INTRODUCTION
Turkish Citizenship by Bank Deposit: Eligibility, CBRT Conversion, and the 3-Year Lock is an exceptional pathway under Turkish law that allows qualified investors to obtain citizenship by committing funds to a Turkish bank subject to strict currency-conversion and holding requirements. In practice, success depends on meeting the statutory threshold, converting foreign currency through the Central Bank (CBRT), and keeping the deposit blocked for three full years with proper attestations.
LEGAL BASIS AND THRESHOLD
The legal framework sits in the Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law. One eligible route is a bank deposit of at least USD 500,000 (or equivalent) with a bank operating in Türkiye, on the condition that the funds are not withdrawn for at least three years and that compliance is certified by the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA/BDDK). The Presidency’s Investment Office lists this route and expressly requires BRSA attestation.
CBRT CONVERSION AND TL ACCOUNT
For applications filed after January 6, 2022, the qualifying foreign currency must be sold to the CBRT via a bank before the deposit is opened/blocked; operationally, the deposit is then held in Turkish lira (TRY) in line with the CBRT’s Implementation Instruction on FX Sales to the CBRT issued for citizenship-by-investment transactions. Banks open designated CBRT accounts, process the FX sale, and document it for the citizenship file. Attempting to keep the qualifying deposit in foreign currency for post-2022 applications generally fails the requirement.
THE THREE-YEAR LOCK AND BRSA ATTESTATION
The “three-year lock” is a binding undertaking that the principal will not be withdrawn, pledged, or reduced below the USD 500,000 threshold during the entire period. The bank implements the block and monitors compliance, then coordinates issuance of a BRSA/BDDK certificate of conformity confirming the amount, the CBRT conversion, and the lock. Any breach (e.g., early withdrawal, partial pledge) risks ineligibility or post-grant consequences.
PROCEDURE AND DOCUMENTS
A practical sequence is: (1) open a bank account; (2) transfer FX and sell it to the CBRT through the bank; (3) place/lock the TRY deposit; (4) obtain the BRSA certificate of conformity; (5) hold or obtain a residence basis; and (6) file the exceptional citizenship application for a presidential decision after background checks. Core documents typically include passports, civil-status/identity records, proof of address, bank letters (CBRT FX-sale confirmation, blocking/commitment letter), and the BRSA attestation. Official investment guidance outlines the investment routes and confirming authorities, including BRSA for the bank-deposit path.
FAMILY MEMBERS AND SCOPE
Spouses and minor children can be included under the main investor’s application, each subject to separate security screening. No higher deposit is required if the principal investment meets the threshold and remains blocked for three years as certified. The Investment Office’s program summary presents family inclusion across investment routes, with the same conformity-certificate logic applying to deposit cases.
COMMON PITFALLS AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Frequent errors include: (i) trying to qualify with an FX-denominated deposit for a post-2022 filing (the deposit must follow the CBRT FX-sale and be held in TRY), (ii) incomplete banking paperwork (missing FX-sale proof or inconsistent letters), and (iii) actions that reduce the balance under the threshold (e.g., liens, early partial withdrawals). Align every banking step with the CBRT Instruction and verify the bank’s documentation set before seeking BRSA attestation.
CONCLUSION
Used correctly, the bank-deposit route is a clean, document-driven option: meet the USD 500,000 threshold, perform the CBRT conversion, keep the funds locked for three years, and secure BRSA attestation—then proceed to the citizenship filing. Careful coordination with the bank and early checks on documentation consistency can significantly reduce delays and refusal risks.
Turkish lawyer Ferhat Küle, a Turkish lawyer, provides legal consultancy on Turkish citizenship by bank deposit.
Yanıt yok