Secure payment system in Turkey: what changes for property buyers from 1 December 2026
From 1 December 2026 the price of most property sales in Turkey is due to move through a regulated payment system that releases money and title together. What is confirmed, what is still pending and how buyers prepare.
In a Turkish property sale the money has usually moved by bank transfer shortly before the title deed appointment, and the buyer trusted that the deed would follow. The secure payment system in Turkey changes that order: the price is paid into a regulated system designed so that ownership and money change hands at the same moment. Under the current regulation it is mandatory for property sales from 1 December 2026. This guide covers what the rule says, which payments it captures, what is still pending and how a foreign buyer can prepare. For the full sequence of a purchase, see our step-by-step guide to buying property in Turkey as a foreigner.
In brief
- The rule sits in Additional Article 1 of the Real Estate Trade Regulation, added on 29 April 2026 and amended on 1 October 2026.
- Sales completed up to 1 December 2026 are not required to use it; the Ministry of Trade may push that date back by up to three months.
- It applies when any part of the price is paid in cash or by transfer, whether the seller is a company or a private owner; with a bank loan, only the remainder goes through it.
- A usage fee is deducted from the seller’s proceeds; its amount is set by protocol.
What the secure payment system in Turkey is
The legal basis is the Real Estate Trade Regulation (Taşınmaz Ticareti Hakkında Yönetmelik) issued by the Ministry of Trade in 2018. An amendment of 29 April 2026 added Additional Article 1, which requires the sale price to be paid through a system that transfers ownership and price simultaneously. The system is operated by an integrator authorised by the Ministry under a protocol with the land registry’s parent ministry.
This closes the gap behind most completion-day risk: the buyer no longer sends funds and hopes the seller attends the land registry, and the seller no longer signs before the money arrives. The consolidated text is published on the official Mevzuat Information System.
When it becomes mandatory
The original start date was 1 July 2026. The Ministry of Trade first postponed it to 1 October 2026, and an amendment in the Official Gazette of 1 October 2026 set 1 December 2026. Use of the system is not mandatory for sales made up to that date, and the Ministry may extend it by up to three months. A deed appointment around the turn of the year is therefore worth re-checking that week.
Which payments go through the system
The scope covers sales by businesses and by any other natural or legal person, so a private resale is treated the same way as a developer sale. What triggers it is the payment method, not the type of seller.
| Payment situation | Through the system? | What to note |
|---|---|---|
| Price paid by bank transfer, EFT or wire | Yes | The usual route for foreign buyers |
| Price paid in cash | Yes | Cash is named expressly in the regulation |
| Part of the price funded by a Turkish bank loan | Only the part above the loan | The loan amount follows the lender’s own process |
| Other methods named by the Ministry | Yes, once designated | The Ministry can add methods later |
| Sales excluded by the protocol | No | Exclusions are set in the protocol, not in the regulation |
Purchases with a mortgage
Where a bank or a licensed financing company lends part of the price, only the payments outside the loan go through the system. The lending side is explained separately in our overview of Turkish mortgages for foreign buyers.
A worked example
The figures below are illustrative only. Suppose a resale apartment is sold for TRY 12,000,000 and the buyer finances TRY 4,000,000 with a Turkish bank loan.
- TRY 4,000,000 is paid by the lending bank under its own procedure.
- TRY 8,000,000, the buyer’s own funds, is paid through the system and released to the seller, minus the usage fee, when the deed is transferred.
- The 4% title deed fee is a separate charge paid to the land registry.
A cash buyer would route the full TRY 12,000,000 through the system; the order of steps stays the same.
The usage fee and who pays it
The regulation states that a usage fee is charged for every transaction and offset against the sale price transferred to the seller, so the fee comes out of the seller’s proceeds. Its amount and how it is shared are set by the protocol, and no official figure appears in the published text.
Anyone negotiating a net price should settle in writing how the fee will be handled before signing a sales agreement.
What is still pending
The protocol decides which sales are excluded, whether a pilot phase runs first and the level of the usage fee. As of mid-November 2026 these details have not been published officially, and no official source sets out the bank procedure step by step, so descriptions of exact screens or refund periods circulating online should be treated with caution. Completion-day instructions are expected through the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre and the banks.
How a foreign buyer can prepare
- Set up a Turkish account early; the documents are listed in our article on opening a Turkish bank account.
- Bring the funds into Turkey well before the deed appointment, keeping SWIFT confirmations and bank statements together.
- If the purchase supports a citizenship application, have the foreign currency converted by a Turkish bank with the exchange certificate issued, and keep the valuation report and USD 400,000 threshold evidence in the same file.
- If the purchase supports a residence permit, keep the payment trail that shows the USD 200,000 threshold was met.
- Agree in writing with the seller how the usage fee and any earlier deposit will be treated.
The checks that come before payment do not change: debts, annotations and the building’s occupancy status still need to be cleared, as listed in our property due diligence checklist for Turkey. For the registry appointment itself, see our step-by-step title deed transfer walkthrough.
How Property Turkey Finder handles the payment step
Our advisers plan the payment alongside the deed appointment: we confirm the rules in force on the day, coordinate the seller, the bank and the sworn translator, and keep the document trail a residence permit or citizenship file needs. Advisory is free for buyers; taxes, fees, translation and valuation are paid separately. Browse current homes on our property search, see how we run a purchase on the buying process page, or call or message us on WhatsApp at +90 555 466 98 66.
Frequently asked questions
From what date is the secure payment system mandatory in Turkey?
Under the current regulation, using the system is not mandatory for sales made up to 1 December 2026; later sales fall under the rule. The Ministry of Trade may extend the date by up to three months.
Does the system apply to private resales or only to developers?
It applies to both. The regulation covers sales by businesses and by any other natural or legal person, so a resale between two private owners is included when the price is paid in cash or by transfer.
Do foreign buyers have to use it?
The regulation does not distinguish buyers by nationality. A foreign buyer paying by transfer or in cash falls under the same rule, unless the sale is among the exclusions set in the protocol.
Who pays the usage fee?
The fee is deducted from the sale price transferred to the seller, unless the contract says otherwise. Its amount is set by protocol, not by the regulation.
What happens if I buy with a mortgage?
Only the part of the price that is not funded by the bank or financing company goes through the system. The loan itself is paid under the lender’s own procedure.
Does the system change the title deed fee or other costs?
No. The 4% title deed fee, the valuation report and other purchase costs are unchanged; the system concerns how the price is paid.
Is the citizenship or residence permit process affected?
The thresholds stay the same: USD 400,000 with a valuation report and a three-year no-sale annotation for citizenship, and USD 200,000 for a residence permit. Keep the system’s payment records with the bank exchange documents.
