As the name states, at the fundamental level, CBI requires an investment of money prior to obtaining citizenship. In Turkiye, the investment goes toward property, meaning that you will also be a local property owner once the process is complete.
Since we are American citizens, we do not have to give up our primary citizenship. When our CBI is complete, we will be dual citizens of the US and Turkiye. Note that this is not true for all countries; some countries do not allow dual citizenship, and those residents would have to give up their primary citizenship when pursuing Turkish CBI. This is great, since it not only gives us the freedom to move back and forth, but we will be able to use our Turkish passports to travel visa-free to certain countries.
If you’re wondering if a lot of paperwork is involved, you’d be right. But the overall process involves selecting and buying property equivalent to $400,000 (which often involves more than one property), and you and your family will have passports within about four months. Yes – if you purchase the property, you, your spouse, and any dependents under the age of 18 will also be included in the deal. There are many hoops to jump through, and I would recommend using a reputable attorney to help you through the process so that you don’t miss anything, but it’s one of the fastest CBI programs around.
Moreover, if you are not staying in your property, it can generate rental income (after any renovations are completed, of course). And, if you aren’t satisfied in the end, the program only asks that you hold your property for three years – then you can sell it.
Interestingly, all of this paperwork – including choosing and purchasing the property – can be done remotely. I have heard of many people who receive their Turkish passports never having set foot in the country. That sounds crazy to me, since I want to spend as much time as possible there; but even we have had to do some of the work through our local Embassy, as it hasn’t been practical to travel back and forth to Turkiye.