Turkish Citizenship Bank Deposit: Account Ownership, Three-Year Block and BDDK Conformity
Contents
- Legal basis and threshold
- Which banks can be used
- Account ownership and investor identity
- Three-year holding commitment
- BDDK conformity certificate
- Foreign-currency and banking records
- Joint accounts and third-party funds
- Interest and account economics
- Early withdrawal risks
- Power of attorney limits
- Family members
- Frequently asked questions
1. Legal basis and the USD 500,000 threshold
Article 12 of Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 creates the exceptional-citizenship framework. Article 20 of the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law identifies the investment categories. Current NVI guidance states that a foreign investor can use the bank-deposit route by placing at least USD 500,000, or its qualifying equivalent, in banks operating in Turkey and committing to keep it for three years.
This is distinct from the USD 400,000 real-estate route. A buyer should not mix the thresholds or assume that several unrelated financial arrangements automatically combine. The file should be designed around one qualifying route and the authority that certifies it.
The authority map is explained in Which Authority Issues the Conformity Certificate for Turkish Citizenship by Investment?.
2. Which banks can be used?
The official rule refers to deposits placed with banks operating in Turkey. The citizenship transaction must therefore be carried through a bank that can process the required investment documentation within the Turkish banking and BDDK framework. Opening an account abroad with a Turkish banking group is not the same legal act as placing the qualifying deposit with a bank operating in Turkey for this route.
Before transferring USD 500,000, the investor should confirm that the selected bank branch handles citizenship-by-investment files and can complete the required blocking/holding documentation and institutional reporting. The citizenship route should be identified before the funds are structured, because moving money after the fact can create avoidable documentary gaps.
3. Account ownership and investor identity
The account used for the qualifying deposit must be tied to the citizenship investor. Passport information, foreign identity number where available, tax number, name spelling and banking records should be consistent with the later residence and citizenship file. Differences in transliteration, second names or surnames should be corrected or documented before conformity is requested.
The bank should be able to demonstrate the investor’s ownership of the qualifying balance. A company account, nominee account or account held by another family member should not be assumed to satisfy an individual investor’s citizenship condition. The legal owner of the deposit is central to the conformity determination.
Where funds are transferred from an overseas account, the SWIFT trail should be preserved to evidence origin, transfer date, amount and beneficiary. Source-of-funds and banking compliance checks remain separate from citizenship law and should be completed truthfully.
4. The three-year holding commitment
The investment condition is not completed merely by showing USD 500,000 on one statement for one day. The current NVI rule requires the investor to commit to keep the qualifying deposit for three years. The bank implements the citizenship-specific holding structure and records the commitment in the manner required for the conformity process.
The three-year requirement is substantive. The investor should not treat the amount as fully liquid capital that can be removed and replaced whenever convenient. A withdrawal or restructuring that causes the qualifying deposit to fall below the required amount or breaks the accepted holding condition can affect the citizenship basis and institutional reporting.
Before using the route, the investor should decide whether three years of restricted capital is commercially acceptable and should review liquidity needs independently from the citizenship objective.
5. BDDK conformity certificate
NVI’s official citizenship FAQ identifies the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency as the institution responsible for the bank-deposit conformity determination. The conformity certificate confirms that the minimum investment condition under Article 20 has been met through the deposit route.
The certificate is not the citizenship decision. After conformity, the investor still follows the applicable short-term residence stage under Article 31(1)(j) of Law No. 6458 and then the exceptional citizenship application under Law No. 5901.
A common legal mistake is to describe a bank’s internal confirmation letter as a Turkish citizenship approval. The bank and BDDK process verifies the investment; NVI and the competent citizenship authorities handle the citizenship decision.
6. Foreign-currency and banking records
Investment-citizenship financial routes are subject to the currency-sale rules incorporated into the current Article 20 framework and relevant Central Bank instructions. The exact banking sequence should be confirmed with the bank before funds are moved, because the legal record of the currency transaction and the resulting qualifying balance is part of the evidence chain.
The investor should retain bank statements, transfer confirmations, currency transaction forms and the citizenship-specific commitment documents. The final conformity file should tell one consistent story: who invested, how much, through which account, on what date, under what three-year restriction and under which regulatory route.
Using multiple intermediaries without a documented reason complicates that evidence and can generate unnecessary compliance questions.
7. Joint accounts and third-party funds
Joint-account structures require caution because citizenship eligibility belongs to the individual investor, while the legal rights over a joint bank account can be shared. The investor should obtain the bank’s written treatment of ownership and the conformity structure before relying on a joint account.
Similarly, money transferred by a spouse, company or other third party should not automatically be assumed to be a qualifying deposit of the applicant. The banking and citizenship evidence must establish the investor’s legal ownership of the qualifying amount and comply with source-of-funds rules.
For family planning, it is usually clearer to separate the investor’s qualifying deposit from ordinary family liquidity accounts.
8. Interest, profit share and account economics
The citizenship rule requires the qualifying principal to remain within the prescribed three-year framework. Whether the account earns interest or profit share depends on the banking product and contract. The investor should obtain written bank terms covering the treatment of returns, maturity and renewal without disturbing the required citizenship holding condition.
A return generated by the account should not be confused with the statutory principal requirement. The citizenship file must continue to preserve the amount and holding condition required by the regulation.
The investor should also obtain separate tax advice on interest or profit-share income, residence status and treaty issues. Turkish citizenship status and Turkish tax residence are not identical legal tests, as explained in Tax Before and After Turkish Citizenship by Investment.
9. Early withdrawal and account restructuring risks
The safest rule is simple: do not withdraw, transfer, pledge or restructure the qualifying balance during the three-year period without first confirming the citizenship consequence through the bank and competent authority. A bank product may technically allow a transaction even when the transaction damages the legal basis of the citizenship file.
Changing banks can also create risk because the conformity route is tied to the documented qualifying deposit and regulatory reporting. An investor should not assume that moving the same amount to another bank preserves continuity automatically.
If the investor needs liquidity before the three-year period ends, legal advice should be obtained before executing the transaction. The decision should be based on the current administrative rules rather than on a verbal statement from a relationship manager.
10. Power of attorney: useful for banking, but not for the entire citizenship process
A properly drafted power of attorney can authorize defined banking or document-handling acts if the bank accepts the form and scope. The POA should expressly cover the contemplated transactions and should be legalized/apostilled and translated where required.
However, NVI’s current official FAQ states that the conformity-certificate, short-term residence and citizenship workflow contains stages where the foreign applicant must apply personally. The bank-deposit method should therefore not be sold as a “zero-visit guaranteed passport” product.
For the broader POA analysis, see Power of Attorney for Citizenship Investment: What Can and Cannot Be Delegated.
11. Family members under the investor’s file
Article 12 of Law No. 5901 covers, within its statutory wording, the investor’s foreign spouse and the applicant’s or spouse’s minor or dependent foreign child, provided the legal conditions are met. The spouse and qualifying children do not each need a separate USD 500,000 deposit merely because they are included through the principal investor’s Article 12 route.
Family inclusion still requires accurate civil-status evidence. Marriage, birth, parentage, custody and consent documents where applicable should be prepared with the required apostille/legalization and Turkish translation formalities.
See Spouse and Children in Turkish Citizenship by Investment: Who Is Included?.
12. Pre-deposit legal checklist
Before transferring the qualifying capital, confirm the applicant identity, selected Turkish bank, product structure, currency-sale steps, three-year commitment language, conformity workflow, source-of-funds documents and family civil-status file. Ask the bank to identify the exact documents it will issue and the authority to which the conformity package will be sent.
Do not transfer the investment merely because a salesperson states that “any USD 500,000 account works.” The citizenship route is a regulated deposit with a specific holding commitment and conformity process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum bank deposit for Turkish citizenship in 2026?
The current official threshold is at least USD 500,000 or the qualifying equivalent under the applicable rules.
How long must the deposit be kept?
Three years under the citizenship-specific holding commitment.
Which authority confirms the bank-deposit investment?
NVI identifies the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) as the conformity authority for this route.
Is an ordinary USD 500,000 bank balance enough?
No. The account must be structured and documented under the citizenship route with the required three-year commitment.
Can the money be deposited in a foreign branch?
The official rule concerns banks operating in Turkey. The exact qualifying account should be opened and documented within the Turkish banking framework.
Can I withdraw part of the deposit during the three years?
A reduction that breaks the qualifying amount or holding condition can endanger the investment basis. Do not withdraw before obtaining formal confirmation of the consequence.
Can a joint account be used?
Joint ownership creates conformity questions. The investor should obtain written confirmation of how the qualifying ownership will be treated before relying on it.
Does the conformity certificate mean citizenship is approved?
No. It confirms the investment condition; the citizenship decision is separate.
Can a lawyer complete every step by POA?
No blanket statement is correct. NVI expressly identifies personal application stages in the investment citizenship workflow.
Do the spouse and qualifying children each need USD 500,000?
No. Family members who fall within Article 12 may be included through the principal investor’s file, subject to the statutory conditions and civil-status evidence.
Official legal sources
- NVI – Citizenship Services FAQ and investment thresholds
- NVI – Exceptional acquisition of Turkish citizenship
- Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency
- Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901
- Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection
Reviewed for the 2026 bank-deposit citizenship route by Av. Halil Bakırcı, Mersin Bar Association, Registration No. 3472. The article distinguishes the regulated USD 500,000 investment deposit from an ordinary bank balance and from the later citizenship decision.
For English-language assistance from abroad, visit Legal Services in Turkey for International Clients.
Contact regarding a legal matter
In your first message, you may briefly state the subject, your country or city, and any relevant notification or recent procedural date. Please do not send identity numbers, medical data, or personal documents. Messaging alone does not constitute legal advice or create a lawyer–client relationship.
