Buying a property in Turkey can be a simple and reasonably straightforward process which is certainly much faster than in the UK. The majority of property ownership in Turkey is on a freehold basis - the buyer owns the property as well as either all land (private villa) or a percentage of it (apartment/villa within a complex). The information below is a basic guide to the property buying process.

For more comprehensive details click on: http://www.turkisheconomy.org.uk/buying_property.html.

In order for any foreigner to buy a property in Turkey, the property itself must hold a government title deed registered with the Turkish Land Registry. This is known as a TAPU

Once the decision has been made to purchase, a contract will be drawn up and a deposit will be laid down to safeguard the property. At this point the buyer can give power of attorney to either a lawyer or estate agent and from then on in anything needing to be dealt with can be done so without the buyer present. The buyer would also be advised to open a local bank account and register with the local tax office.

After signing the contract, copies of the buyers’ passport and all details regarding the property must be handed over to the military head office in Izmir, in order to verify that the property is within an approved area and not on military ground or within a national park. This process can take up to two months.

On receipt of military approval the buyer can complete the purchasing process – stamp duty will be paid at 3% of the councils’ valuation of the property (this is generally lower than the initial purchase price). Buyers will also pay a 3% commission to the estate agent. All receipts of fees and tax payments will be declared during the final transaction at the Land Registry office. Lastly the buyer and seller will sign the Land Registry book under the invigilation of an accredited interpreter.

On completion, the property must have the mandatory government DASK insurance (insurance against natural disasters). It would also be advisable to take out private insurance on the house and its contents. The property will also require registration with the local authorities for annual property and local environment tax contributions and should the property be put on the rental market, income tax will have to be paid on any profits.

It would also be worthwhile organising a Turkish will. Laws can be quite different in Turkey and having one would guarantee you full protection of the property.

Note: It is not essential to have a resident’s visa when purchasing a property. However this is required when wanting to install a telephone, buy a car or simply to reside in Turkey longer than 3 months. To acquire a residents visa an application must be made to the Turkish Consulate in London with the final process being completed at the nearest foreign police station (Antalya) in Turkey