Dual Citizenship in Turkey: Can Foreigners Keep Both Passports?

Dual citizenship in Turkey is allowed. Turkey lets a person hold Turkish citizenship alongside one or more foreign nationalities, and it does not ask new citizens to give up the passport they already carry. So if you become a Turkish citizen through investment, marriage or ordinary residence, Turkish law lets you keep your original citizenship at the same time. The real question for most people is not what Turkey permits, but what their own country allows, because that side is decided by the other country's law, not by Turkey. This guide explains how dual citizenship in Turkey works, who can hold it, the notification rules, and the practical points that trip people up.

The framework sits in the Turkish Citizenship Law (Law No. 5901). Turkey has accepted multiple citizenship for many years, which is one reason its investment and marriage routes appeal to foreigners who do not want to lose the nationality they already have. Understanding the rules before you apply saves a great deal of second-guessing later, and it helps you spot early whether your home country, rather than Turkey, is the thing to check.

Does Turkey Allow Dual Citizenship?

Yes, Turkey allows dual citizenship, and it also allows multiple citizenship, meaning you can hold Turkish nationality together with two or even more other nationalities. When someone asks does Turkey allow dual citizenship, the short answer is that Turkey places no bar on it: a foreigner who naturalises does not have to renounce a previous passport, and a Turkish citizen who acquires another nationality does not automatically lose their Turkish one.

This is different from a number of countries that force a choice between passports. Turkey treats dual nationality in Turkey as normal, provided the person meets the ordinary conditions for becoming or remaining a citizen. The one condition attached is notification: a Turkish citizen who takes on another citizenship is expected to inform the authorities so the records can be kept accurate. Beyond that, holding two passports is not treated as a problem under Turkish law.

The Legal Basis for Dual Citizenship in Turkey

Dual citizenship in Turkey rests on the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901, whose Article 44 expressly permits Turkish citizens to hold more than one citizenship. The law recognises that a person can belong to Turkey and to another state at the same time, and it sets a light-touch condition rather than a prohibition. That condition is that the person notifies the relevant authorities of the other citizenship.

In practice, the notification is handled through the Provincial Directorate of Census and Citizenship (Nüfus ve Vatandaşlık Müdürlüğü) or, for those living abroad, a Turkish consulate. The point is record-keeping, not permission. Turkey is not asking whether it may allow your second nationality; it is asking you to keep the population register up to date so your status is clear. Because the exact procedure and any forms can change, confirm the current requirement before you act, as it stands as of the time this article is written.

Who Can Hold Dual Citizenship in Turkey?

Anyone who lawfully holds both Turkish citizenship and a foreign citizenship can be a dual citizen, whether they were born into one nationality or acquired the second later. Dual citizenship in Turkey for foreigners is most often the result of naturalisation, but it is not the only path. The main groups are set out below.

• Foreigners who naturalise: a foreign national who acquires Turkish citizenship by investment, by marriage or through ordinary residence keeps their original nationality unless their home country strips it. This is the largest group of new dual citizens.
• Turkish citizens who acquire another nationality: a person born Turkish who later becomes, say, a citizen of the country where they live stays Turkish too, subject to notifying the authorities.
• Children of mixed-nationality parents: a child born to one Turkish and one foreign parent can acquire both nationalities at birth, depending on each country's rules.
• Children born abroad to Turkish parents: such children are usually Turkish by descent and may also hold the citizenship of their country of birth if that country grants it by place of birth.

None of these categories is closed off by Turkey. The limits, where they exist, come from the other country involved, which is the point that catches people out most often.

Your Home Country's Rules Matter Too

Whether you can actually keep two passports depends as much on your home country as on Turkey. Turkey will let you hold dual nationality in Turkey, but some states automatically withdraw their own citizenship when a person naturalises elsewhere, and a few require you to renounce a foreign nationality to keep theirs. Turkey has no say in that; it is governed entirely by the other country's law.

Countries broadly fall into three groups on this question, and the group your country belongs to can change over time:

• Countries that allow dual citizenship: many states let their citizens acquire Turkish nationality with no effect on the original. In these cases dual citizenship in Turkey is straightforward from both sides.
• Countries that restrict or condition it: some permit dual citizenship only in certain situations, or require you to notify or register the second nationality.
• Countries that prohibit it: a smaller number withdraw their citizenship automatically when you naturalise abroad, so you would effectively have to choose.

Because these rules differ so widely and are revised from time to time, check your own country's current position before you assume anything. Whether keeping both nationalities is straightforward in your case depends on your home country's rules and your personal circumstances; a lawyer can assess it in a short consultation.

How to Get Dual Citizenship in Turkey, Step by Step

How to get dual citizenship in Turkey is simpler than many expect. You first acquire Turkish citizenship through a recognised route, and your existing nationality continues unless your home country removes it. There is no separate "dual citizenship" application. You become Turkish and remain what you already were, and the process generally follows the order below.

1. Choose your route to Turkish citizenship: the common routes are citizenship by investment (for example qualifying real estate), citizenship by marriage after three years of genuine marriage, and ordinary naturalisation after lawful long-term residence.
2. Confirm your home country allows it: check whether your country permits its nationals to hold another citizenship, so you know whether you will end up with one passport or two.
3. Prepare and file the application: gather your documents, with certified Turkish translations and legalisation where needed, and apply through the relevant Turkish authority for your route.
4. Complete the review: the file is examined by the authorities, and for marriage and naturalisation this can include an interview or checks.
5. Receive the decision and register: once Turkish citizenship is granted, you are recorded in the population register and can obtain Turkish identity documents while keeping your foreign ones.
6. Notify where required: if you were already Turkish and took a foreign citizenship, notify the authorities so the register reflects both.

In our practice at Karanfiloglu Law Firm, the most common misunderstanding we see is that people assume Turkey will make them surrender their old passport, when in fact the obstacle, if there is one, almost always comes from their home country rather than from Turkey.

Routes to Turkish Citizenship at a Glance

All of the main routes to Turkish citizenship allow you to keep your existing nationality, so the choice between them turns on your situation, not on dual-citizenship concerns. The figures below are current as of the time this article is written and can change.

Whichever route fits, none of them requires you to give up your first nationality on the Turkish side. That is what makes dual citizenship in Turkey attractive to investors and families alike.

Rights and Obligations of Dual Citizens

A dual citizen has the full rights of a Turkish citizen and, at the same time, the ordinary duties that come with them. Holding a second passport does not create a lesser form of Turkish citizenship. You can own property, live and work in Turkey without a permit, vote in Turkish elections where eligible, and pass Turkish citizenship to your children.

The obligations deserve a closer look, because this is where dual citizens sometimes have questions:

• Military service: male Turkish citizens are subject to military service. Dual citizens living abroad who have completed equivalent service in another country, or who qualify for a paid or deferred arrangement, may be able to address the obligation without serving in full. The rules here change, so confirm your position.
• Taxes: tax is based mainly on residence rather than on holding two passports. Where you are tax resident, and any treaty between Turkey and your other country, decides your position, not the fact of dual nationality itself.
• Entering and leaving Turkey: as a Turkish citizen you are expected to enter and exit Turkey on your Turkish identity document or passport, even if you use your other passport elsewhere.
• Notification: keeping the population register updated about your other citizenship is part of holding dual nationality in Turkey.

These duties are manageable, but they are real. Clients we advise in Istanbul often raise military service first, because it is the obligation most people worry about before they naturalise a son or apply themselves.

Common Mistakes About Dual Citizenship in Turkey

Most confusion around dual citizenship in Turkey comes from assuming Turkey behaves like a country that forbids two passports. The recurring errors below are easy to avoid once you know them.

• Assuming Turkey forces you to renounce: it does not. Turkey allows you to keep your first nationality; only your home country can require otherwise.
• Forgetting to check the home country early: people plan the whole Turkish application and only afterwards discover their own country strips citizenship on naturalisation. Check that first.
• Not notifying the authorities: Turkish citizens who take a second nationality sometimes skip the notification step, leaving the register out of date.
• Overlooking military service planning: families naturalising a teenage son occasionally do not plan for the service obligation that comes with Turkish citizenship.
• Travelling on the wrong passport: using a foreign passport to enter Turkey when you are also Turkish can cause confusion at the border. Use your Turkish document to enter and leave.

Dual citizenship in Turkey for foreigners is, for most people, one of the easier parts of becoming Turkish, precisely because Turkey does not stand in the way. The care needed is on the other side: confirm your home country's rules, keep the register updated, and plan for the ordinary obligations of citizenship. Everything here is general and current as of the time this article is written, and the rules, official fees and procedures change, so confirm the latest position before you rely on any specific point. When your case is not straightforward, a short conversation with a lawyer in Istanbul before you apply can save a lot of uncertainty.

Talk to a Lawyer in Istanbul

If you would like advice on your own situation, Karanfiloglu Law Firm is a registered law office in Istanbul serving foreigners and Turkish clients across Turkey. You can reach us by phone or WhatsApp at +90 532 659 35 11, by email at karanfiloglu.lawyer@gmail.com, or visit us at Merkez Mah. Hasat Sk. No:12, Şişli, İstanbul. Contact us to discuss your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Turkey allow dual citizenship?

Yes, Turkey allows dual citizenship and even multiple citizenship. A foreigner who becomes a Turkish citizen does not have to give up their original nationality, and a Turkish citizen who acquires another nationality keeps their Turkish one, subject to notifying the authorities. Whether you can keep both passports also depends on your home country's law.

Do I have to give up my citizenship to become Turkish?

No, Turkey does not require you to renounce your existing citizenship to become Turkish. Turkish law permits dual citizenship in Turkey, so the only question is whether your own country lets its nationals hold a second citizenship, which is decided entirely by that country.

How do I get dual citizenship in Turkey?

You get dual citizenship in Turkey by acquiring Turkish citizenship through a recognised route, such as investment, marriage or ordinary naturalisation, while keeping your first nationality. There is no separate dual-citizenship application; you become Turkish and remain what you already were, provided your home country allows it.

Can a Turkish citizen hold two passports?

Yes, a Turkish citizen can hold two or more passports. Article 44 of the Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 permits Turkish citizens to hold more than one citizenship, provided they notify the relevant authorities so the population register stays accurate.

Do dual citizens have to do military service in Turkey?

Male Turkish citizens, including dual citizens, are subject to military service. Dual citizens living abroad who have completed equivalent service elsewhere, or who qualify for a paid or deferred arrangement, may be able to meet the obligation without full service. These rules change, so confirm your own position before relying on them.

Which passport should I use to enter Turkey as a dual citizen?

As a Turkish citizen you are expected to enter and leave Turkey using your Turkish identity document or Turkish passport, even if you travel on your other passport elsewhere. Using the Turkish document at the Turkish border avoids confusion about your status.

Does dual citizenship in Turkey affect my taxes?

Dual citizenship in Turkey does not by itself decide your tax position. Turkish tax is based mainly on where you are resident, and any treaty between Turkey and your other country matters more than the number of passports you hold. Take specific tax advice for your situation.

Can my children hold dual citizenship in Turkey?

Yes, children can hold dual citizenship in Turkey. A child with one Turkish and one foreign parent, or a child born abroad to Turkish parents, can often acquire both nationalities depending on each country's rules. Turkey does not require the child to choose one over the other.

About the Author

Kaan Karanfiloğlu is the founder of Karanfiloglu Law Firm, an Istanbul-based registered law office serving Turkish and international clients across Turkey. He is a lawyer registered with the Istanbul Bar Association (Reg. No. 58270) and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (No. 133074), and has practised law in Turkey since 2017. He holds an LL.B. from Galatasaray University Faculty of Law (2016) and advises clients in Turkish, English and French; the firm also serves clients in Russian and Chinese with experienced in-office translators.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about Turkish law and is not legal advice. Laws, regulations, official fees and procedures change over time and every situation is different. For advice on your specific circumstances, please consult a qualified lawyer. No liability is accepted for any loss arising from reliance on the information in this article.