What Do I Need to Do to Buy a Home in the UK from Türkiye?
Written by: Marcus M. Araz, MBA, PhD · Updated:
No residence permit, no visa and no need to live in the United Kingdom. A buyer living in Turkey can buy a home in England and run the whole process under a power of attorney. Three things are required: a solicitor registered in England, documents showing where the money came from, and a realistic budget that includes stamp duty. The item that surprises buyers most is the tax: if you own a home in Turkey, the stamp duty on a £300,000 flat is £26,000 rather than £11,000. Below are the total cost, the process step by step, the documents and the duties that follow completion.
Stamp duty: your home in Turkey counts too
There are two separate surcharges and they work independently of each other. The first is the non-resident surcharge: 2 percentage points, applied even if you intend to live in the property yourself. The second is the additional dwelling surcharge: 5 percentage points, which applies if you own another home worth more than £40,000 anywhere in the world . HMRC’s rule is explicit: your flat in Turkey is included in that count.
| The buyer’s situation | Stamp duty on a £300,000 flat | As a share of the price |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident buyer with no other home | £11,000 | 3.7% |
| Non-resident buyer who owns a home in Turkey | £26,000 | 8.7% |
The £15,000 difference has to go into the budget from the start, and skipping this item is the mistake buyers make most often. For your own figure, use our our stamp duty calculator .
Who counts as non-resident
The residence test for stamp duty is different from the one for income tax, and much simpler. Nationality, visa status and the UK Statutory Residence Test do not apply here.
- The rule: you are treated as non-resident if you were present in the United Kingdom for fewer than 183 days in the 12 months before completion. Days count across the whole of the United Kingdom, and being in the country at the end of a day makes that day count.
- Buying jointly: if any one buyer is non-resident, all buyers are treated as non-resident and the surcharge applies to the whole transaction.
- Right to a refund: if you meet the 183 day test within 12 months after completion, you can reclaim the 2 percentage point surcharge you paid.
Total cost: a £300,000 flat
The legal items below are taken from a real quotation by a firm our portfolio works with, and include the new build and leasehold supplements. A non-resident buyer who owns a home in Turkey is assumed.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Legal fees | £1,295 |
| VAT on the legal fee | £259 |
| Leasehold supplement | £300 |
| New build fee (VAT included) | £300 |
| Search fees | £252 |
| Land Registry fee (HM Land Registry) | £150 |
| Official search fee | £13 |
| Bank transfer fee | £36 |
| Stamp duty return fee | £60 |
| Electronic identity verification | £20 |
| Total legal fees and disbursements | £2,685 |
| stamp duty | £26,000 |
| Total added on top of the price | £28,685 |
| As a share of the price | 9.6% |
A line by line breakdown is on our The cost of buying a home in the UK page, and for your own scenario there is our purchase cost calculator .
The process step by step
This is how it works on new build. On a resale the fifth step is replaced by a survey and the wait on the chain; the rest is the same.
| Step | What happens | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Budget and tax calculation | Stamp duty and the costs on top of the price are worked out | Before the purchase decision |
| 2. Reservation | The apartment is chosen, the reservation fee is paid and the price is fixed | Same day |
| 3. Appointing a solicitor | A solicitor registered in the UK is appointed and identity and source of funds documents are given | In the days after the reservation |
| 4. Exchange of contracts | The contract is signed and usually 10 percent of the price is paid | 21 days from the papers reaching the solicitor |
| 5. Stage payments | On an off-plan purchase, stage payments are made according to the scheme | Tied to the construction programme |
| 6. Completion | The balance is paid and the title is registered in the buyer's name | On the completion date |
| 7. Tax return | The stamp duty return is filed and the tax is paid | Within 14 days of completion |
Can it be done without leaving Türkiye
Yes. You do not have to travel to England to sign the contract or to complete; by giving your solicitor a power of attorney you can run the process from Turkey. It is enough for the power of attorney to be drawn up in Turkey and sent with an apostille. In practice most buyers come once to see the project, but that is not a requirement. One point to note: the days you spend in the United Kingdom count towards the 183 day test for stamp duty.
Documenting where the money came from
This is the item that causes most of the delays. Solicitors in England are subject to anti money laundering rules and must see where the money came from before accepting it. A buyer from Turkey is usually asked for:
- Passport and proof of address (a utility bill or statement from the last three months).
- Six months of bank statements.
- A document showing the source of the funds: a sale contract, a dividend resolution, a payslip or a certificate of inheritance.
- Sworn translations of the documents.
Sending the money to the solicitor’s client account directly from your own account in Turkey is the smoothest route; a transfer from a third party’s account lengthens the process. How to make the transfer is covered on our money transfer for a home abroad page.
In your own name or through a company
If you buy through a company there is one more duty to know about: a company incorporated outside the United Kingdom must first register on the Register of Overseas Entities at Companies House and declare its beneficial owners before it can buy property in England. Without that registration the title cannot be registered. The tax side of the comparison is on our rental income tax page.
Do I need a UK bank account
Not for the purchase. The payments run through the solicitor's client account. If you are going to let the property, however, an account to collect the rent makes life easier; management companies can pay into an account in Türkiye as well, but the exchange rate and transfer costs arise.
If you are going to use a mortgage
Only a limited number of banks lend to buyers living abroad and the terms depend on what the property is for: for letting, the deposit is usually at least 25 percent, and if you are going to live in it your income position is what counts. We set that side out separately on our Can a Turkish citizen get a mortgage in the UK and mortgage rates pages separately.
What to do after completion
- 14 days: the stamp duty return is filed and the tax is paid. Your solicitor prepares it but the responsibility is the buyer’s.
- If you are going to let it: register under the non-resident landlord scheme (NRL1i), otherwise 20% is withheld from the rent.
- Council tax while it is empty: the bill goes to the owner and passes to the tenant once they move in. The detail is on our council tax page.
- Insurance: in a leasehold flat the building insurance is usually included in the service charge; contents and landlord liability cover are separate.
- When you sell: a non-resident owner must report the sale to HMRC within 60 days.
Buying a home does not give a residence permit
This is what buyers ask most. Buying a home in the UK gives you no visa or residence right; the Tier 1 (Investor) visa that granted residence in return for investment closed in 2022. The two processes run independently. The detail is on our Does buying a home in the UK give a residence permit page.
How we help you with this
As capital.works®, the Overseas Property Centre, we represent selected developments in England. There are currently 80 English developments live on the site, each with its price list, floor plans and completion schedule on its own page. We are an FCA authorised credit broker (FRN 1049015) and a member of the NACFB; the purchase, the finance, residency and post completion management are all run by one team.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need in order to buy a home in England from Turkey? A solicitor registered in England, identity documents and proof of the source of funds, and a budget that includes stamp duty. No residence permit, visa or English bank account is needed.
Do I need a residence permit to buy a home in the UK? No. Nationality and residence status do not affect the right to buy; they only change the stamp duty rate. Nor does buying a home give any residence right.
Can I run the process from Türkiye? Yes. By giving your solicitor a power of attorney with an apostille you can complete the contract and title stages from Türkiye.
Does my home in Turkey increase the stamp duty? Yes. If you own another home worth more than £40,000 anywhere in the world, the 5 percentage point additional dwelling surcharge applies. On a £300,000 flat the difference is £15,000.
How many days decide whether you count as non-resident? You count as non-resident if you were in the United Kingdom for fewer than 183 days in the 12 months before completion. If you meet the test in the 12 months after completion, you can reclaim the 2 percentage point surcharge.
How much deposit is needed? On new build purchases 10% of the price is usually paid on exchange of contracts and the balance on completion. The reservation fee is separate and is usually a few thousand pounds.
How much is added on top of the price? On a £300,000 flat, for a non-resident buyer who owns a home in Turkey, stamp duty is £26,000 and legal fees and disbursements are £2,685; the total is £28,685, about 9.6% of the price.
Who files the stamp duty return? Your solicitor prepares it, but the responsibility is the buyer's and the deadline is 14 days after completion.
Do I have to open a UK bank account? Not for the purchase. It makes life easier if you are going to let the property.
How long does it take? On a completed home, usually eight to twelve weeks from reservation to completion. On an off-plan purchase the construction programme sets the time.
Related pages
Buying property in the UK, which firm to buy with in England, cities with the highest rental yields and is buying off plan worth it.
Sources
Tax rates and rules were verified on GOV.UK on 20 September 2026: stamp duty rates, the non-resident surcharge and the 183 day test, the additional dwelling surcharge and the worldwide property count, the Register of Overseas Entities and Land Registry fees. The legal items are based on a real purchase quotation and vary by firm. Reservation and exchange practice is taken from the terms the developers in our portfolio set out in their own price lists, and can differ from project to project.
Legal notice
capital.works® (YATIRIM UK LIMITED) is a real estate advisory company; it does not provide legal or tax advice. The title and contract process is carried out by a solicitor registered in the UK. On the mortgage side, our FCA authorisation applies (FRN 1049015, authorised credit broker).
The next step
Tell us your budget and we will send the real cost including stamp duty, together with three projects that suit you: Contact us.