Property in Istanbul with payment plans

Buy property in Istanbul on instalments: how developer plans work

If you want to buy property in Istanbul on instalments, the usual route is a payment plan offered by the developer rather than a bank loan. The plan is written into the sales contract: a down payment on signing, followed by monthly or staged instalments over a fixed period. The listings on this page are projects whose published terms include such a plan.

Typical structures

In the projects listed here, down payments range from 40 to 50 percent where stated, and the balance is paid over 24 to 30 months. Instalments can be equal monthly amounts, larger tranches linked to dates or construction milestones, or a combination; in off-plan projects the last payment is often due at handover. Amounts are usually fixed in US dollars, euros or Turkish lira, and the currency matters: if you earn in another currency, you carry the exchange-rate risk.

Cash price and instalment price

A plan is not always interest-free in practice. Some developers quote a lower price for full payment in cash, so compare the total you would pay under each option. Ask whether instalments are fixed or indexed, and what happens if a payment is late.

How the title deed is handled

In completed projects, the title deed may be transferred at the start with a mortgage (ipotek) registered in the developer’s favour until the last instalment, or only after full payment. In off-plan projects, a deed for your unit can often be issued under a condominium-easement title (kat irtifakı); otherwise a notarised sales promise contract is used. Each option protects you differently, so we review the land registry records and the contract with you before any payment, following our due diligence checklist for buying property in Turkey. For projects still under construction, see also off-plan property in Istanbul.

Payment plans in current listings

Published terms for the projects on this page, as stated by the developers. Terms can change and are confirmed in writing at reservation:

• Corvane Şişli: 50% down payment, balance in instalments
• Saltmere Kartal: payment plan of up to two years
• Hollinsby Basın Ekspres: instalments of up to 30 months
• Thornmere Küçükçekmece: 40% down payment, instalments of up to 24 months
• Pellam Kağıthane (off-plan, delivery December 2027): 24-month instalment plan
• Corbridge Halkalı: 50% down payment, balance over 24 months

Instalments, residence permits and citizenship

A payment plan can affect your residency goals. A short-term residence permit based on property requires a title deed in your name and a residential value of at least USD 200,000, so you can apply only once the deed has been transferred. For Turkish citizenship, the qualifying USD 400,000 must be paid in full through a Turkish bank before the application, which a long plan usually does not allow. Our guide to Turkish citizenship by investment explains the payment rules.

Payment plan or mortgage?

A developer plan is shorter and needs no credit approval, whereas a bank loan can run longer but is harder for non-residents to obtain and is capped by loan-to-value rules. Our article on mortgages in Turkey for foreigners compares the two. Whichever you choose, budget for the title deed fee and other purchase costs set out in our guide to the cost of buying property in Turkey. Our advisory service is free for buyers.

Frequently asked questions