Bosphorus Bridge at sunset, Istanbul
İstanbul · Marmara

Buying property in Istanbul

Türkiye’s biggest market for foreign buyers – and the one where building age matters most.

Request a check for a property in Istanbul
Photo: Huseyinakbas63, CC BY 4.0

Istanbul at a glance

Provinceİstanbul (Marmara)
AirportsIST · SAW
Homes sold to foreigners, 20257,989 – #1 in Türkiye1
Typical stockApartments: new complexes & older blocks
Our checkDesk check ✓ · on-site visit ✗
Top watch-outEarthquake & building age

Desk check covers this area fully. On-site visits are offered only in the İzmir region.

Galata and Karaköy across the Golden Horn
Galata and Karaköy across the Golden Horn
A waterfront yalı on the Bosphorus
A waterfront yalı on the Bosphorus
Residential street in Kadıköy, Asian side
Residential street in Kadıköy, Asian side

🧭 About Istanbul

  • Türkiye’s largest city, on two continents, split by the Bosphorus.
  • European side: business districts and historic centre. Asian side: calmer residential districts such as Kadıköy and Üsküdar.
  • Huge choice, huge price spread – from 1970s blocks to new gated complexes.

🏠 Market snapshot

  • Most purchases are apartments: new-build complexes (“site”) with pool and security, or resale flats in older blocks.
  • In 2025 foreigners bought 7,989 homes in Istanbul, the most of any province1.
  • Districts with a high foreign share in 2025 included Bağcılar (12.1%), Sarıyer (9.2%) and Şişli (7.8%)2.
  • We don’t publish average prices per m2: they swing street by street. Your report compares the asking price with nearby listings.

Check before you buy

  • Earthquake: Istanbul sits in a high seismic-hazard area. Check building year, the code it was designed to, and the AFAD hazard map3.
  • Risky-building status: ask whether the block is flagged for urban transformation (kentsel dönüşüm, Law 6306).
  • Occupancy permit (iskan): no iskan can mean unlicensed floors or units.
  • Off-plan: a unit with only kat irtifakı (construction servitude) is not finished title yet – check the building permit and developer.
  • Protected zones: the Bosphorus zone (Law 2960) and the UNESCO-listed historic peninsula4 restrict building and renovation.

Rules for all foreign buyers in Türkiye

  • Residence permit through property: for homes bought since 16 Oct 2023 the price on the title deed must be at least USD 200,000, and the home must be lived in, not rented out5.
  • Citizenship through property: at least USD 400,000 with a 3-year “no sale” annotation on the deed; since Dec 2023 only built property counts6.
  • Foreigners can own up to 30 hectares each and up to 10% of a district’s private land; plots near military or security zones need clearance7.
  • Short-term holiday rentals (100 days or less) need a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism8.

Found a property in Istanbul?

Send the listing. We check title deed, zoning, permits, hazards and the asking price, and send an English report with red, amber and green flags in 3–7 business days. You pay only if we accept the job.

Request a check for a property in Istanbul See a sample report

From $149 · Independent · No commission from sellers or agents · Not an official valuation, not legal advice.

Other places

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Sources

  1. TÜİK House Sales Statistics, 2025 (via Ekonomist, 16 Jan 2026)
  2. TÜİK House Sales Statistics, 2025 – district shares (via Karar, 19 Aug 2026)
  3. AFAD – Türkiye Earthquake Hazard Map (interactive)
  4. UNESCO – Historic Areas of Istanbul
  5. Presidency of Migration Management – short-term residence documents
  6. Your Key Türkiye (official) – acquisition of citizenship by property
  7. Land Registry Law No. 2644, Art. 35 (foreign ownership limits)
  8. Law No. 7464 – tourism rental permit (e-Devlet application)

General information, checked October 2026. Rules change – we re-check them for every report. Not legal advice.

Photos (Wikimedia Commons, resized/cropped): Bosphorus Bridge (1973) in Istanbul – Huseyinakbas63, CC BY 4.0 · Karaköy Mars 2013 – Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yağcı Hacı Şefik Bey Yalısı on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey 001 – Moonik, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Street in Kadıköy, Istanbul (2024) – Premeditated, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Full credits