The short answer: you can buy a home in Istanbul without travelling to Turkey. Someone you trust, usually your lawyer, signs at the land registry for you with a power of attorney (vekâletname). You can give it at a Turkish consulate, or before a notary in your own country with an apostille. The land registry is strict about the form, so follow its rules exactly, and give the attorney only the powers the purchase needs.
At a glance
| Where you sign | What it takes |
|---|---|
| A Turkish consulate abroad | An appointment, your passport and a sworn translator if you do not speak Turkish. No apostille |
| A notary in a Hague Convention country | A notarial deed with your photo under the seal, an apostille, and a Turkish translation |
| A notary elsewhere | The same document, then legalisation by your ministry and the Turkish consulate in that country |
| A notary in Turkey | Your passport, photos and a sworn translator, if you are visiting anyway |
| Berlin | No power of attorney: the Land Registry's office at the consulate can complete the purchase |
The form the land registry accepts
The land registry's rules for powers of attorney made abroad are published on its portal for foreign investors, Your Key Türkiye. A document that misses one of them is refused at the counter:
- A notarial deed. The notary must draw up the power of attorney, not only certify your signature on a text you bring. A document that does not say it was signature-certified only is accepted as drawn up.
- Your photo. It must be on the document, on any page, with the notary's seal over it. A colour print is fine.
- The seal on every page, or at least linking all the pages.
- The language of the country where you sign. A bilingual document in that language and Turkish is accepted.
- An apostille from the authority your country designates, attached and stamped onto the document. If the same office issues both, the two signatures must be different people's.
- Outside the Hague Convention, three approvals instead: the notary, a higher authority such as your foreign ministry, and the Turkish consulate. All three must be done inside that country. Where Turkey has no mission, a consulate in a neighbouring country authorised by the Turkish foreign ministry can approve it.
The original, or a certified copy, goes to Turkey, where it is used with a Turkish translation by a sworn translator, certified by a notary. A power of attorney made at a Turkish consulate is already in Turkish and needs neither the apostille nor the translation.
What it should say, and what to leave out
A power of attorney is only as safe as its wording. Ask your lawyer to draft it in Turkish and your language, and keep it narrow:
- The purchase. The power to buy property in Turkey, ideally the named property (address, block, parcel and unit), with a price limit and the currency.
- The steps around it. Paying through the land registry's Secure Payment System, signing at the land registry, taking out the compulsory earthquake insurance, and opening the utility accounts in your name.
- An end date that leaves time for the purchase.
Leave out the power to sell, to mortgage, to borrow, to receive money for you and to pass the power on to someone else. Turkish law does not let an attorney transfer property or charge it with a mortgage unless the power of attorney says so expressly, so leaving these out protects what you buy.
Who to appoint
Choose someone who works for you: your own lawyer, or a close family member. Never the seller, the developer or the seller's agent. An attorney who speaks Turkish also saves you a sworn translator at the land registry signing.
Step by step
- Agree the property and have the title and the contract checked. Our title deed guide shows what to look at.
- Have the wording drafted and book the consulate or your notary.
- Sign, then get the apostille or the legalisation.
- Send the original to Turkey by courier, where it is translated and certified.
- Your attorney completes the purchase: the payment, the land registry appointment and the signing. The title deed is issued the same day.
- Revoke it when you no longer need it, through a notary or a Turkish consulate, and tell the attorney in writing.
If you live in Germany
The Land Registry has an office at the Turkish Consulate General in Berlin. According to Your Key Türkiye, a foreigner living in Germany can apply there to buy property in Istanbul without coming to Turkey and without a power of attorney.
Related guides
- Buying Property in Turkey: the purchase, step by step
- Title Deed (Tapu) in Turkey: what it shows and how to check it
- Property Taxes in Turkey: the title deed fee and other taxes
- Selling After Turkish Citizenship: a sale through one power of attorney
Sources
- Your Key Türkiye: powers of attorney made abroad (opens an external site)
- Your Key Türkiye: guide to acquiring property (opens an external site)
- Turkish Consulate General in Strasbourg: powers of attorney (opens an external site)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. It reflects the rules as of November 2026. Have your lawyer draft and check your power of attorney before you sign it.
Frequently asked questions
6 questions foreign buyers ask us most, grouped by topic.
The basics
Can I buy property in Turkey without travelling there?
Yes. Someone you trust signs at the land registry for you, using a power of attorney you give at a Turkish consulate or before a notary in your own country.
The document
Can I use a power of attorney from a notary in my own country?
Yes, if it meets the land registry's form rules. It must be drawn up by the notary as a notarial deed, carry your photo under the notary's seal and have an apostille, or the full chain of legalisation if your country is not in the Hague Convention. In Turkey it is used with a Turkish translation.
Do I need a translator at the consulate?
If you do not speak Turkish, yes. Turkish consulates draw up powers of attorney in Turkish, so they ask foreigners to come with a sworn translator. A consular power of attorney needs no apostille.
Choosing your attorney
Who should I appoint?
A person you trust and who works for you, usually your own lawyer or a close family member. Do not appoint the seller or anyone who works for the seller.
Can my attorney sell or mortgage my property?
Only if the power of attorney says so. Turkish law does not let an attorney transfer property or charge it with a mortgage without a specific power to do so. Leave both out of a power of attorney given for buying.
After the purchase
How long is a power of attorney valid?
Until the end date written in it, or until you revoke it. Give it an end date that leaves time for the purchase, and revoke it through a notary or a Turkish consulate once you no longer need it.
