What is a Tapu? All You Need to Know About the Important Title Deed Document
Obtaining a tapu document has now become a very important step in the residence permit application process. Many of you might be confused about the requirements surrounding the title deed document, and we are here to answer all of your questions. For example: What is a tapu? Why is it necessary? How do you get one? This article is meant to explain everything you need to know.
What is a Tapu?
A tapu is the title deed document given to a property or piece of land that shows ownership and legality. Every valid property or land should have one.
A tapu document lists information such as the province, district, neighborhood, village, street and region.
Additional information about the value and purpose of the property, the name of the owner and the date of purchase are also required to be listed.
It also includes the parcel number (this number is given to each province, the land areas whose boundaries are determined within the scope of the zoning law), island number (the number given to parcels surrounded by state railways, land or by artificial or natural boundaries such as streets, avenues, lakes, or roads belonging to public institutions) and also the sheet number (the number of the parts that make up a map).
Tapu Basics and Purchasing Property
Any purchase of property or land is officialized through issuing a tapu. This document is necessary for essential steps like opening utilities, getting a residence permit and even obtaining citizenship. This is why it is an especially important document that property owners should be paying attention to.
The value of the property that is listed is key in determining what kind of rights the property owner has.
For a property over $75,000 in big cities like Antalya, Istanbul, Ankara and over $50,000 in small and medium sized cities, property owners are eligible to apply for a residence permit.
Owners of properties with a listed value of at least $400,000 are eligible to apply for citizenship. Citizenship applications must be handled with the expertise of a lawyer. As always, please feel free to contact us if in need of such assistance.
How to get a Tapu?
When one buys property that was previously owned by someone else, they need to transfer the document to their name. You need to make an appointment at the tapu directorate by calling 181 or through the web portal. The transfer can be completed during this appointment with the following required documents:
Required documents for the transfer of a tapu:
- Original tapu document
- Turkish kimlik or residence permit card of the buyer and seller
- If the issuing is done on behalf of someone else power of attorney is also required
- Official property valuation document
- DASK earthquake insurance
- Property tax document
- 2 biometric photos of the buyer (at most 6 months old)
If a company is buying the property:
- Copy of tax sheets copy
- Signature circulars
- Property ownership license of authorization
Tapu in Residence Permit Applications
A tapu does not only concern the owner of the property but also tenants who are applying for a residence permit. It is also crucial for tenants to ask their landlord to provide this document if they are applying for a residence permit in Turkey.
As all residence permit applications are requiring a notarized rental contract to be included, your landlord (the individual whose name is on the tapu) must also bring the tapu along with them to the notary for the notarization process to be completed. We recommend double checking that the materials provided to you at the notary include a copy of the tapu along with them.
The landlord should also provide you with a numarataj, DASK earthquake insurance, copy of their ID, and utility bills. These documents should be taken with you at the time of your residence permit appointment.
If your landlord is not willing to share a copy of the tapu, it might lead to issues with your application and furthermore may imply that your residence is not entirely up to code. We recommend avoiding rental of any accommodation where you cannot receive a copy of the tapu, and by extension not being able to complete the notarization process.
If you need assistance with making sure all your paperwork is in order, or anything else related to your relocation needs, please don’t hesitate to explore our services and reach out to us.