Turkey Family Residence via Property: Spouse & Children
How do a spouse and children get residence when you buy property in Turkey? Two legal routes, the 2026 income rule, the one-year rule and documents.
If you buy a residential property in Turkey, the property-based residence permit is issued only in your own name and does not automatically extend to your spouse and children. Family residence in Turkey through a property purchase has two legal routes: either your spouse and children get a card under a family residence permit (Aile İkamet İzni) backed by your residence, or their names are also registered on the title deed (tapu) and each of them obtains a short-term residence permit based on their own ownership. Each route has its own conditions, which you need to know before you buy.
In this guide we explain the articles of Turkey's Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458) in plain language: who counts as family, how much the 2026 income requirement is, what trouble the main applicant's one-year residence requirement can cause, and what rights children under 18 have.
Who Exactly Is the Property-Based Residence Permit Issued To?
Under Article 31(b) of Law 6458, people who own "immovable property" in Turkey can obtain a short-term residence permit (Kısa Dönem İkamet İzni). From October 16, 2023, for properties bought on or after that date, the migration authority raised the price threshold in all cities to a minimum of $200,000. Before that, the threshold was $75,000 in metropolitan cities and $50,000 in other cities. For properties bought after this date, the benchmark is the price recorded on the title deed, calculated at the Central Bank of Turkey's USD selling rate on the day of the deed transfer, not the valuation report.
The key point is that each foreigner gets a separate residence card. Buying a $200,000 apartment in the father's name does not by itself produce a card for his spouse and children. For all family members to stay in Turkey legally, you must choose one of the two routes below.
The property must be residential and used for living; shops, land or warehouses are not accepted for a property-based residence permit. In some Istanbul neighborhoods, issuing new residence permits to foreigners is also closed. Before choosing a property, read why some Istanbul districts are closed to residence permits.
Two Routes to Residence for a Spouse and Children
| Topic | Route 1: Family residence | Route 2: Spouse and children's names on the title deed |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Articles 34 to 37 of Law 6458 | Article 31(b) of Law 6458 |
| Type of card for family members | Family residence permit | Property-based short-term residence permit, separate for each owner |
| Maximum duration each time | 3 years, and no longer than the main applicant's residence | Up to 2 years by law; the authority may issue a shorter one |
| Income requirement | Yes (based on the minimum wage) | No minimum-wage formula, but proof of financial means may be requested |
| Main applicant's one-year residence requirement | Yes, except for exempt groups | No |
| Dependence on the main applicant | The card is tied to their residence | Each owner has an independent file |
| Child's right to schooling without a student residence permit | Until age 18 | Check schooling with an advisor |
Source: Turkey's Law on Foreigners and International Protection (No. 6458, current text on mevzuat.gov.tr, reviewed in November 2026).
Route 1: Family Residence; Who Qualifies and Under What Conditions?
Under Article 34, a foreigner with a valid Turkish residence permit can become a "sponsor" (destekleyici) of these people:
- Their foreign spouse
- Their own or their spouse's child under 18
- Their own or their spouse's dependent child (an adult child who depends on the parents' support)
Parents and siblings are not on this list and must apply through another route.
Sponsor (property owner) conditions
Article 35 sets five conditions for the sponsor:
- Monthly income of at least one-third of the minimum wage per family member, and total income not less than one minimum wage.
- Health insurance that covers all family members.
- No conviction in the past five years for an offense against family order (criminal record certificate).
- Has lived in Turkey on a legal residence permit for at least one year.
- Registered in the address registration system (adres kayıt sistemi).
The law also requires suitable housing for the family. When you own the home yourself, this condition is usually shown by the title deed and address registration.
The one-year condition: a point many people do not know
Article 35(ç) says the sponsor must have stayed in Turkey on a residence permit for at least one year. The law exempts several groups from this condition, such as work permit holders, researchers and foreigners married to a Turkish citizen. This means that if you have just bought a property and received your first residence card, the family residence application for your spouse and children may not be accepted until a year later. This is exactly why many families put the spouse's name on the title deed from the day of purchase (Route 2). Before buying, check with the ALO TURKEY advisors which situation applies to your file.
Spouse and child conditions
- Both spouses must be at least 18 years old.
- The marriage must not have been entered into solely to obtain a residence permit. Under Article 37, the governorate may investigate whether the marriage is genuine if it has doubts, even after the card has been issued.
- For a child under 18, if the other parent with joint custody is outside Turkey, that parent's consent is required (Article 34, paragraph 3). For families where one parent has stayed in Iran, this consent should be prepared in advance, notarized and translated.
How Much Is the Family Residence Income Requirement in 2026?
Turkey's minimum wage as of January 1, 2026, under the decision of the Minimum Wage Determination Commission published in the Official Gazette, is 33,030 TL gross and 28,075.5 TL net per month. The law says only "minimum wage" and does not specify net or gross, so the table below shows both. If we count the sponsor as one of the family members, the minimum income required works out as follows:
| Number of family members | Minimum wage multiplier | Based on net minimum wage (TL per month) | Based on gross minimum wage (TL per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people (couple) | 1 (legal floor) | 28,075 | 33,030 |
| 3 people | 1 | 28,075 | 33,030 |
| 4 people | 1.33 | 37,434 | 44,040 |
| 5 people | 1.67 | 46,793 | 55,050 |
Calculation: ALO TURKEY, based on Article 35(a) of Law 6458 and the 2026 minimum wage. Figures are rounded. Which figure the migration authority actually uses, and which documents it accepts as proof of income (bank account, rental income or income from outside Turkey), may differ from province to province.
Owning a property alone does not satisfy the income requirement. If you have rented out another apartment, a registered rental contract and bank deposits can form part of the income evidence. The guide to rental income in Istanbul gives a realistic view of this figure.
Route 2: Putting the Spouse and Children's Names on the Title Deed
According to Turkish lawyers citing the migration authority's explanation, family members who hold shared (paylı) or joint (elbirliği) ownership on the deed can each obtain a property-based short-term residence permit on the basis of that same property. The big advantage of this route is that it does not have the one-year residence requirement or the income formula of family residence (although the migration authority may ask for proof of financial means), and each person's card does not depend on anyone else's.
But keep a few points in mind:
- Registering several names on one deed does not automatically bring residence for everyone. Each person's share, whether the property is residential, and how the $200,000 requirement is measured against shares are examined case by case.
- The decision about shares must be made before the deed transfer. Adding the spouse's name after the purchase is itself a new transfer with new costs. Estimate the transfer costs with the Turkey property buying costs calculator.
- A child under 18 can also be a co-owner on the deed, but later buying and selling that child's share is more complicated because of guardianship and custody rules.
- Every foreign owner needs a tax number; read the steps for getting one in the tax number (vergi numarası) in Turkey.
Which Route Is Better for Your Family?
| Your situation | Better route |
|---|---|
| You are just buying a property and your spouse wants to come right away | Register the spouse's name on the title deed before the deed transfer |
| You have lived in Turkey for more than a year and have provable income | Family residence for the spouse and children |
| You have a school-age child | Family residence, because it gives the right to schooling until age 18 without a student residence permit |
| The property was bought before October 16, 2023 | The previous price rules apply to that property; check with an advisor |
| Your goal is citizenship | A $400,000 property purchase and the family citizenship route |
This table is a general rule for family residence in Turkey through a property purchase. Each family's circumstances, from nationality and travel history to the property's location, can change the result.
Children's Rights with Family Residence
Article 34, paragraph 4, says that family residence gives a child, until age 18, the right to study in primary and secondary school without obtaining a student residence permit. To learn about school types and enrollment, see the guide to schools and education in Turkey for immigrants.
Two other points matter for children's future:
- Under Article 34, paragraph 5, a person who has held a family residence permit for at least three years and has turned 18 can, if they request it, have their permit converted to a short-term residence permit.
- Under paragraph 7 of the same article, if the sponsor dies, family members can obtain a short-term residence permit without any duration requirement.
Documents and Application Steps
For both routes, the application is first filed on the e-İkamet system, and then the documents are submitted to the provincial migration office at the appointed time. The list below contains the documents lawyers usually name for these files; the authority may ask for others as well:
- An e-İkamet application form for each person
- A valid passport and a copy
- Four recent biometric photos
- The title deed (tapu) or property registration certificate
- Valid health insurance for all family members
- Home address registration
- For family residence: the marriage certificate and children's birth certificates with official translation and certification (apostille or consular certification), the sponsor's proof of income, and a criminal record certificate
- The other parent's consent for a child under 18, if required
- The receipt for residence fees and the card cost
The cost of the residence card in 2026, according to the migration authority's tariff published by Turkish media, is 964 TL. The fee (harç) is separate from the card and depends on nationality and the requested duration, so check the exact figure when paying on the system.
Renewal can begin 60 days before the card expires and must be filed before it ends. We cover renewal details in Turkey residence permit renewal 2026. For choosing insurance, see the health insurance guide for Turkey.
Family Residence, Permanent Residence and Citizenship
- Permanent residence: Under Article 42, a foreigner who has stayed in Turkey on a residence permit for at least eight years without interruption can obtain long-term residence. You have already read about the difference between the two in the difference between temporary and permanent residence in Turkey.
- Citizenship through a property purchase: By buying property worth at least $400,000 and recording a three-year no-sale commitment on the title deed, under the Turkish Citizenship Law (No. 5901) the investor and their foreign spouse and children under 18 or dependent children can become citizens. For a child under 18, the other parent's consent is required. Read the details in a Turkish passport through property purchase.
A $200,000 property-based residence permit alone does not lead to citizenship. If your goal is a Turkish passport for the whole family, plan from the start around the citizenship route. The article Turkey residence through property purchase in Istanbul also reviews the basics of property-based residence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do my spouse and children automatically get residence when I buy a property?
No. Each foreigner gets a separate card. Your spouse and children must either obtain family residence or have their names registered on the title deed so that each can obtain their own property-based residence permit.
Can my parents also come under family residence?
No. Family residence is only for a spouse, children under 18 and dependent children. Parents must apply through another route, for example by co-owning on the deed or through another type of residence permit.
My child is 19. Can they get family residence?
Only if they are recognized as "dependent". Otherwise, the simpler route is for them to co-own on the deed or obtain a student residence permit.
How many years is my spouse's family residence valid?
At most three years each time, and never longer than your own residence. If your card is for one year, your spouse's card will not exceed that either.
What happens if my property-based residence permit is not renewed?
Family residence is tied to the sponsor's residence, and if it ends, renewing the family's cards runs into problems. Under the co-ownership route, each owner has their own independent file.
Will the migration authority definitely approve the family's residence?
No one can guarantee approval. The decision rests with the migration authority and the rules may change; complete documents have the greatest effect on the outcome.
Free Consultation with ALO TURKEY
Turkey's residence rules have changed many times, and details such as how shares are registered on the title deed or which income evidence is accepted differ from file to file. Before you buy, talk to the ALO TURKEY advisors so we can review the best combination of deed and residence type for your family. Get in touch via WhatsApp or our contact page.
Sources: Turkey's Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458 (Articles 31, 34, 35, 37 and 42, current text on mevzuat.gov.tr, November 2026); Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, as cited by Turkish lawyers; Directorate General of Migration Management announcement on the $200,000 requirement from October 16, 2023, as reported by Cumhuriyet; 2026 Minimum Wage Determination Commission decision in Turkey's Official Gazette (December 26, 2025); 2026 residence card tariff, as reported by Habertürk; legal articles by Harbiye Hukuk and Halil Bakırcı on property-based residence (2026).