit your birth certificate. This documentation specifically needs to identify both of your parents.

• Adoption: In case you or your dependents are adopted, you will need to bring documentation proving that fact.

• Residency: You need to bring proof of lawful residency or citizenship if you live outside of Turkey.

• Language: Citizenship through naturalization requires you to know how to speak Turkish.

• Criminal Record: citizenship through naturalization requires you to have a clean criminal record.

While becoming a citizen of Turkey brings obligations such as military service, it offers many advantages. Here are the benefits of Turkish citizenship:

1. Passport Rights

Turkish passports give a great advantage to those who love to travel or need to travel for work. Turkish citizens can travel to 114 countries visa free or request a visa on arrival.

Among the list of countries, you can travel to most parts of South America and even get long-term USA and Schengen visas.

2. Family Rights

When you get citizenship in Turkey, your dependents are also eligible for accommodation. In turn, your spouse and children can gain Turkish citizenship through you. This includes adopted children as well.

However, certain factors may affect your dependents' citizenship application. For example, the age of your dependent can affect their citizenship application. Since they must be under 18, you can't add your adult descendants to your citizenship application.

It's important to note that if your child's other parent is Turkish, your child won't need to apply for Turkish citizenship separately. They are automatically eligible for citizenship through their Turkish parent.

3. Property Rights

Turkish citizens have no restrictions when it comes to the lawful buying and selling of land. However, a non-citizen usually can only possess up to thirty hectares.

Foreigners need to own a business in Turkey or be residents before buying any land. They need a valid passport, tax number, and a Turkish identification paper. They also need a permit from the Directorate in charge of land registries.

4. Employment Rights

Turkish citizenship offers employment opportunities in Turkey, such as self-employment. It lessens the paperwork required each time you change jobs. This makes switching careers easier.

For instance, you won't need a police clearance certificate or a notarized translation of your diplomas to apply for jobs in Turkey.

Additionally, you won't need a job contract or offer before moving to Turkey. On the other hand, foreigners need to begin their work visa process two months before moving to Turkey.

5. Education Rights

In Turkey, citizens have access to public education as well as scholarships. Turkey's public education is completely free for nationals aged 6 – 19. This makes life for those in schooling much more affordable. This is because Turkey has a high primary school enrollment level, i.e. 97%.

Moreover, Turkish high school graduates have a chance of being placed in one of Turkey's 167 universities. Turkish universities offer support services such as:

• counseling

• medical services

• academic and career advice

Placement in a university depends on school performance.

6. Political Rights

As a Turk, you'll have the right to take part in your country's politics. You have the right to actively participate in politics. This includes voting in elections and referendums.

You can also choose to campaign and even run for a political office. Moreover, when you're abroad, Turkish consulates and embassies are there to assist you.

7. Health Rights

One of the major benefits of Turkish citizenship is Turkey's healthcare system. Turkey is known as a medical tourist destination. In fact, Turkey has over 20 JCI-accredited medical facilities.

While Turkey has private healthcare, it also funds national healthcare insurance. Turkey's Universal Healthcare insurance provides basic coverage for Turkish citizens. These services include surgeries, treatment for work-related injuries, and primary care.