Cost of Notarizing a Real Estate Transaction in Turkey

The Role of the Notary in Buying Property in Turkey

Historically, all real estate transactions in Turkey were processed exclusively at the Land Registry Office (Tapu Müdürlüğü). However, as of July 4, 2023, important amendments came into force: notaries (noter) were granted the legal right to formalize property sale and purchase agreements. This significantly simplified the procedure: now the buyer has a choice — to conduct the transaction through the Tapu office or through a notary's office, which often works faster and with shorter queues.

A notary in Turkey is a public official with broad powers, acting under the Notary Law No. 1512. In a real estate transaction, they verify the legal cleanliness of the property, authenticate the identities of the parties, ensure the legality of the contract, and enter the data into the state register. In effect, the notary serves as a guarantor of the transaction's security.

Main Tariff: Cost of the Sale and Purchase Agreement

The main question — how much does the notary charge directly for preparing the sale and purchase agreement for the property. According to the official fee schedule approved by the Ministry of Justice of Turkey for 2025, the notary fee for a property sale and purchase agreement is 0.1% (one thousandth — binde bir) of the property value.

At the same time, a minimum threshold is legally established: the notary fee for any tariff-based action cannot be less than 44.56 TL (as of 2025). Thus, if you buy a modest apartment for 2,000,000 TL, the notary will receive 2,000 TL for preparing the contract. When buying a villa for 10,000,000 TL — respectively 10,000 TL.

What You Need to Know About the Calculation

• The calculation basis is the sale price stated in the contract, not the cadastral value.
• The 0.1% rate applies specifically to the property sale and purchase agreement — other notary actions have different tariffs.
• The tariffs are indexed annually and published in the Official Gazette (Resmî Gazete) at the end of December.

Additional Notary Fees

In addition to the main fee for the contract, the notary charges several ancillary payments stipulated by the tariff:

• Comparison fee (karşılaştırma ücreti): 23.76 TL — charged for verifying copies of documents against originals.
• Writing fee (yazı ücreti): 61.12 TL per page — applies to each sheet of document prepared by the notary, including copies kept in the office archives.
• Translation fee (çevirme ücreti): 505.81 TL per page — if the document requires translation from one language to another. This is especially relevant for a foreign buyer, as the contract is drawn up in Turkish and often requires an official translation.

If the transaction involves several properties or requires the preparation of an extended package of documents, the amount of additional fees may increase significantly. On average, the block of additional notary fees falls within 500–1,500 TL on top of the main fee.

Cost of a Notarized Power of Attorney (Vekaletname)

Quite often, a foreign buyer cannot be present in person at all stages of the transaction — and then a notarized power of attorney is issued to a representative (realtor, lawyer, translator). According to the 2025 tariffs:

• General power of attorney (genel vekaletname): 783.82 TL.
• Power of attorney for real estate transactions (tapu vekaleti): approximately 1,820 TL, as it requires more thorough preparation and verification of authority.

The writing fee (61.12 TL/page) and, if necessary, the translation fee are also added to the power of attorney amount. The final cost of issuing a power of attorney rarely exceeds 2,000–2,500 TL.

The Full Picture of Costs: Not Just the Notary

When discussing the cost of completing a transaction, it is important to understand: notary fees are only part of the total ancillary expenses. A complete list of what a property buyer in Turkey pays in 2025:

1. Title transfer tax: 4% of the cadastral value of the property. By law, the seller and buyer pay equally (2% each), but in practice these 4% are often fully borne by the buyer — this point must be discussed before the deal.
2. State duty: approximately 1,775 TL for registration of ownership at the Land Registry Office.
3. Property appraisal: from 100 to 200 US dollars. A mandatory procedure for foreign buyers — a market value report is required for TAPU registration.
4. VAT: from 10% to 20% — only when buying a new property from a developer. In the secondary market, VAT is not charged.
5. Translator services: from 100 to 300 US dollars, if the buyer does not speak Turkish. The presence of an accredited translator at the transaction is a mandatory requirement for foreigners.

Practical Calculation Example

Let's consider a hypothetical transaction: purchase of an apartment on the secondary market worth 3,000,000 TL (approximately $100,000).

• Notary fee for the agreement (0.1%): 3,000 TL
• Additional notary fees (writing, comparison): ~500 TL
• Title transfer tax (4%): 120,000 TL
• State duty: ~1,775 TL
• Property appraisal: ~$150 (~5,000 TL)
• Translator: ~$200 (~6,500 TL)

Total ancillary costs: approximately 136,775 TL, of which only about 3,500 TL goes directly to the notary — that is less than 3% of the total additional expenses.

Conclusion: Where You Can't Skimp

Notarizing a real estate transaction in Turkey is a relatively small expense item against the overall purchase budget. The main financial burden falls on the 4% tax and, in case of new construction, on VAT. However, it is the notary who ensures the legal security of the deal: checks for encumbrances, seizures, utility debts, and the legitimacy of the chain of ownership.

We strongly recommend that before starting the transaction, you request a full breakdown of upcoming expenses from the notary — the tariffs are updated annually, and the final amount may differ depending on the complexity of the specific contract. And, of course, use the services of an accredited translator: the language barrier when handling real estate can result in a costly mistake.