5d • General discussion
Türkiye 20 Years Tax Free - New program
Türkiye may have just launched one of the most aggressive tax residency offers in the world.
On April 24, Erdoğan announced a new proposal under the “Türkiye Yüzyılı Yatırım İçin Güçlü Merkez Programı” that could give qualifying new residents a 20-year exemption on foreign-source income and capital gains.
Not 5 years.
Not 10 years.
20 years.
And no annual lump-sum payment like Italy or Greece.
The headline terms, as announced:
1. You must not have been a Turkish tax resident in the last 3 years
This is the key eligibility condition. Documentation of prior non-residency will likely matter a lot.
2. You need to actually become Turkish tax resident
That generally means relocating properly and establishing real residence in Türkiye — either through the day-count test or having a permanent home / residence available to you in Türkiye.
This is not a “paper residency” thing.
3. Foreign-source income gets exempted for 20 years
This is the big one.
As announced, foreign-source income and gains could include things like:
- Foreign dividends
- Foreign capital gains
- Foreign rental income
- Foreign employment or consulting income
- Royalties
- Foreign pensions
- Portfolio income outside Türkiye
4. Turkish-source income stays taxable
This is important.
If you earn income from inside Türkiye, that does not disappear.
Turkish salary, Turkish company profits, Turkish rental income, or Turkish business activity would still be taxed under the normal Turkish rules, with progressive rates that can go up significantly.
5. Inheritance and gift tax drops to 1%
For qualifying participants, inheritance and gift tax would reportedly be locked at a flat 1%.
That is a huge difference versus many European systems.
Now, the caveat:
This is still a proposal. It needs to pass parliament and the final text could be narrower than the announcement.
So don’t make life decisions off headlines yet.
But if it passes as announced, this instantly puts Türkiye in the top tier for entrepreneurs, investors, consultants, and globally mobile people with mostly foreign-source income.
Why this is so interesting:
Italy is now around €300k/year for its non-dom flat tax regime.
Greece is around €100k/year.
Portugal’s old NHR is basically gone and replaced by a much narrower system.
Türkiye is proposing:
0% on foreign-source income20 years1% inheritance/gift taxNo EU residency requiredNo annual lump-sum charge
That combination is wild.
The geopolitical angle matters too.
Türkiye is in NATO and connected to Europe economically, but it is not in the EU. That means Ankara has far more room to design a regime like this without Brussels breathing down its neck.
Important: this does NOT mean banking secrecy.
Türkiye participates in CRS, so this should not be confused with hiding money. This is a tax residency strategy, not a secrecy strategy.
The practical side is also underrated.
Istanbul is one of the best-connected flight hubs in the world. You can reach Europe, the Gulf, Asia, Africa, and North America extremely efficiently. For anyone running a global consulting business, managing international investments, or operating across time zones, that matters.
Banking is also more functional than most outsiders assume.
Major Turkish banks are connected to the global system, EUR and USD accounts are normal, and international wires generally work. Combined with a proper international structure, this can create a very workable setup.
My personal pick would be Antalya.
If you actually want to live in Türkiye, Antalya is hard to beat:
- Mediterranean lifestyle
- Mild climate
- Strong villa market
- Modern gated communities
- Sea views
- Good infrastructure
- Much better value than Southern Europe
But I would not romanticize it.
There are real local risks.
Foreigners get overcharged. Real estate scams exist. Taxi games happen. Contractors “misunderstand” things. Dual pricing is real.
If you move naively, you will get clipped.
But if you have trusted local contacts, vet people carefully, and keep your brain switched on, Antalya can be one of the most rewarding places to live in the Mediterranean.
The risks I’d weigh seriously:
- Lira volatility
- Keep long-term wealth offshore, not sitting in TRY
- Rule-of-law concerns
- Regional geopolitical exposure
- Final law could change before passing
- Implementation details will matter a lot
My take:
If this passes as announced, Türkiye becomes one of the most interesting residency options in the world for people with foreign-source income who do not need EU residency.
For the right person, this could be much more attractive than Italy, Greece, Portugal, or even the UAE.
But the move only makes sense if you structure it properly, document everything, and get real Turkish tax advice before relocating.
This is one to watch closely.
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Türkiye 20 Years Tax Free - New program
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