A foreign owner can sell a Turkish home through a power of attorney: the tapu office, the appraisal report, the 2% seller share of the 4% deed fee, the five-year tax rule, citizenship-by-investment property and how to move the proceeds out.
In brief
A foreign owner can sell a Turkish property without being in Turkey if a power of attorney (vekaletname) gives a representative explicit authority to sell. The title deed (tapu) fee is 4% of the price in total and the tax authority says buyer and seller each pay 2%, excluding VAT. Agent commission in guides runs from 2-3% to 3-6% plus VAT. If the property was bought for citizenship by investment (USD 400,000), the three-year no-sale annotation comes first. Checked November 2026 from search summaries; confirm with a Turkish lawyer.
Can you sell a Turkish property from abroad?
Yes, through a power of attorney. A vekaletname can be executed at a Turkish notary or at a Turkish consulate abroad. The representative needs explicit authority to sell: a purchase-only power does not cover a sale, and guides warn against vague "all property matters" wording and advise listing each power separately. Tapu offices and banks reportedly accept only a notary or consulate power, not an informal letter.
Where you sign matters. A document signed abroad before a foreign notary generally needs an apostille or consular legalisation and a sworn Turkish translation. One source (2024) says a foreign-signed power is accepted for title-deed transactions only if a Turkish consulate prepared it, while others accept an apostilled foreign notarial power. We cannot decide between them, so ask the consulate and the tapu office you will use before you sign. A power signed at a Turkish notary while you are in Turkey needs no apostille or translation, according to a law-firm page.
See how to sell property abroad for the general logic of a remote sale.
Documents and the appraisal report
Prepare your passport and tax number, the title deed (tapu), the power of attorney if someone acts for you, and proof of what you paid, because the tax on a short hold is based on the gain. A valid earthquake insurance policy (DASK) is usually asked for at the tapu office, but we did not confirm it in the sources, so ask your lawyer.
The appraisal report (ekspertiz) by a licensed valuer is mandatory for foreign buyers. One source says a foreigner also needs a valuation report to sell. The buyer normally pays for it, and the amounts quoted differ by date and source, so we do not state a figure. The valuer's figure matters because the tapu fee is calculated on the declared value.
The deed transfer at the tapu office
The sale is completed at the land registry office (Tapu Müdürlüğü), where seller and buyer, or their attorneys, sign the transfer and the title deed is reissued. Both sides pay the title deed fee. The tax authority's FAQ gives the total rate at 4%, with the buyer and the seller each liable for 2% of the price, excluding VAT. An outlier source says 6% in total; the official figure is 4%.
Declare the real price. Under-declaring the price in the deed is a risk for both sides, because the declared value is what the fee, the later gain and the buyer's own future sale are based on.
Agent, lawyer and other costs
Agent commission in guides is 2-3% plus VAT in one source and 3-6% plus VAT in another. It is negotiable, and sellers often carry part or all of it. A lawyer is not legally required, but for a foreign seller who is not in Turkey one is practical. Count the seller's 2% deed fee, the agent, the lawyer, the power of attorney costs (notary or consulate tariffs change every year) and any arrears on building charges or utilities.
Timeline
We found no reliable source for the typical time from listing to the tapu appointment in Turkey, so we give none. What we can say: the slow parts are finding a buyer at your price, a buyer's financing and, for foreign sellers, preparing the power of attorney and the appraisal report. Do not plan another purchase on a fixed date for the proceeds.
If the property was bought for citizenship
Citizenship by investment through real estate needs property worth at least USD 400,000 under a three-year no-sale annotation recorded at transfer. Selling inside the three years puts your citizenship basis at risk; see Turkish citizenship.
After the three years the sources conflict. Some say the annotation is removed automatically, others that the owner must apply to remove it before any sale. Check at the tapu office before you list. Sources also say the same property cannot be used again by a new buyer to qualify for citizenship, which can limit the pool of buyers and the price.
The tax in brief
Turkey's rule is a time test. If you hold the property for more than five years the gain is generally not taxed. Sell inside five years and the gain is taxed after the purchase price is adjusted for inflation; guides give a progressive scale of 15-40% with an annual exemption. The site's article uses the Revenue Administration's own brochure; read capital gains tax when selling property in Turkey for the calculation and examples, and check the purchase price and the improvement receipts you will deduct.
You may also owe tax where you live. A tax treaty can prevent double taxation, but whether it applies depends on your country of residence. See taxes when selling abroad by country.
Getting the money out
Agency guides say the usual route is to receive the price into a foreign-currency or lira deposit account and then transfer it abroad through your bank, keeping the documents that show the sale and the original purchase. A lawyer-run page warns sellers not to receive proceeds in a foreign account carelessly and not to sign final documents until the sale is safely arranged. We did not find an official Central Bank or tax authority source, so treat this as general practice and confirm with your bank.
Banks check the origin of the money. Be ready to show the tapu, the sale contract, the proof of what you paid and, if the original purchase came from abroad, how it was funded. Sellers with Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh or Ukrainian passports may face more questions and longer transfers; see bank checks for Russian citizens in the EU and repatriating money after selling property abroad. If the original money came from crypto, see crypto source of funds and taxes. For what you paid and how, the Turkish buying costs article helps you reconstruct the purchase side.
Common mistakes
- A power of attorney without explicit sale authority.
- Signing a power abroad without checking what the tapu office accepts.
- Not knowing about the three-year annotation or the removal step on a citizenship property.
- Under-declaring the price in the deed.
- Not asking who pays for the appraisal report and the deed fee.
- Receiving the money in an account you cannot easily move out of.
- Keeping no receipts for the purchase and the improvements.
- Treating a promotional guide's tax figure as final.
Checklist with approximate timing
- Before listing: check whether the property has a citizenship annotation and ask the tapu office how it is lifted; choose a lawyer and an agent.
- Power of attorney: decide whether to sign at a Turkish consulate or at a notary with apostille and sworn translation; confirm with the tapu office.
- Documents: tapu, passport, tax number, proof of what you paid, building and utility clearances.
- Sale: agree price and who pays the appraisal and the fees, order the appraisal report, fix the tapu appointment.
- Transfer: both sides sign at the tapu office; the seller pays 2% of the price plus any VAT.
- After the sale: receive the money in an account you can transfer from, keep the documents for the tax return and the bank.
We give no durations because we found no reliable sources for them. This is a guide, not legal or tax advice.
FAQ
Can I sell my Turkish property without going to Turkey? Yes, with a vekaletname that gives your representative explicit authority to sell, signed at a Turkish notary or consulate or, with apostille and sworn translation, abroad. Ask the tapu office what it accepts before you sign.
Who pays the title deed fee when selling in Turkey? The total is 4% of the price, excluding VAT, and the tax authority says the buyer and the seller each pay 2%. Another source quoting a 6% total appears to be wrong.
Do I need an appraisal report to sell as a foreigner? One source says yes. The buyer normally pays for it, and the fee differs by source. Ask your lawyer or the valuer for the current price.
Can I sell a property bought for Turkish citizenship? Not within the three-year annotation without risking your citizenship basis. After three years sources conflict about whether the annotation lifts automatically, so check at the tapu office.
How much tax do I pay on the sale? If you held the property for more than five years the gain is generally not taxed; inside five years it is, after inflation adjustment. See the full article on capital gains tax in Turkey for the calculation.