Sending Money to Türkiye for a Property Purchase: the DAB Certificate and Bank Rules

If you buy property in Türkiye as a foreign individual, how you move your money matters almost as much as the price. The land registry (tapu müdürlüğü) will normally not complete your purchase without a foreign currency purchase certificate, in Turkish döviz alım belgesi and often shortened to DAB. This guide explains the document, how to bring money in and sell it to a Turkish bank, why the price is in lira and what banks ask. It reflects the rules as of November 2026.

Key points

• Since 24 January 2022, TKGM has in most cases required a foreign currency purchase certificate when a foreign individual buys property, whether or not the purchase is for citizenship.
• The foreign currency must be sold to a bank operating in Türkiye before the title deed transfer. Cash and exchange offices do not count.
• The bank sends the certificate straight to the land registry by registered electronic mail (KEP), and the lira amount on it is declared as the sale price.
• For citizenship, the property must be worth at least USD 400,000, payments must be shown by bank receipts and the deed carries a three-year no-sale annotation.
• Banks must identify you and may ask where your money comes from under Türkiye’s anti-money-laundering law.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Check your own case with your bank, the land registry or a Turkish lawyer before you send any money.

What the DAB is

A döviz alım belgesi is a document issued by a Turkish bank confirming that it bought foreign currency from you, or from the seller, for a property purchase. The basis is Article 13 of the Central Bank’s Capital Movements Circular (Sermaye Hareketleri Genelgesi), together with the rules for citizenship by investment. TKGM put the requirement into practice with its Circular 2022/1 of 21 January 2022, later updated.

TKGM’s official guide for foreign buyers, Your Key Türkiye, lists the DAB among the purchase documents, issued for transactions under Article 13 or for citizenship.

According to the circular and TKGM’s guidance, the certificate should show:

• the holder’s full name;
• passport number or foreigner identity number (yabancı kimlik numarası);
• the USD equivalent of the currency sold, as well as the lira amount;
• a statement that the sale falls under Article 13 of the Capital Movements Circular, or that it is for acquiring Turkish citizenship.

For citizenship purchases, law firms also advise that the property details, such as the parcel or the block and flat number, appear on the certificate.

When you need it

TKGM’s 2022 guidance says the DAB is mandatory for purchases of real estate by foreign individuals from 24 January 2022, for citizenship and for ordinary purchases alike. Payments made before that date could be accepted with a bank-certified receipt instead.

According to Your Key Türkiye, the bank sends the certificate to the relevant land registry office by KEP. You can only go ahead with the title deed transaction once the bank has sent it.

If you are a foreign resident paying with lira earned in Türkiye, or buying through a company, ask the land registry and your lawyer which documents apply.

How foreign currency reaches a Turkish bank

1. The money arrives in foreign currency. You send it by international (SWIFT) transfer to a foreign currency account in Türkiye, either your own or, if agreed, the seller’s.
2. It is sold to the bank before the deed transfer. Under TKGM Circular 2022/1, only the buyer, the seller or their representatives can sell the currency. The bank then sells it on to the Central Bank (TCMB).
3. The currencies are USD, EUR or GBP. The circular names these three. Other currencies are converted using the Central Bank’s cross rates.
4. Payment is made in lira. The seller receives Turkish lira, and the lira figure on the certificate becomes the declared sale price.

Currency exchanged after the deed transfer, at an exchange office or between individuals cannot be used.

Why the price is in Turkish lira

Since 13 September 2018, Article 4(g) of Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of Turkish Currency has said that persons resident in Türkiye may not agree the price of a property sale between themselves in foreign currency or linked to foreign currency. Communiqué 2008-32/34 (Article 8) sets out exceptions, as amended in November 2018. These include sales where the Turkish-resident party is not a Turkish citizen, and companies in Türkiye that are 50% or more foreign-owned.

For you as a buyer, two things follow:

• The price on the official deed is in lira. For residence permit checks, it is converted at the Central Bank selling rate on the deed date.
• Ask your lawyer whether your private contract can name a foreign currency price, given your and the seller’s residence status.

What your bank will ask for

A tax number. Turkish banks generally ask foreigners for a passport and a tax number or foreigner identity number. Our tax number guide shows how to get one for free.

An account that can receive foreign currency. Banks offer USD and EUR accounts alongside lira accounts. Some open accounts for non-residents, but this varies by bank. For a transfer you will need the account’s IBAN (Turkish IBANs start with TR) and the bank’s SWIFT/BIC code. Your name should be spelled exactly as in your passport.

Identification and source of funds. Under Law No. 5549 on the Prevention of Laundering Proceeds of Crime and its regulation, banks must identify you before carrying out a transaction. They must check that transactions match your profile and the source of your funds. In higher-risk cases they can ask about the purpose of the payment and where the money came from. Have documents ready, such as the sales contract, savings records or tax papers. Banks report suspicious transactions to MASAK, the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, and cannot tell you that they have done so.

Tell the bank the purpose in advance. Say before the money arrives that the transfer is for a property purchase, for citizenship if relevant, and that you need a döviz alım belgesi. Fixing a certificate after conversion may not be possible.

Extra rules for citizenship by investment

To apply 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 on 13 May 2022. Since an amendment of 6 January 2022, the citizenship regulation has required this foreign currency to be sold to a bank in Türkiye before the transaction and passed on to the Central Bank.

According to Your Key Türkiye and TKGM’s citizenship guidance:

• The deed price, the valuation report value and the total payments must each reach the threshold. Our valuation report guide explains the report.
• Bank-approved transfer receipts (banka onaylı havale dekontları) are required. They can be submitted before or after the sale.
• A three-year no-sale annotation is placed on the deed. For a notarised promise-to-sell contract on a unit, the commitment is not to transfer or cancel for three years.
• Only property bought in your own name counts. Purchases by a spouse or by a company you manage do not.
• From 1 February 2023, shares in property and completing an unpaid balance through a promise-to-sell contract cannot be used. Agricultural land and empty plots bought after 12 December 2023 are also excluded.

Law firms advise that the certificate amount should match the purchase price. Our citizenship by property explainer covers the full process.

Step by step

1. Agree the price and get a tax number. Open a Turkish bank account with a foreign currency option.
2. Order the valuation report through Web Tapu. For citizenship, check that it reaches USD 400,000.
3. Tell your bank that you need a DAB for a property purchase, and for citizenship if it applies. Ask which documents it wants on the source of your funds.
4. Send the money in USD, EUR or GBP by SWIFT, ideally from an account in your own name.
5. Sell the currency to the bank before the deed appointment. Check that the names, ID numbers, amount and property details on the certificate are correct.
6. The bank sends the DAB to the land registry by KEP. Declare the lira amount as the sale price at the appointment.
7. Keep every receipt, especially for citizenship.

If you cannot travel, a representative with a proper power of attorney can carry out these steps. See our power of attorney guide.

A secure payment system for property sales, run under the Ministry of Trade, is due to start on 1 December 2026. Ask your bank how it will work alongside the DAB. For the wider process, read our guide to buying property in Turkey as a foreigner.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Do I need a DAB if I am not applying for citizenship?

A: In most cases, yes. TKGM’s guidance says that since 24 January 2022 a foreign currency purchase certificate is required when a foreign individual buys property, for citizenship or not. Check with the land registry if your situation is unusual.

Q: Can I convert money abroad or with a money transfer app and receive lira?

A: For the DAB, the foreign currency has to be sold to a bank operating in Türkiye before the title transfer. Lira that arrives already converted, or currency changed at an exchange office, does not meet the requirement.

Q: Which currencies are accepted?

A: TKGM Circular 2022/1 names US dollars, euros and pounds sterling for sale to the Central Bank. Other currencies are converted using the Central Bank’s cross rates.

Q: Can the seller exchange the currency instead of me?

A: Yes. The buyer, the seller or their representatives may sell it to the bank. The certificate must still be issued and sent to the land registry before the sale.

Q: Will the bank ask where my money came from?

A: It may. Under Law No. 5549, banks must identify customers and check transactions against their profile and source of funds.

Q: Can I sell a citizenship property within three years?

A: The deed carries a three-year no-sale annotation for citizenship purchases, and the period runs from the date of the annotation. Take legal advice before any early sale.

Planning to buy? Download our free property guide for a step-by-step checklist.

Sources

• Your Key Türkiye property acquisition guide (TKGM): döviz alım belgesi in document list, currency exchanged at a bank up to the sale value and sent by the bank to the tapu office via KEP, for Capital Movements Circular Art. 13 transactions or citizenship; bank-approved transfer receipts before or after sale; USD 400,000 from 13/06/2022; three values must meet threshold; 3-year no-sale commitment; share purchases and promise-to-sell completion excluded after 01/02/2023; agricultural land and empty plots after 12/12/2023
• TKGM Circular 2022/1 (21/01/2022, updated 04/08/2022), ‘Yabancı Gerçek Kişi Edinimlerinde Döviz Alım Belgesi’: currency sold to a bank before title transactions and by the bank to TCMB; only buyer, seller or representatives; USD, EUR, GBP, others via TCMB cross rates; payment in TL; certificate contents; TL amount declared as sale price (Lexpera)
• TKGM guidance of 02/02/2022 explained: DAB mandatory from 24/01/2022 for purchases by foreign individuals, citizenship or not; full price converted at a bank in Türkiye; no exchange offices or cash; conversion before tapu; seller-account route; pre-24/01/2022 payments with bank receipt (MuhasebeTR)
• Currency exchange document contents for citizenship (name, passport/foreign ID, property details, USD equivalent, Art. 13 or citizenship statement); amounts must match (Lexpera Blog)
• Citizenship regulation amendment (Official Gazette 06/01/2022 No. 31711): foreign currency sold before the transaction to a bank operating in Türkiye and by it to TCMB (Alomaliye)
• Türk Vatandaşlığı Kanununun Uygulanmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik, relevant articles incl. para. 10 (added 06/01/2022, amended 13/05/2022)
• TKGM citizenship guide (Kılavuz, in force 01/02/2024): own-name purchases only; 3-year şerh; promise-to-sell commitment (Lexpera)
• Presidential Decision No. 5554, Official Gazette 13 May 2022: USD 250,000 raised to USD 400,000 (Alomaliye)
• Invest in Türkiye (Presidency Investment Office): citizenship via USD 400,000 real estate, three-year no-sale commitment
• Citizenship by property: DAB amount must match purchase price; funds transferred before sale stage; 3-year şerh runs from annotation date (Hukuki Haber)
• Decree No. 32 Art. 4(g) (13/09/2018) and Communiqué 2008-32/34 Art. 8 amendments of 6 Oct and 16 Nov 2018: real estate sale prices between residents not in FX; exceptions (Sözer & Izmeci)
• Exceptions to the foreign currency contract prohibitions: non-Turkish-citizen residents, 50%+ foreign-owned companies, free zones (GvW Graf von Westphalen)
• Residence permit via property: deed price converted at CBRT selling rate on deed date (Cumhuriyet, 30 Oct 2023)
• Law No. 5549 and Measures Regulation: banks identify customers before transactions, monitor against profile and source of funds, enhanced measures, suspicious transaction reports to MASAK, no disclosure (Hukukçular Evi)
• Foreigners opening bank accounts in Türkiye 2026: passport, tax or foreign ID number, address, FX accounts, non-resident accounts vary, source-of-funds questions under MASAK rules (FFK Partner Hukuk)
• Secure payment system for property sales postponed to 1 December 2026 (Regulation on Real Estate Trade amendment, Official Gazette 1 Oct 2026) (Evrensel)
• Web Tapu (TKGM)

Photo: Yumrutaş / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons