Foreign buyers in Türkiye soon meet the değerleme raporu (valuation report), often called ekspertiz. The land registry will not complete your sale without one. This guide explains what the report is, who can prepare it, when you need it, how to order it and how it relates to the price on your title deed. It reflects the rules as of November 2026, including the update to the land registry circular made on 28 September 2026.
Key points
- Since 4 March 2019, the Land Registry and Cadastre General Directorate (TKGM) has required a valuation report for every sale in which a foreign individual is the buyer or the seller.
- The report must come from a valuation firm licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK), a member of the valuation association TDUB and registered in TKGM’s valuation system TADEBİS.
- You order it online through Web Tapu, in the "Değerleme İşlemleri" (valuation transactions) section.
- Under the current TKGM circular, a report can be used in title deed transactions for 12 months. Before the September 2026 update, the period was shorter.
- For citizenship by investment, the sale price on the deed, the value in the report and the payments must all meet USD 400,000.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check your own case with the land registry, a lawyer or a licensed valuer.
What the valuation report is
A valuation report is an independent estimate of a property’s market value, prepared to a set format. TKGM’s Circular 2024/2 lays down what reports used in land registry work must contain. The key figure is the market value (piyasa değeri). The report also gives a second figure, the market value based on legal use, but the circular says the market value is the one used in title deed and cadastre transactions. The second figure is for information only.
People often call it an "ekspertiz raporu", the same name banks use for the appraisal they order before a mortgage. For a foreign buyer, the report that matters at the land registry is the one ordered through TKGM’s system and sent electronically to the land registry.
Who prepares it
Under Circular 2024/2, as updated, valuation reports for land registry transactions can be prepared by any valuation firm that:
- is licensed by the Capital Markets Board (Sermaye Piyasası Kurulu, SPK),
- is an active member of the Turkish Valuation Experts Association (TDUB), and
- is included in TKGM’s valuation information system, TADEBİS.
The SPK publishes contact details of licensed real estate valuation firms on its website, with a downloadable list.
Each report must be signed by at least three people: the responsible valuation expert, a supervisor and a valuation expert. It is signed electronically and sent to the land registry’s system (TAKBİS) directly, so you do not carry a paper copy to the office.
Until September 2026, reports for citizenship sales had to come from one firm, GEDAŞ, a subsidiary of the housing agency TOKİ. The current version of the circular, updated on 28 September 2026 after a Ministry approval of 18 September 2026, says reports for citizenship checks can be prepared by any SPK-licensed valuation firm.
When a foreign buyer needs one
### Every purchase or sale by a foreign individual
TKGM Circular 2019/1, dated 15 February 2019, made a valuation report mandatory from 4 March 2019 for all sales where a foreign natural person is a party, whether buying or selling. TKGM’s official guide for foreign buyers, Your Key Türkiye, still lists the property valuation report among the documents for a purchase.
### Citizenship by investment
To qualify for Turkish citizenship through property, you must buy real estate worth at least USD 400,000. The threshold rose from USD 250,000 under Presidential Decision No. 5554, published in the Official Gazette on 13 May 2022. TKGM’s guide applies USD 400,000 to sale or promise-to-sell contracts made from 13 June 2022.
TKGM checks three values against the threshold: the sale price in the official deed, the value in the valuation report and the total of the payments made. All three must meet the required amount. Agricultural land and empty plots bought after 12 December 2023 cannot be used. Read our citizenship by property explainer for the full rules.
### Residence permit through property
For a short-term residence permit based on owning a home bought on or after 16 October 2023, the reported minimum is USD 200,000. Reports from October 2023 say the sale price on the title deed, converted at the Central Bank selling rate on the deed date, is what counts, not the valuation report. Purchases between 26 April 2022 and 16 October 2023 fall under older limits, where a valuation report was still used. See our residence permit through property explainer and check the current e-İkamet document list before you apply.
What the report contains
Circular 2024/2 sets out the format. A report used at the land registry includes:
- Market value of the whole property, and the market value based on legal use for information.
- The value of a share, if the property has several owners and only one share is sold.
- Two floor areas: the legal gross area, based on the building permit and approved plans, and the existing gross area actually found on site. Common areas are left out.
- At least three photographs, including at least one inside the property.
- Differences between the approved project and reality, such as an extra room or an enclosed balcony.
- Comparable sales shown on a satellite map, with the adjustments and rounding used to reach the final value.
- Legal issues such as court orders or cancelled permits, explained in detail. Where risks are unresolved, for example unclear unit boundaries, no value is given.
How to order the report, step by step
- Get your numbers ready. The land registry checks your foreigner identity number and can use a tax number as a fallback. Our tax number guide explains how to get one online for free.
- Log in to Web Tapu. Under Circular 2024/2, the property owner applies through Web Tapu (webtapu.tkgm.gov.tr). For a company, its authorised representative applies. Your Key Türkiye says the report is obtained by applying through the "Değerleme İşlemleri" section of Web Tapu.
- Choose the firm. You can pick an SPK-licensed firm yourself or let the system’s automatic algorithm assign one.
- Pay the fee. TKGM sends the fee, payment deadline and request number by SMS or email. No firm is assigned until you pay, and unpaid requests are cancelled. The circular does not publish a fixed fee, so check the amount shown in Web Tapu.
- Allow the site visit. The firm appoints an expert, who inspects and photographs the property.
- The report goes to the land registry. It is e-signed and sent through the system. You then book the sale appointment and bring your passport, photos, the foreign currency purchase document and earthquake insurance policy.
How long the report is valid
The current text of Circular 2024/2 says reports used in land registry transactions can be used for 12 months. After that, a new report is needed. Earlier rules set a shorter period. Even within the 12 months, you need a new report if the land registry records a change that affects value, such as a change in the type of land, a road closure or a new easement.
Declared value, report value and the title deed fee
The title deed fee (tapu harcı) on a sale is 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer, 4% in total, under Tariff 4, Article 20(a) of the Fees Law No. 492. In practice, buyers often agree to pay the full 4%.
The fee is charged on the declared sale price. Since Law No. 7566 took effect on 19 December 2025, the declared price cannot be lower than the property’s tax value (emlak vergisi değeri). If a lower value is found later, the penalty is now equal to the unpaid fee, up from 25%.
The valuation report does not set the fee base. Circular 2019/1 said fees continue to be charged under the Fees Law as before. However, the market value from the report is shown in a table in the official deed, so a declared price far below it stands out. For citizenship, the declared price itself must reach USD 400,000. Our costs of buying a home explainer covers the fee in more detail.
Practical tips
- Order the report once you agree a price, but before you transfer large sums, so you can renegotiate if the value is well below the asking price.
- If you need citizenship, make sure the deed price, the report value and each payment all clear USD 400,000.
- Do not under-declare the price. It can leave you below a residence or citizenship threshold and now costs a penalty equal to the unpaid fee.
- Read our guide to buying property in Turkey as a foreigner for the full purchase process.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I need a valuation report if I am buying from a Turkish seller?
A: Yes. Since 4 March 2019, TKGM requires a report for all sales in which a foreign individual is the buyer or the seller.
Q: Can I use the bank’s mortgage appraisal instead?
A: Only a report ordered through Web Tapu from an SPK-licensed firm that is a TDUB member and listed in TADEBİS reaches the land registry system. Check with the land registry before relying on any other report.
Q: How long is a valuation report valid?
A: Under the current TKGM circular, updated on 28 September 2026, it can be used for 12 months. A change affecting value, such as a new easement, means you need a new report sooner.
Q: How much does a valuation report cost?
A: TKGM does not publish a fixed fee in the circular. Web Tapu shows the fee and payment deadline by SMS or email after you apply, and work starts only once you pay.
Q: Is the title deed fee based on the valuation report?
A: No. The 4% fee is charged on the declared sale price, which cannot be lower than the property tax value. The report value is shown in the deed, though, and matters for citizenship.
Q: Who can prepare the report for citizenship applications?
A: Since the September 2026 update, any SPK-licensed valuation firm that meets TKGM’s conditions. Before that, only GEDAŞ could.
Planning to buy? Download our free property guide for a step-by-step checklist.
Sources
- TKGM Circular 2024/2 (current text, updated by Makam Oluru of 28/09/2026 after Bakanlık Oluru of 18/09/2026): any SPK-licensed, TDUB-member, TADEBİS-listed firm; three signatures; e-signed to TAKBİS; Web Tapu application by owner; firm chosen or assigned by algorithm; fee and deadline by SMS/e-mail, no assignment before payment; 12-month use period; new report if value-affecting change; report contents (market value, legal-use value, share value, legal/existing gross area, min. 3 photos, comparables)
- TKGM 2024/2 and 2024/4 updated by Makam Olurları of 28 Sept 2026, effective 29 Sept: valuation reports usable for 12 months; SPK-licensed firms allowed for citizenship reports in addition to GEDAŞ (Yılmazlar Hukuk Bürosu, 1 Oct 2026)
- TKGM Circular 2024/2 (01/03/2024, in force 04/03/2024): subject, scope and definitions (Lexpera summary)
- Original 2024/2 rules: GEDAŞ (TOKİ subsidiary) sole preparer for citizenship sales; other transactions any SPK-licensed firm; 3-month validity (Ensonhaber)
- TKGM Circular 2019/1 (15/02/2019): valuation report required from 04/03/2019 in all sales where a foreign natural person is party; 3-month validity; market value shown in a table in the official deed; fees continue under Fees Law Tariff 4 (text via Alomaliye)
- Your Key Türkiye property acquisition guide (TKGM): valuation report in document list, obtained via Webtapu ‘Değerleme İşlemleri’; foreigner ID / tax number check; citizenship thresholds by date (USD 400,000 from 13/06/2022); three values (deed price, report value, payments) must meet threshold; agricultural land and empty plots after 12/12/2023 excluded
- Presidential Decision No. 5554, Official Gazette 13 May 2022 No. 31834: USD 250,000 raised to USD 400,000 (Alomaliye)
- Invest in Türkiye (Presidency Investment Office): citizenship via real estate worth USD 400,000, three-year no-sale commitment
- Residence permit via property: USD 200,000 for deeds from 16/10/2023; deed price at CBRT selling rate used, valuation report not accepted; older limits 26/04/2022-16/10/2023 (Cumhuriyet, 30 Oct 2023)
- Title deed fee: binde 20 each for transferor and transferee, Fees Law No. 492 Tariff 4 Art. 20(a) (Ministry of Justice, 12/01/2023)
- Law No. 7566 (Official Gazette 19/12/2025, No. 33112): fee base is declared price not lower than property tax value; penalty raised from 25% to one times the loss (İSMMMO explanatory note)
- SPK: contact list of real estate valuation firms (downloadable)
- Web Tapu (TKGM)
Photo: Alessandro57 / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
