Tapu Harci (Title Deed Tax)
Tapu Harci is the main transfer tax when buying property in Turkey. The total rate is 4% of the declared sale price — legally split 2% for the buyer and 2% for the seller. In practice, buyers typically pay the full 4% by negotiation, as sellers often insist on a net price.
For a mid-market ₺5,000,000 apartment in Istanbul, that’s ₺200,000 in title deed tax alone.
Unlike many European countries, Turkey uses a single flat rate nationwide — there are no regional variations or progressive brackets to worry about.
Closing costs
On top of Tapu Harci, you’ll pay several legal and administrative fees:
- Doner Sermaye (Land Registry Admin Fee, ~₺20,800) — a fixed administrative fee at the Land Registry for processing the deed transfer. Foreign nationals may pay a higher coefficient.
- DASK (Earthquake Insurance, ~₺1,500) — mandatory earthquake insurance that must be in place before the title deed can be transferred. Annual premium varies by city and building type.
- Property Appraisal (Ekspertiz Raporu, ~₺30,000) — independent valuation by a SPK-licensed firm. Mandatory for many foreign buyers; domestic cash buyers may not need this line in every case (our calculator adds it only when you select Foreign national buyer).
- Notary (Noter, ~₺8,000) — fees for power of attorney and document certification. Required if you can’t attend the title deed office in person.
- Sworn Translator (Yeminli Tercuman, ~₺5,000) — required when the buyer needs a court-sworn translator at the Land Registry (typical for foreign nationals). Our calculator includes this only on the foreign-buyer path.
- Lawyer (Avukat, ~1% of price) — independent legal representation for contract review and due diligence. Strongly recommended for foreign buyers. Minimum around ₺30,000.
Ongoing costs
Once you own the property, these are the recurring annual expenses:
- Emlak Vergisi (Property Tax, ~₺10,000/year) — annual municipal property tax. The rate is 0.2% of the tax-assessed value for residential property in metropolitan municipalities (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya). Tax-assessed values are significantly below market value, so the effective rate is much lower than 0.2% of market value.
- DASK (Earthquake Insurance, ~₺1,500/year) — mandatory annual renewal. Varies by city and building type.
- Home Insurance (Konut Sigortasi, ~₺3,000/year) — optional comprehensive coverage for fire, theft, and natural disasters beyond DASK. ₺1,500–₺5,000/year.
- Maintenance & Repairs (~₺25,000/year) — budget 1–2% of the property value per year.
If you’re buying an apartment (daire), you’ll also pay:
- Aidat (Building Dues, ~₺2,000/month) — monthly management fees covering security, cleaning, lift maintenance, and common area utilities. This varies enormously: ₺500–₺1,500/month for basic buildings, ₺2,000–₺5,000+/month for luxury complexes with pools, gyms, and 24/7 security.
Capital gains tax & the 5-year rule
This is Turkey’s biggest tax advantage for individual investors: after 5 full years of ownership (60+ months), individuals are generally fully exempt from capital gains tax on the gain. Companies pay Kurumlar Vergisi at a flat rate instead, with no equivalent 5-year wash-out in our model.
If you sell within 5 years, the gain is taxed as income using the 2026 progressive brackets (Gelir Vergisi tariff per public summaries of Communiqué 332 — confirm the slice that applies to your facts with a tax advisor):
| Gain amount (2026) | Rate |
|---|---|
| First ₺190,000 | 15% |
| ₺190,001 – ₺400,000 | 20% |
| ₺400,001 – ₺1,000,000 | 27% |
| ₺1,000,001 – ₺5,300,000 | 35% |
| Above ₺5,300,000 | 40% |
The first ₺150,000 of capital gains is exempt (2026 threshold), even if you sell within 5 years.
You can also deduct purchase costs (Tapu Harci, agent commissions, legal fees) from the gain, further reducing the taxable amount.
Bottom line: If you can hold for at least 5 years as an individual, modeled capital gains tax on the gain drops to zero in the calculator.
Foreign buyer benefits
Turkey is exceptionally welcoming to foreign property investors:
VAT exemption — foreign buyers purchasing their first new-build property and paying in foreign currency are fully exempt from KDV (VAT), which normally ranges from 1% to 20% depending on the property size and classification. This is a substantial saving not available to domestic buyers.
Citizenship by investment — purchasing property worth USD 400,000+ and holding it for 3 years qualifies for Turkish citizenship. The property must be bought from a Turkish citizen or company.
No foreign buyer surcharge — unlike Australia (+2–9%), the UK (+2%), or Canada (+25% in Ontario), Turkey charges no additional tax for foreign buyers. You pay the same rates as locals.
No restrictions on most nationalities — citizens of 184 countries can buy freely. Only Syria, Armenia, and North Korea are restricted. No reciprocity requirement since 2012.
Fast process — the purchase typically takes 1–4 weeks from contract to title deed, significantly faster than most European countries.
What does this mean in practice?
For a ₺5,000,000 resale apartment in Istanbul, purchased with cash, domestic buyer (no ekspertiz or sworn translator in the calculator default stack):
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tapu Harci (4%) | ₺200,000 |
| Doner Sermaye | ~₺20,800 |
| DASK | ~₺1,500 |
| Notary | ~₺8,000 |
| Lawyer (~1%) | ~₺50,000 |
| Total upfront (excl. deposit) | ~₺280,300 (~5.6%) |
Add roughly ₺35,000 (appraisal + translator) for a foreign national purchase path modeled in the calculator.
Annual ongoing costs would typically run ₺40,000–₺60,000 depending on location and building quality, mainly driven by aidat (building dues).
If you hold for more than 5 years, your capital gain on sale is completely tax-free — making the total cost of ownership highly competitive with other popular investment destinations.
Calculate your exact costs
Our free calculator models Tapu Harci, all closing costs, ongoing expenses, and a full 10-year investment projection with Turkey’s progressive capital gains tax brackets and the 5-year exemption rule.
For a detailed guide to each cost category, read the Turkey buying guide.