Understand Property Ownership in Turkey
What is Tapu in Turkey?
A tapu or title deed is a document that proves ownership of a property for the owner, with the name of the owner, the type and location of the property and the area of the property. This document provides the owner with the right to dispose of the property by renting, selling or investing.
The owner cannot prove his ownership of the property without TAPU which can only be issued by the Land Registry Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Cities of Turkey.
What is the purpose and benefit of Tapu?
When you own a property in Turkey of any kind, the TAPU title deed is the only official document of the property. Only after you get TAPU possession of the property is officially proven. TAPU is also required in official and state services, in transactions related to real estate, from buying and selling, etc. Several owners can own and participate in one property and there is no limit to the number of owners. An important note, that if you have a percentage of the property in the property you own, it is possible to specify the percentage of each person owned in TAPU, and the owners are partners owned in the entire property.
If you are a foreign person when buying real estate in Turkey, you can get a “residence permit-IKAMET” and the right to the same (IKAMET) has both your spouse and minor children.
The foreign ownership law also allowed the property owner the right to apply for Turkish citizenship if the price of his property or total property is $400,000 under special conditions and laws
Types of TAPU
If you want to buy a property in Turkey, you need to know a few important and basic rules of TAPU.
There are 2 (two) types of TAPUs: Red and Blue
Crveni TAPU
Red TAPU is issued for residential and commercial buildings e.g. apartments, villas, buildings, shops and commercial real estate.
Red TAPU implies three forms of ownership, namely:
- Common Title Deed
This type of TAPU is based on a system of partnerships between multiple owners of the same property. It is also known as transitional ownership: it is the right of ownership of a property for a certain period of the year so that each of these owners has a certain period of time in the year in which he owns the property for an indefinite period, a minimum of which seven days. It is common in real estate for holidays and the like, and the owner has all the ownership rights from selling, leasing and ceding his rights to other persons.
- Construction/Project TAPU
This type of TAPU contains data for each part of the property separately so that on the assigned plot the appropriate project for construction is planned, then approval for construction is taken, and then the project is divided into independent units, such as apartments within the building. For each part of the object, a separate act is prepared that shows the location of the self-division and its data, regardless of whether the project has started or not. Construction and obtaining residential approval, TAPUs are assigned to the property. This type of document proves the full ownership of the property of the person who owns it, and each owner of this property receives an easement document containing information about the place of construction, its area and specifications, after which the owner is given his title deed.
Blue or agricultural Tapu
TAPU for residential land
This type of TAPU is allocated to agricultural lands that simultaneously have the status of construction and agricultural. This type of TAPU is allocated to land intended for construction or investment, and in Turkish it is called Arsa, where the owner of the land can with a special permit of the municipality to which this land belongs to build a business and residential building.
TAPU agricultural land
Semi-commercial lands are located in large areas and are also known as fields, and in Turkish they are called “Tarla” and on these lands it is possible to build in a percentage that does not exceed 5% to 20% of the land area, and allows its owner to invest and benefit from it by raising livestock, establishing poultry houses, etc. this means that it allows the establishment of all types of agricultural projects in Turkey, such as agriculture, plowing, livestock and poultry farming and other agricultural activities. If you want to invest in agricultural land, you need to check with the municipality whether the land is really agricultural or not. The land can be registered in TAPU as agricultural land, but it is placed in the real estate plan for construction in the area, so take care and make sure that this point is from the municipality of the same area where the land is located.
What is the difference between red and blue TAPU?
There are several differences that you should know, blue TAPU intended for agricultural lands suitable for agriculture or agricultural investments, that is, owners of land soil that are intended for the construction and establishment of housing projects and units, in the area allowed for construction. As for the red TAPU, it is awarded to owners of facilities such as houses and apartments, business premises, etc.
Turkey offers you numerous benefits and advantages as an investor, and the possibility of making profits and returns that these investments bring to the owner. Before signing the sales contract and transferring money, it is necessary to check the documentation. When you own and invest in a Turkish property, you may need the help of the relevant authorities to help you manage your transactions to avoid getting into illegal problems. The property you want to invest in may be subject to confiscation, mortgage or confiscation restrictions, and this information is not mentioned in the title deed. This act must be entered in the real estate register, and any title deed that is not registered in the real estate register, even if it is certified and signed, is null and void and has no value.
You also need to be careful when concluding a notary sale, and check the authenticity of TAPU in real estate departments before completing the purchase process. UNIQ Real Estate Alanya provides complete real estate registration services in accordance with legal principles with full knowledge of the requirements of the civil service and all necessary legal documents.
Uniq Real Estate is a team of experienced agents dedicated to helping you find your ideal property. With two decades of real estate expertise, our company was born in 2022, offering clients professional guidance and solutions based on our 20 years of experience in this field:
- Agents Who Speak 7 Languages
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Steps to get TAPU
- The buyer of the property must come to Turkey to conclude a transaction of the sales contract or to appoint a trusted person to act on his behalf
- Obtaining a tax number from the tax administration, issued on the basis of the buyer’s passport number, with copies of the passport translated and certified by a notary (Turkish notary)
- The seller (previous owner) of the property goes to the Land Registry Directorate-TAPU office and transfers ownership to the buyer (new owner)
- The buyer takes over his TAPU
Documents required to obtain Tapu
UNIQ Real Estate sales team will prepare for you the necessary documentation necessary for obtaining TAPU:
- A copy of the buyer’s passport or an official document of power of attorney in case the buyer authorized the representative on his behalf.
- Photo of the seller and two photos of the buyer
- Earthquake and Disaster Insurance Policy (DASK)
- A joint document on the supplement from the municipality to which the property belongs
- Real estate appraisal document (required for foreign nationals)
- TAPU tax
- DAP ??? replenishment required
The TAPU fee is 4% and is calculated on the basis of the estimated value of the property that is the subject of the sales contract and this fee is paid in full before the transfer of ownership of the property.
