Buying a house is not an easy process, this is particularly true when you do it in a foreign country. It can be a complicated ordeal: from finding the perfect place to negotiating a good price to – perhaps the most bothersome – dealing with the official paperwork.
Luckily in Turkey the process of formalizing the ownership of a property is relatively simple, especially if you are getting professional help from a real estate agent – which you probably should. The procedure also includes some requirements that aim to protect foreign investors from any potential fraud.
After the financial part of the deal is settled but not paid, the process goes to the Directorate of Land Registry and Cadaster, where the buyer will a receive a document called “tapu” in Turkish.
What is tapu?
Tapu is the title deed, which is the only document confirming the ownership of a property in Turkey.
Tapu shows the name of the owner, the value of the property and the basic information about it, including the address and type (i.e. apartment, house, land, etc.).
The deed can show multiple owners, including minors, and their respective shares.
This document is required for the provision of utility services (natural gas, electricity and water) as well as to get a residence permit and/or citizenship in Turkey.
How to get a tapu?
To launch the procedure for tapu, an application for the transfer of ownership must be submitted to the cadaster directorate by the seller or their authorized agent. Then both parties will be notified about an appointment to finalize the transfer, which usually takes place in about a week after the application.
In the meantime, foreigners are often required to have the property they are buying to be examined by a special inspector to make sure the estate’s value is appropriate.
The buyer must also enroll for a compulsory earthquake insurance known as DASK in Turkish ahead of the appointment.
After submitting the application, but before the final signing of the documents, all taxes and duties associated with the registration of ownership are paid. These include tax on the purchase of real estate, cadastral fee and state service fee. The tapu fee is 4% of the property’s declared value and can be easily paid from ATMs of some of the biggest Turkish banks.
When the documents for the transfer of ownership are ready, the cadaster directorate sends both parties a mobile notification, which indicates the date and time of the meeting, when the participants must appear in person for the final signing of the documents.
As a last step, the two parties appear in front of a cadaster official who asks the seller if the payment was made and describes the property in detail and explains the purchase deal to the buyer.
On an important side note, foreign buyers are legally required to be accompanied by a certified translator. Foreigners who speak Turkish, however, can sign a document declaring they know and understand the language and do not need a translator.
Then the official writes in the name of the buyer into the cadaster and asks them to wait. After several minutes the buyer receives their deed and the purchase is done.
When buying a house in Turkey, foreigners go through the exact same process as citizens, except for small protection-oriented requirements. It’s a rather simple procedure that fortunately doesn’t require the amount of effort usually associated with official paperwork.
