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Open and closed areas of Turkey for residence permits in 2026

Open and closed areas of Turkey for residence permits in 2026

Residence permit and citizenship

18.01.2026

Buying property in Turkey is not only an opportunity to live by the sea, invest profitably, and generate rental income, but also one of the popular ways to obtain a residence permit (ikamet) in Turkey .

However, in 2026, it is important to consider a key point: the ability to obtain a residence permit depends not only on the ownership of real estate, but also on the address , or more precisely, on the status of the district and microdistrict where the property is located.

This means you can buy a great apartment in a new complex, but find yourself in a situation where it's impossible to obtain a new residence permit at that address if the neighborhood is listed as "closed."

In this article we will examine in detail:

What does open and closed areas mean for residence permits in Turkey?
why restrictions are being introduced;
How to check the address before purchasing;
Which districts and microdistricts will be closed in 2026;
Where is the best place to buy real estate if your goal is a residence permit + a quiet life + transaction security .

What are "open" and "closed" areas for residence permits in Turkey?

In Turkey, residence permit restrictions are most often imposed not on the entire city, but on specific neighborhoods (mahalle) within districts (ilçe). Therefore, it's important to understand the terminology:

🟢 Open Area

An open area is an area where foreigners can:

obtain a residence permit based on property ownership (when purchasing real estate);
submit documents for a tourist residence permit (if applicable);
obtain a family residence permit ;
extend the status in compliance with the rules of the migration service.

An open area means that registration is possible at your property address, but it is still important to comply with all document requirements.

🔴 Closed Area

A closed area (or closed microdistrict) is an area where:

the limit on the share of foreigners has been exceeded;
The migration service does not accept new applications for residence permits at this address;
Purchasing real estate does not guarantee a residence permit if the property is located in a closed mahalla.

📌 A very important rule for 2026:
The status of the area is checked at the time of submission of documents , and not at the time of purchase of the property.

Why is Türkiye closing areas for temporary residence permits?

The main reason is to regulate the migration load and control the proportion of foreigners in certain areas.

As a rule, microdistricts are closed where:

high concentration of foreigners;
high demand for rental and purchase of real estate;
tourist areas are actively developing;
the infrastructure is overloaded.

This is why many resort areas and districts of large cities (especially Istanbul and Antalya) are regularly subject to restrictions.

Why is it important to know the specific microdistrict (mahalle) and not just the neighborhood or city?

A very common mistake buyers make:
They choose “Istanbul” or “Antalya”, but do not specify a specific mahalle .

And in Turkey the address is arranged like this:

il (city) → ilçe (district) → mahalle (neighborhood) → street/building → apartment number

And the decision on residence permit depends precisely on the mahalle .
Two neighboring houses can be in different neighborhoods, and one will be “open” and the other “closed.”

What you need to do before buying real estate in Turkey for a residence permit

If your goal is to buy an apartment for a residence permit in Turkey , it is important to act correctly:

1) Check the property address BEFORE the transaction

Before making a deposit, signing a contract, and registering for Tapu, be sure to check:

city
district
microdistrict (mahalle)
full address of the object

2) Select real estate in “open” neighborhoods

If you need a residence permit, you need to look for a property where:

registration of foreigners is permitted,
no restrictions on mahalla,
The address is suitable for submitting documents.

3) Check the legal purity of the property

Even if the area is open, the following must be checked:

Tapu (ownership)
the presence of encumbrances (mortgage, arrest, şerh)
accuracy of data in the cadastral register
compliance of the object with the declared characteristics

❗ Closed districts and microdistricts of Turkey for residence permits in 2026: a complete list (mahalle)

Below is a list of gated communities that can be used as a practical guide when choosing a property.

📌 Important: Listings are subject to change. Therefore, we recommend conducting a final check of the address before making a transaction.

🔴 Antalya (Antalya) — closed microdistricts for residence permits in 2026

Antalya is one of the most popular regions for living and investing. However, many areas here are overcrowded with foreigners, leading to some neighborhoods being closed.