Foreign investors
Buying Property in Türkiye Without Travelling: Power of Attorney
What an apostille is, which powers must be spelled out in the document, and why a general power of attorney is not enough. The step remote buyers most often get wrong.
It is possible to buy property in Türkiye without travelling here. Every step, including the transfer of the title deed, can be carried out by your representative under a properly drawn power of attorney. For buyers living abroad this saves both time and airfares — but if the wording of the document is wrong, the whole process stops.
Where is the power of attorney drawn up?
- At the Turkish consulate in your country — the safest route: no apostille is needed and the text is drawn up directly in Turkish.
- Before a notary in your own country — in this case an apostille and a sworn translation are required.
- Before a notary in Türkiye — if you can deal with it during a visit, this is the quickest.
An apostille is an international certification that makes a document valid in another country. In countries that are not party to the Hague Convention, consular legalisation is required instead, and that process is markedly longer. Find out where your country stands before you start.
What the document must say expressly
Under Turkish law, land registry transactions require specific authority. A general power saying "authorised to represent me in all matters" will not be accepted at the Land Registry Office. The powers must be listed one by one.
- Authority to purchase immovable property and register it at the land registry
- Authority to pay the price and give a receipt
- Obtaining a tax identification number and dealing with the tax office
- Opening a bank account and operating it (a separate power may be required)
- Taking out compulsory earthquake insurance and home insurance
- Opening and taking over utility accounts (electricity, water, gas)
- Creating and discharging a mortgage where required
The land registry requires your photograph to be affixed to the document. This is standard on powers drawn at a consulate; on those drawn before a foreign notary it is sometimes forgotten, and the document is then rejected at the registry.
How to limit the risk
A power of attorney is a powerful document; misused, it can be used to sell your property. Three simple measures reduce the risk considerably: put a time limit on it (six months, say), confine the powers to the particular property you are buying (the block and parcel numbers can be written in), and do not grant a power of sale — buying does not require the power to sell.
When the transaction is done, remember to revoke the power. Revocation is carried out before a notary and notified to the Land Registry Office; simply telling someone "don't use it any more" has no legal effect whatsoever.
The questions we hear most
- Who should I give the power of attorney to?
- Preferably to an independent lawyer. A power given to the seller or to an employee of the estate agency creates a conflict of interest — the same person ends up signing for both buyer and seller.
- How long does it take to prepare?
- A few days at a consulate, depending on appointments. Going through a foreign notary, with apostille and translation, it can take up to two weeks.
- Can the same document be used to open a bank account?
- Banks generally require a separate power drawn in their own wording. Having the banking power drawn at the same time as the land registry one saves a second trip to the consulate.
- Does a property bought under a power of attorney qualify for citizenship?
- Yes. The buyer does not have to sign in person; it is enough that the property is registered in the name of an individual and that the other conditions are met.
The information on this page is for general guidance and does not constitute legal or financial advice. The legislation may change; consult your accountant or lawyer before acting.