The Turkish real estate market is dominated by cash buyers, but mortgages for foreigners do exist and have become more competitive.
Mortgages for foreigners
Several Turkish banks (Garanti BBVA, Yapı Kredi, DenizBank, ICBC) offer EUR or USD mortgages to non-residents. Typical terms:
- LTV: 50% of bank valuation (not purchase price)
- Term: 5–10 years (sometimes 15)
- Rate: 7–9% in EUR (2026 levels)
- Min loan: usually €50,000
Bringing money in legally
For VAT exemption and Turkish citizenship by investment, you must prove the funds came from abroad. The mechanism is a Döviz Alım Belgesi (DAB) — a foreign currency purchase certificate issued by your Turkish bank when you convert the incoming wire to TRY at the time of payment. Without DABs, you lose VAT exemption and CBI eligibility.
Currency timing
Because you'll pay the seller in TRY, the exchange rate at the moment of conversion matters. Most experienced buyers split the conversion across 2–3 tranches over a few weeks rather than converting the full amount on one day.
Key takeaways
- Foreigners can get EUR/USD mortgages at 50% LTV
- Always obtain DAB certificates for each incoming wire
- DABs are required for VAT exemption and citizenship
- Split currency conversions to reduce timing risk
- Cash purchases are still the norm