One document foreign buyers in Türkiye often overlook is the occupancy permit. Known officially as the yapı kullanma izin belgesi and almost universally as iskan, it decides whether a building may lawfully be lived in, whether it can get permanent water and electricity, and whether its title deed can move to full condominium ownership. This guide explains what iskan is, how to check it and what can go wrong when a property does not have one.
What iskan is and who issues it
Iskan is the permit a building needs before it can be used once construction is finished. The requirement comes from Article 30 of Zoning Law No. 3194 (İmar Kanunu), with the details set out in the Planned Areas Zoning Regulation (Planlı Alanlar İmar Yönetmeliği).
It is issued by the authority that issued the building permit (yapı ruhsatı). Inside municipal boundaries that is the municipality; outside them it is the governorship (valilik). In metropolitan provinces such as Muğla, municipal boundaries now cover the whole province, so in Fethiye the file sits with the municipality’s zoning department (imar müdürlüğü).
The owner or developer applies once the building is complete, and under Article 30 the authority must conclude the application within 30 days. Where only some units in a building are finished, a partial use permit (kısmi yapı kullanma izni) can be issued for those units.
What it certifies
Iskan is the official confirmation that a building was completed in line with its building permit and approved project drawings and is fit for use. In practice that means the floors, footprint, height and number of independent units match what the municipality approved, and that the required technical inspections have been completed.
Iskan does not cover later changes. If an owner adds a floor or encloses a balcony without permission, the municipality can still act against that work.
How to check whether a building has iskan
There is no reliable shortcut, so use more than one route.
### 1. Ask for the document
Ask the seller, or the developer in a new project, for a copy of the yapı kullanma izin belgesi. Check that it names the right parcel (ada and parsel), that your unit is listed and that the unit count matches the building you visited.
### 2. Confirm at the municipality
Have your lawyer confirm the position at the municipality’s zoning department. This is the decisive check: the municipality holds the permit file, the approved project and any records of unlicensed work, demolition orders or fines.
### 3. Online services
Some Turkish guides mention an e-Devlet iskan service, but we could not confirm a nationwide e-Devlet query that lets a buyer check any building; the entry we found sits under the Ministry of Industry and Technology and requires a login. Some municipalities publish permit information on their e-belediye portals. Treat online results as a starting point and rely on the municipal file.
### 4. Read the title deed
A deed that still says kat irtifakı (construction servitude) for a building that has been finished for years is a warning sign, though not proof that iskan is missing. Equally, a detached house whose deed still describes the parcel as land, such as "arsa" or "tarla", rather than a residence suggests the house may never have been permitted or registered. Our guide to checking a Turkish title deed explains how to read these entries.
Why iskan matters
### Water and electricity
Article 31 of the Zoning Law says buildings without a use permit cannot be supplied with electricity, water and sewerage until the permit is obtained. Units that do have a permit can be connected even if the rest of the building does not. Without iskan, homes often run on construction-site (şantiye) connections or on temporary subscriptions allowed under specific legal provisions; these do not make the building lawful and can be cancelled.
### Kat irtifakı to kat mülkiyeti
Flats in new projects are first registered with kat irtifakı. Iskan is what allows the title to be converted to kat mülkiyeti, full condominium ownership of a finished unit, and the co-owners’ agreement is not needed for that step. Without iskan, the deed stays as kat irtifakı, and a detached house on a plot may stay registered as land.
### Valuation, resale and mortgages
Banks are generally reluctant to lend against property without iskan, which shrinks the pool of future buyers who need a mortgage. Turkish law firms also list lower resale value among the consequences of a missing permit, so expect the permit position to come up in any valuation or negotiation.
### Holiday rentals
The tourism rental permit under Law No. 7464 is issued on the basis of the title deed. Muğla’s provincial culture and tourism directorate says applications need a title showing a residential unit under kat irtifakı or kat mülkiyeti, or, where the title does not show that, a yapı kayıt belgesi issued for a residence. Its list does not name iskan itself, but properties whose title does not show a residential unit need extra paperwork. Our holiday rental permit guide covers the full process.
### Residence permits and citizenship
For a residence permit through property ownership, lawyers note that the property must be registered as a residence in the land register; land, shops and warehouses do not qualify. A house that never received iskan and is still registered as a plot can therefore cause problems. For citizenship by property investment, lawyers say units in projects with kat irtifakı and a defined independent unit can qualify if the other conditions are met; we found no official rule requiring iskan itself. Have your lawyer confirm the position for your specific property before you buy.
The risks of buying without iskan
Buying a home without iskan is not illegal in itself, but you take on the building’s problems along with the keys:
– Demolition orders and fines: unlicensed buildings or parts built in breach of a permit can face demolition under Article 32 of the Zoning Law and administrative fines under Article 42. – Utility uncertainty: temporary connections can be withdrawn, and permanent subscriptions may be refused. – A weaker title: the deed may remain kat irtifakı or describe the parcel as land, with knock-on effects for residence permits and resale. – Business use: a workplace licence (işyeri açma ve çalışma ruhsatı) is not issued for a building without a use permit. – Insurance: home and earthquake (DASK) cover may be restricted for unpermitted buildings.
If a seller says iskan is "coming soon", make it a condition in the contract, for example by holding back part of the price until the permit is issued.
Yapı kayıt belgesi: what the 2018 zoning amnesty does and does not fix
In 2018 Türkiye introduced a zoning amnesty, imar barışı, under Provisional Article 16 of the Zoning Law. Owners of buildings built before 31 December 2017 without a licence, or in breach of one, could declare them and receive a building registration certificate, the yapı kayıt belgesi (YKB). The application window has long closed, and no new certificates are being issued.
A YKB stops demolition orders and drops zoning fines for the declared building. It can open the way to utility subscriptions and, through a separate process, to a condominium title. The law says a YKB stays valid until the building is rebuilt or included in urban renewal, so the date of 31 December 2026 circulating online applies only to buildings on Treasury land, as our report on the zoning amnesty deadline explains.
A YKB does not:
– make the building licensed or compliant with the zoning plan; – replace iskan, which still requires the building to be brought into line with zoning rules and its permit; – certify earthquake safety, which remains the owner’s responsibility; – automatically produce a title deed.
Certificates were issued on the owner’s declaration and can be cancelled if it was untrue. Check a certificate’s validity via its QR code and compare what it describes with what is there.
Practical tips for buyers in Fethiye
Fethiye’s villas and older blocks often carry additions that never went through the municipality: an extra top floor, an enclosed terrace turned into a bedroom or a basement converted into a flat. Some were declared under the 2018 amnesty; many were not.
– Compare the approved project with the building. Ask your lawyer or a surveyor to obtain the approved drawings from Fethiye Municipality and compare them with what you see. – Count the floors and units. If the iskan lists four units and the building has five, find out which one is unregistered, and make sure it is not yours. – Ask whether any part of the property was declared under imar barışı, and get a copy of the YKB if so. – Do not rely on copies alone. In 2021 the mayor of Fethiye said some permits issued under the previous administration had been found to be forged, and the municipality referred the matter to prosecutors. Confirm documents with the municipality itself.
For the full buying process, see our step-by-step guide to buying property in Türkiye as a foreigner and our explainer on the costs of buying a home. If you are still choosing an area, start with our guide to living in Fethiye.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What does iskan mean in Turkish property?
A: Iskan is the common name for the yapı kullanma izin belgesi, the occupancy permit confirming that a finished building matches its approved project and is fit for use. It is issued by the municipality, or the governorship outside municipal areas.
Q: Can I get electricity and water without iskan?
A: The Zoning Law bars permanent electricity, water and sewerage services for buildings without a use permit. Construction-site or temporary connections are sometimes used, but they do not make the building lawful and can be cancelled.
Q: Is a yapı kayıt belgesi the same as iskan?
A: No. The 2018 amnesty certificate protects a declared building from demolition and zoning fines and can help with subscriptions and title, but it does not make the building licensed and does not replace iskan.
Q: Can I check iskan on e-Devlet?
A: We could not confirm a general e-Devlet service that lets a buyer look up any building’s iskan. Ask the seller for the document and have your lawyer confirm it with the municipality’s zoning department.
For a printable checklist covering title checks, permits and the transfer day, download our free property guide.
This guide is general information and not legal advice; procedures change, so confirm the position for a specific property with a Turkish lawyer and the municipality.
Sources
- Yapı Kullanma İzin Belgesi (İskan) Nedir? Nasıl Alınır? – 3194 m.30-31, PAİY m.64 (Hukukçular Evi)
- Yapı Kullanma İzin Belgesi Nasıl Alınır? 2026 Güncel İskan Rehberi (FFK Partner Hukuk)
- Yapı kullanma izin belgesi talebinin reddi ve iptal davası (Kulaçoğlu Hukuk)
- İskansız ve ruhsatsız yapıya elektrik-su aboneliği – İmar Kanunu m.31 (Hukukçular Evi)
- Yapı Kayıt Belgesi ve İmar Barışı Sonrası Hukuki Durum – 3194 geçici m.16 (Hukukçular Evi)
- Kat irtifakı ve kat mülkiyeti (Kadim Hukuk)
- Konutların Turizm Amaçlı Kiralanması – başvuru belgeleri (Muğla İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü)
- Türkiye’de gayrimenkul alarak ikamet izni (Mıhcı Hukuk)
- İnşaat halindeki projeden gayrimenkul alarak Türk vatandaşlığına başvurulabilir mi? (FFK Partner Hukuk)
- Yapı Kullanma İzin Belgesi (İskan) Verilmesi – Sanayi ve Teknoloji Bakanlığı (e-Devlet)
- Belediye Başkanı: Fethiye’de bazı ruhsatların sahte olması durumu var (Sözcü)
Photo: Tolu Olubode / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
