💡 Key Facts (Briefly):

Turkish law provides for five passport types: ordinary (maroon), special (green), service (grey), diplomatic (black), and temporary (pink). Foreigners who obtain citizenship through investment receive the maroon ordinary passport — the same one held by Turkish citizens by birth. Their rights are fully identical, including visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 110+ countries and territories.

Colour	Official Name	Issued To
🟥 Maroon	Ordinary Passport (Umuma Mahsus)	All Turkish citizens
🟩 Green	Special Passport (Hususi Damgalı)	Former MPs, senior officials, lawyers, exporters
⬜ Grey	Service Passport (Hizmet Damgalı)	State officials on missions, international organisations, Red Crescent
⬛ Black	Diplomatic Passport (Diplomatik)	Diplomats, ministers, MPs, senior military officers
🩷 Pink	Temporary Passport (Geçici)	Turkish citizens who lost their passport abroad

Rights:

• Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more than 110 countries and territories, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Qatar, Brazil, and Argentina;
• Visa-on-arrival available in 40+ additional countries;
• Turkey has an E-2 investor treaty with the US, allowing Turkish citizens to live, work, and open businesses in America;
• Validity from 6 months to 10 years, with the price increasing by term (2024 data: 10-year passport — around 8,623 lira).

📌 For investment-based citizenship holders: rights are fully identical to those of citizens by birth — including the right to vote, be elected, work in public service, and access the social security system. The passport is lifelong.

• Senior officials of the Presidential Administration;
• Civil and military public servants of ranks 1–3;
• Mayors;
• Heads of export companies;
• Lawyers.

Key advantages:

• Exemption from the passport fee (ordinary passports require payment);
• Dozens more visa-free countries than the ordinary passport;
• Significantly lower financial and bureaucratic burden.

⚠️ Note: the green special passport is not a diplomatic passport, but it carries some diplomatic conveniences. After leaving office, eligible holders may continue to use it.

• Persons sent abroad by the state, municipality, or a government agency for official tasks;
• Employees of the Turkish Red Crescent and the Turkish Aeronautical Association;
• Public servants working in international organisations;
• Selected athletes, scholars, and official delegations.

Key restrictions:

• Only for official travel, not for personal purposes;
• Issued only with an official travel letter from a government agency;
• Family members may, in specific cases, use it alongside the holder.

Why the grey passport frequently makes the news:

• A European Parliament report states that the grey passport is "used improperly by Turkish authorities";
• Turkish media have repeatedly reported a "grey passport scandal" — allegedly sold for €8,000, after which holders went to Europe and did not return;
• In January 2025, an MP from the CHP raised the issue in the Grand National Assembly, stating that "grey service passports printed by the state printing house are sold at a fixed price";
• Turkey's Interior Minister reported that since 2018, 804 people with such passports left and did not return.

📌 For ordinary foreigners: the grey passport is irrelevant to you. With investment-based citizenship, you receive the maroon ordinary passport.

• Members of the Grand National Assembly;
• Presidents of the Constitutional Court, Council of State, and Court of Accounts;
• The Chief of General Staff and senior military officers;
• Former presidents, speakers of parliament, prime ministers, and foreign ministers;
• Career officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
• Diplomatic couriers.

Privileges:

Exemption from all fees and taxes, the highest level of diplomatic immunity, and visa-free access.

• Single-page, one-time, one-way — only for returning to Turkey;
• Validity — 1 month (in special cases, may be extended to 1 year);
• Issued in about half an hour;
• Free, with no service fee.

⚠️ Important: this is not a document for foreigners. With a pink temporary passport, you cannot travel to countries other than Turkey.

Answer: the maroon ordinary passport.

After obtaining Turkish citizenship through property purchase (the $400,000 threshold), you receive exactly the same passport as a Turkish citizen by birth.

Key rights:

• Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 110+ countries and territories;
• Right to the US E-2 investor visa;
• Unlimited residence, work, and business in Turkey;
• Free public education for children (no tuition at universities for citizens);
• Access to the SGK system and public healthcare;
• Dual citizenship permitted (subject to the laws of your country of origin).