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What is Tapu in Turkey, and Why Do You Need It?

What is Tapu in Turkey, and Why Do You Need It?

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What is Tapu in Turkey, and Why Do You Need It?

In Turkey, the owner receives a TAPU - a certificate of ownership. What is this document, what the registration procedure involves, and what has changed in the legislation in 2022 regarding the receipt of TAPU - read in our today's review.
What is Tapu in Turkey, and Why Do You Need It?

 Introduction

The title deed “Tapu” in Turkey is the most important official document that represents the ownership of the real estate or apartment. It's important to get the real estate residence permit or Turkish citizenship.

 

In this article, you will learn two things, the first is the papers required to get the title deed "Tapu", and the second is the way to get the "Tapu". After that, you can move to the questions and answers section, in which you find all our customers' important questions with answers so you can get benefit more.

 

 Documents required to obtain the title deed "Tapu"

The documents required to get the ownership document that the buyer should provide with the seller:

1- Your passport with a translated and certified copy by the notary.

2- Tax number from any tax department in Turkey.

3- An identity form, which is a form to be filled out by foreigners.

4- Real estate appraisal report for the property that you purchased, which you can have in 2-3 days.

5- The old title deed document for the person selling the property.

6- The seller's identity document for the owner or his proxy or company that owns the property you have purchased.

7- “DASK Sigortası” earthquake insurance policy in case of a residential apartments.

8- A personal power of attorney in case the applicant is acting on behalf of the buyer of the property.

9- 1 personal photo of the seller and 2 of the buyer.

10 - A sworn translator for non-Turkish citizen.

 

The title deed contains several sections as below:

 

 Section A contains location information [property address]

1. Province / İl

2. District / İlçe

3. Neighborhood or Village / Mahallesi / Köy

4. Island number / Ada No.

5. Parcel No / Parsel No

6. area of the land / Yüz Ölçümü

7. Type of property (Characteristic of the property) / Niteliği.

8. Personal Photo / Fotoğraf

 

 Section B contains the information of your property

9. Type of property / Niteliği

10. Owner's share of the land / Arsa Payı

11 square meters of property / Proje m2

12 Block number / Entrance / Floor number / Kat No - Blok No - Çiriş /

13 Apartment number / Bağımsız Bulüm No

14. Page number & record number / Cilt / Sayfa No

 

 Section C contains information about the owner of the property

15. The name of the owner or owners. More than one owner it can be written in the title deed.

16. Shares / Hissesi

 

Section D includes archive information for the Land Registry Department

17. Property type / number / Taşınmaz Tipi / No

18. Property ownership type if it is [inherited, sale, donated] / Edinme Nedeni

19. Property value / İşlem Bedeli

20. Information about the address / Konum Bilgisi

21. Registration Date / Registration Number / Tescil Tarihi / Yevmiye No

 

 The procedures of obtaining the Tapu

1- The seller (or his representative) should take all the documents that are mentioned above to the concerned Land Registry Department with his contact phone number.

 

2- Waiting for a letter from the Land Registry Department titled by “Harç Mesaj”.

The content of this letter will contain the value of the expenses (taxes) that you must pay in Turkish lira, with the application number "Başvur Numarası".

When you receive this letter, be careful not to delete it by mistake.You will need it later in the Land Registry Department after finishing the required payments.

 

3- The one who is assigned to pay taxes (the seller or the buyer or both, according to the deal between them) must go to one of the Turkish government banks, such as Ziraat Bankasi, which will provide him the application number and the name of the title deed department to be paid in, and then the payment will be done.You can get a receipt showing the required fees and taxes that you've paid.

 

Note: If you pay early in the morning, (before 02:00 pm) in the Land Registry Department, you will receive the title deed document in the afternoon.If you cannot pay early, you will wait for the next day morning and hand over the receipt.

 

4- Handing over the payment receipt in the morning and receiving the Tapu in the afternoon.

The seller and buyer must go with a sworn translator (in case the seller or buyer does not speak Turkish) to the title deed Registry Department in the morning before 02:00 pm.

 

You will show the “Harç Mesaj” message to the employee, hand over the payment receipt, and then you wait until they call you to transfer the ownership and extract the title deed with the name of “the buyer”.

 

They will call your name after 02:00 (the time is not specified), and there the verification process begins, where the employee makes sure of your information, asks the seller and buyer about all the details, also informs the buyer in case there was a mortgage on the property and if he agrees to buy the property despite the mortgage. The seller is asked to make sure that he has received the price of the property, and if the buyer is not Turkish citizen, sworn translator will translate everything between you and the employee.

 

Finally, the employee prints the new Tapu document, on which your name will be written.

 

 

 Questions and answers about Turkish title deed “Tapu”

 

After submitting the required documents from the seller, when does the letter of the expenses arrive?

Usually it takes from two to three days,

 

When can I pay the price of the property?

You must pay the price in advance of the process of extracting the Tapu by transferring the amount, or handing it over to the seller while being in the title deed department. It is important to transfer the price of the property before going to the Tapu Department

 

What is my role as a foreign buyer in the process of extracting the title deed?

You will only need to provide the required documents, pay the price for the property and expenses, and be present on the day of receiving the title deed.

There can be an agent on your behalf during the day of transferring the ownership and receiving the title deed, but he must have an official power of attorney certified by the notary.

 

 What if I’m buying the property to obtain Turkish citizenship?

In this case, you must own the property at least the first three years.

 

What if I want to get another copy of the title deed instead of the one I lost?

You can simply visit the Land Registry Department for another copy.

 

How many people should be in the same title deed?

It is possible to participate in the Tapu with several names , in this case one document is issued that shows the details of each person’s share, in addition to that, each person obtains a private copy of the title deed in his name that shows his share of the property.

 

In case of the death of the owner , who is going to be the new owner?

Because real estate ownership in Turkey is freehold, the property is inherited after death.

 

Can I register the property in the name of my teenager child?

You can register the property in the name of one of your teenager children with the approval of the parents, and you need to submit a birth certificate document certified by a notary in Turkey.