Legislation and regulations in Turkey are constantly being updated. Therefore, both owners (including potential owners) of real estate and those who rent properties should keep an eye on the changes. Ignorance of the law does not exempt one from responsibility.
Recently, Turk Estate has launched another series of laws. The information below will outline both those that have been enforced in the last few months of 2024, and those that will become relevant during 2025.
Content:
Purchasing and renting out housing
The practice of overestimating or underestimating the cost of residential real estate in Turkey (overestimating values, used to obtain a Turkish passport or residence permit by TAPU, while underestimating prices, used to reduce tax payments) will become quite complicated. This is due to an independent expert assessment of the properties.
It is also no longer possible to post ads for the sale of housing through social networks. According to the new rules, properties must be sold through certified sources. The announcement can be published either by the owners or their immediate relatives or by an official representative (a realtor with a license and all necessary powers of attorney).
Important news for those who rent out their homes:
- Those who refuse to rent to students and single people (non-family citizens) are fined;
- There are fines as well when paying rent in cash;
- For long-term rental housing, deposits for rent may soon begin to be recalculated, taking into account inflation, which is high in Turkey.
Documents
New residency permit rules
If you intend to obtain or extend a residency permit, the Office of Migration Affairs of the Republic has adjusted the conditions for applying to the end of November. Registration in the National Electronic Notification System has become mandatory. Applications will not be processed without this.
Before registering the address (where you plan to live), you need to register with this system online. If you miss an appointment, a repeat booking is only possible after 15 days. The login in the E-Devlet system is used for recording. You can get it at the nearest post office (PTT).
The Goc Randevu Sistemi (GRS) electronic meeting recording and tracking system was introduced on 24th June. This makes re-applying (extending your residence permit, making changes to the application form and providing missing documents) convenient, as you do not have to fill out everything all over again; a profile is already saved.
Registering a real estate transaction
It will not be possible to make purchase and sale transactions using outdated identity cards from 1st January 2025, as the old certificates will not be considered valid.
To ensure the security of transactions, the Electronic Identity Verification System will additionally verify identification thanks to the chip in the new documents.
It will not be difficult to update the ID for sellers who are Turkish citizens if you purchase housing on the secondary market, as such certificates in Turkey are changed in a matter of days. We advise that you purchase real estate with a consultant who will make sure that the seller's certificate is suitable for the transaction and will falsely promise to have an updated certificate.
The process of additional independent assessment of real estate is being tested as well. Here, more accurate monitoring of its value is being taken into account, not only the condition of the building but also the area and prices in this location. However, the new rules will come into effect in the coming months. The system, which will store data on the value of real estate with information about the owner, will be integrated into the Land Registry Information System. The change in the law is planned for after the completion of technical tests.
Fees for paperwork
Tariffs for processing some documents will be increased in January 2025:
- The driver's license of category B is TL5,678 (EUR 155).
- Registering the IMEI for importing a mobile phone is TL45,614 (EUR 1,246).
- The fee for travelling abroad (for Turkish citizens) is TL720 (EUR 20).
Accommodation in Turkey
Aidat (levies)
There is a lot of debate about the amount of the aidat, which refers to the fee for the maintenance of residential complexes. These fees are significantly growing, especially in megacities, where rentals in what would be classified as cheap are steadily increasing.
If the owners do not manage their houses in Turkey by their own decisions, the management company does. Such organisations are accused of misusing money or overstating tariffs.
Thanks to a new regulation prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, certification for managing apartments in Turkey will soon become mandatory. The purpose of the document is to put these companies under unified control, make spending more transparent and raise the standards of apartment management services.
The level of education and qualifications of staff working in management companies will also be monitored. Suat Satalci, Chairman of the Turkish Urban Facilities Management Association, explained that management companies will be required to provide full information to apartment owners regularly, not only about completed or planned expenses but also about who maintains the complex and how qualified the employees are.
This issue was regulated by the Law on Condominiums of 1965, which is outdated. The innovation is also designed to eliminate illegally operating organisations that do not have licenses from the market and are involved in blackmailing residents by turning off water and electricity if they do not agree to pay exorbitant fees, the amount of which is not explained in any way.
Residential communications
Energy consumption limits for residential buildings will be adjusted. The annual electricity consumption rate will be reduced to 5,000 kilowatt per hour (per apartment) on 1st January 2025.
Health service
A new rule has come into effect stating that some medical certificates are requested. This includes certificates for obtaining a driver's license, which are now charged for but were previously issued free of charge.
Cars and driving
On 9 December 2024, it became known that the age for obtaining a driver's license in Turkey would be lowered the following year. According to the new laws, this threshold was reduced from 18 to 16 for M (mopeds), A1 and B1, and to 24 for D (buses).
The age limit is 21 years in classes D1 and D1E, and it remains at 24 years for obtaining a DE driver's license.
Another new rule concerns older drivers. Those who are 80+ years old will be checked more carefully and must undergo a medical examination every two years.
Some critical information for those who are in Turkey and have local rights that need to be changed is that the deadline for replacing old driver's licenses has been extended from 31st December 2024 to 31st July 2025 due to the large number of applications. Nevertheless, it is better not to delay the applications.
Fines for traffic violations in Turkey will increase by 44% in 2025, which is significant. The government predicted fines totalling TL 20.5 billion (USD 582.6 million) in 2024, but this amount has come close to TL 30 billion (USD 852.5 million) in the first three quarters.
Driver's privilege for pensioners
If an elderly foreigner transfers their pension certificate, they can transport their car to Turkey and use it for as long as four years, much longer than a non-pensioner. This is a big advantage.
Electric vehicles
The number of charging stations for electric vehicles is rapidly increasing. Those who prefer this mode of transport benefit as the total number of charging stations reached 24,334 by the end of October 2024. The infrastructure for electric vehicles and hybrids in Turkey is developing quickly. Moreover, it was reported in early autumn that installations for electric vehicle charging are to be included not only in public institutions, such as shopping centres, universities, hospitals and other areas, but also within residential complex territories. The Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change has issued a circular to the governors of 81 provinces, not with strict requirements but with recommendations.
Taxi
Yandex Go has entered the Turkish market in test mode. The service has started operating in some Antalya districts including the city centre and the five largest districts of the city: Muratpaşa, Kepez, Konyaaltı, Deshemealtı and Aksu. There are other plans to expand its operation to other tourist locations and beyond. However, there is no fixed cost price of the service, which is calculated using a taxi meter.
Air travel
Air travellers were pleased with this excellent news. Firstly, the New Istanbul Airport (opened after the closure of Atatürk Airport and became one of the largest air hubs in Europe) has finally launched free and unlimited Internet. Wi-Fi was available per passport for one hour. This limit has been lifted.
Secondly, it became known that to protect the rights of passengers in Turkey, airlines will have to pay compensation for flight delays due to technical reasons (not weather). It is EUR 100 for domestic flights, if the delay exceeds three hours, it depends on the distance for international flights.
The distances for international flights are as follows:
- EUR 250 for flights up to 1,500 km
- EUR 400 for flights with a range of 1,500 to 3,500 km
- The compensation of EUR 600 will be provided for flights over 3,500 km
The compensation will be available in Turkish lira at the Central Bank's exchange rate on the day of payment. If passengers are transferred to another flight departing with less than a five-hour delay, the compensation can be reduced by 50%.
Purchases: financial limit
The recent news made a lot of noise that the volume of transactions for cash was limited to over EUR 200 (TL 7,000) for individuals. Fortunately, the authorities reacted promptly, and the largest amount for cash payments has been raised from TL 7,000 to TL 30,000, which is about EUR 819. To clarify, the restrictions were introduced to increase the transparency of financial transactions and control the transfer of large amounts.