A clean title search and a signed contract aren't the whole story in Turkey. An 8-step due-diligence checklist for buying resale property, from tax number to tapu transfer.
A title deed search and a signed contract aren't the whole story in Turkey — a clean title can still sit on a building with no occupancy permit, or inside a military clearance zone that blocks the transfer at the last step. Here's a practical, step-by-step checklist for buying resale property in Turkey, covering what actually needs verifying before you pay.
What to check, in brief:
- a Turkish tax number and a local bank account
- a clean title at the Land Registry
- military-zone clearance for the specific parcel
- the building permit and the occupancy permit (iskan)
- the mandatory SPK valuation report
- the sale contract and deposit terms
- DASK earthquake insurance
- the tapu transfer and transfer tax
1. Get a Turkish tax number and open a bank account
Foreign buyers need a Turkish tax identification number before almost anything else — you'll use it for the property purchase itself, for opening a bank account and for paying taxes and utilities. Getting both done early avoids delays once you're ready to sign.
2. Search the title at the Land Registry
Request a current title deed (tapu) record for the specific property from the Land Registry Directorate (Tapu Müdürlüğü) and check: the registered owner matches the seller, the declared size and boundaries match what you're viewing, and there are no mortgages, liens, court annotations (şerh) or unresolved inheritance shares on the title. Do this again close to the signing date — a clean search from months ago isn't proof of a clean title today.
3. Confirm military-zone clearance for this specific parcel
Every foreign-buyer transfer is checked against military and security-zone restrictions at the Land Registry, and the check applies to the exact parcel, not the general neighbourhood. A negative result blocks the transfer permanently and can take two to three months to come back — start this early, and ideally confirm it before you commit to anything non-refundable.
4. Check the building permit and the occupancy permit (iskan)
Ask to see the building permit (yapı ruhsatı) and the final occupancy permit (yapı kullanma izin belgesi, or iskan) for the specific building, not just for the wider development. Without a final iskan, full freehold registration in your name can be blocked and eligibility for a residence permit tied to the property can be affected. For older buildings, especially in resort areas, also ask whether a structural engineer's assessment exists, and check the construction date against local building-code updates introduced after past earthquakes.
5. Get the mandatory valuation report
An SPK-licensed valuation report is a legal requirement for any property purchase by a foreign national, confirming the property's value at the point of sale; it's usually valid for about three months. If you're buying to qualify for citizenship-by-investment, this report is also what confirms the property meets the USD 400,000 threshold — commission it independently rather than relying on a figure supplied by the seller or developer.
6. Sign the contract and agree the deposit
The sale contract should set out the price, the payment schedule, the handover date, what happens to the deposit if either side pulls out, and who is responsible for any debts or charges discovered after signing. Have an independent lawyer review it in a language you understand before you sign — a contract only in Turkish that you haven't had reviewed is a common, avoidable risk.
7. Arrange DASK earthquake insurance
DASK, Turkey's compulsory earthquake insurance, must be in place before the Land Registry will process the transfer — it's a registry requirement, not an optional add-on. Arrange it ahead of the signing appointment so it isn't a last-minute hold-up.
8. Complete the transfer and pay the transfer tax
The tapu transfer happens in person (or via power of attorney) at the Land Registry Directorate, where both parties sign in front of an official and the new title is issued in the buyer's name. The transfer tax is 4% of the declared value, split equally between buyer and seller in law, though in practice it's common for the buyer to pay the full amount — agree who pays what in the contract, not verbally on the day.
FAQ
Do I need to be in Turkey in person for the whole process? No — much of it can be handled through a lawyer with a specific power of attorney, though the final transfer typically requires either your presence or your attorney's. How long does the whole process take? A straightforward resale purchase with no complications can complete in a few weeks; military-zone clearance and any title issues can extend that by two to three months. Is a verbal agreement with the seller binding? No — only the signed, registered documents matter; treat anything agreed verbally as provisional until it's in the contract. What's the biggest reason resale deals in Turkey fall through? Missing or incomplete occupancy permits and unresolved military-zone clearance are the two most common — both are checkable before you pay a deposit.
How we help
We run this checklist for you end to end — title search, military clearance, permit verification, an independently commissioned valuation and a lawyer-reviewed contract — before any money moves. Informational only, not legal or tax advice; procedures and requirements change, and we confirm the current rules before your specific purchase.