In April 2026, foreign citizens purchased 1,516 residential properties in Turkey, which is 1.1% less than in the same month last year, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
Foreign buyers accounted for 1.2% of total housing sales in Turkey. Meanwhile, the country’s overall housing market grew in April: according to TÜİK, 126,808 homes and apartments were sold in Turkey, a 2.6% increase compared to April 2025. From January to April 2026, total housing sales amounted to 476,204 units, an increase of 0.5% year-over-year.
Against this backdrop, foreign demand remains weaker than the domestic market. In the first four months of 2026, foreigners purchased 5,681 properties in Turkey, which is 11.6% less than in January–April 2025. Russian citizens remained the largest foreign buyers of Turkish real estate in April. They purchased 263 properties, which is nearly 15% more than in March. However, on an annual basis, their demand is still lower: in April 2025, Russian citizens purchased 276 properties.
Chinese citizens took second place among foreign buyers in April with 110 transactions, while Iranian citizens took third with 100 transactions. These three countries made up the official top three largest buyers according to TÜİK data.
The demand structure reflects a shift in the foreign segment. Russian buyers remain in first place, but their activity is already significantly lower than the peaks of 2022–2023, when demand was fueled by relocation, sanctions, currency risks, and interest in obtaining residency permits through real estate.
At the same time, buyers from Asia, primarily China, are becoming more prominent in the statistics, which may reflect broader investment interest in the Turkish market.
Ukrainian citizens did not rank among the top three largest foreign buyers in April 2026, so their specific numbers are not listed in the TÜİK brief release. For comparison, in April 2025, Ukrainians ranked third among foreign buyers and purchased 120 residential properties in Turkey.
In 2025, Ukrainians remained one of the most significant groups of foreign buyers of Turkish real estate. At the end of the year, citizens of Russia, Iran, and Ukraine were named among the three largest groups of home buyers in Turkey.
For Ukrainian buyers, Turkey remains an important real estate market for residential purposes, relocation, rental, and investment. However, the overall decline in foreign buyer activity indicates that the factors driving demand in previous years—residence permits, citizenship by investment, currency hedging, and relocation demand—no longer have the same impact.
In Turkey’s domestic market in April, activity was driven primarily by local buyers. Sales of new homes rose by 9.6% to 40,306 units, while sales of existing homes fell slightly—by 0.3%—to 86,502 units.
Thus, the Turkish real estate market showed two distinct trends in April: domestic sales are growing, while foreign demand continues to decline. Russians remain the largest group of foreign buyers, but their activity no longer appears frenzied. Ukrainians, who were previously among the leaders, did not make it into the top 3 in April 2026, which may indicate more cautious buyer behavior or a shift in demand toward other markets.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has signed a revised version of the citizenship law that significantly tightens naturalization requirements for foreigners. The law will take effect upon publication in the Diário da República.
The main change concerns the length of residence required to apply for citizenship. For most foreigners, it increases from 5 to 10 years, and for citizens of EU countries and Portuguese-speaking Commonwealth states, to 7 years. Additionally, the period will be calculated not from the date of application for a residence permit, but from the date the first residence card is issued.
The reform also introduces additional integration requirements. Applicants for citizenship will need to demonstrate proficiency in Portuguese at the A2 level, pass a test on culture, history, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens, confirm their commitment to democratic principles, prove sufficient means of support, and demonstrate no serious criminal convictions.
A separate part of the reform, concerning the possibility of losing citizenship in the event of serious crimes, remains under review by the Constitutional Court. Previously, the court had already ruled unconstitutional a number of provisions related to automatic denial of citizenship and vague grounds for its revocation.
For foreigners who viewed Portugal as one of the fastest EU jurisdictions for obtaining citizenship through legal residence, the reform means a significant lengthening of the planning horizon. This could have a particularly noticeable impact on residence permit holders and investors under the Golden Visa program: the residency program itself, according to available data, remains unchanged, but the path from residency to citizenship is becoming longer.
The tightening of rules comes amid rapid growth in the number of foreigners in Portugal. According to AIMA, as of the end of 2024, more than 1.5 million foreign citizens resided in the country, which is roughly double the number from three years earlier. The largest group consists of Brazilians—more than 450,000 legal residents.
According to available estimates, the largest groups of foreigners in Portugal also include citizens of India, Angola, Ukraine, Cape Verde, Nepal, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Guinea-Bissau, and Pakistan. According to data cited from preliminary AIMA statistics for 2024, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal was estimated at approximately 79,200 people. Separately, regarding temporary protection, according to the Prague Process, as of February 2025, approximately 56,700 Ukrainians with temporary protection status were residing in Portugal. According to some estimates, the number of Ukrainians in Portugal could reach 300,000.
The province of Alicante has strengthened its position among Spain’s largest residential real estate markets, remaining a key hub for demand from both local and foreign buyers. This is reported by Prian, citing data from the Spanish housing market. An additional growth factor remains the high interest from foreigners, thanks to which Alicante maintains a special status in the national market.
According to Idealista, in 2025, foreigners accounted for 45.7% of all housing transactions in the province of Alicante—one of the highest figures in the country and, in fact, nearly half of the market. By comparison, the share of foreign buyers across Spain as a whole was 13.8%, and in the Valencian Community, 27.6%; in other words, Alicante significantly outpaces both the national and regional averages.
High foreign buyer activity supports market liquidity and demand in coastal areas, particularly on the Costa Blanca. At the same time, this makes Alicante one of the main indicators of external demand for Spanish housing, especially in the segments of second homes, investment apartments, and properties for permanent residency.
Among foreign buyers in Spain in 2025, citizens of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany dominated. According to Spanish sources in the Valencian Community, in 2025 the Netherlands took first place among foreign homebuyers in the region, displacing the British, followed by Belgians, Poles, Ukrainians, and Germans among the most prominent groups.
Starting April 1, 2026, Japan will tighten the rules for obtaining citizenship through naturalization: the minimum residency requirement for foreigners will be increased from 5 to 10 years. This was announced on March 27 by Japanese Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi.
In addition to doubling the residency requirement, the government is also extending the period for verifying applicants’ compliance with civic obligations. According to Japanese media reports, the period for verifying tax payments will be increased to 5 years, and for social insurance contributions—to 2 years instead of the previous 1 year. The new requirements will also apply to applications already submitted.
Until now, the basic rule for naturalization in Japan has been continuous residence in the country for at least 5 years. The Japanese government explains the tightening of requirements by the need to better verify the integration of foreigners and their compatibility with Japanese society. This news is particularly notable given the high international status of the Japanese passport. In the latest edition of the Henley Passport Index, Japan ranks among the world leaders in passport power, sharing 2nd place with access to 190 destinations visa-free or with simplified entry.
The Bali real estate market is experiencing robust growth in 2026, driven by the recovery of tourism and an increase in the number of foreign residents, particularly digital nomads and investors. The main areas of demand are concentrated in Canggu, Seminyak, Ubud, and Uluwatu. These are the areas that form the premium segment of the market and attract international capital.
Prices for real estate in Bali vary significantly depending on the property type. In the villa segment, prices average between $1,500 and $3,500 per square meter, and higher in premium projects. Ready-to-rent villas are sold in the range of $150,000–500,000 per property and above.
Indonesian law restricts foreign ownership of real estate, so the primary model remains a long-term leasehold for 25–30 years with the option to renew.
Foreigners play a key role in the Bali market. In some locations, they account for 60–70% of all transactions, particularly in the rental villa segment.
The main buyer groups are citizens of Australia, the UK, the US, and European countries. In recent years, the presence of investors from Russia and Ukraine has grown significantly, especially after 2022.
Russians have become one of the most prominent groups in the Bali market, actively investing in villas and the rental business. Ukrainians are also present among investors and renters, driving part of the demand in the remote work and relocation segment.
Thus, Bali is one of the real estate markets in the world most dependent on foreign capital, where price dynamics are directly linked to global population mobility and the trend toward remote work.
According to the project Relocation.com.ua, citing data from idealista with reference to Banco de Portugal, foreigners invested €3.905 billion in Portuguese real estate in 2025, setting a new record and exceeding the 2024 level by 10.4%. Against this backdrop, the total inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Portugal, conversely, fell by 34.9% to €8.51 billion, while the share of real estate in total FDI rose to 45.9%, or nearly half of all foreign capital.
The geography of this capital remains fairly predictable. The largest volume of accumulated foreign investment in Portugal is concentrated in Greater Lisbon—€113.2 billion, followed by the North of the country—€37.2 billion, and the Algarve—€21.7 billion; together, these three regions account for 80.5% of the total foreign investment stock.
Among the countries from which capital flowed in 2025, Luxembourg stood out—€1.1 billion, the United Kingdom—about €900 million, and Germany—€800 million. At the same time, Banco de Portugal itself notes that jurisdictions such as Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Spain often serve as intermediary platforms, so the ultimate sources of funds may differ from the country of the direct counterparty.
But if we look not at investment capital but at actual real estate transactions, the picture becomes clearer. The latest detailed official breakdown from INE shows that in 2024, foreign families purchased 38,552 houses and apartments in Portugal, which is 6.7% more than in 2023 and 19.2% higher than the 2019 level. That said, foreigners still remained a minority in the market: in total, families purchased 134,540 properties, of which 95,988 were bought by buyers of Portuguese origin. Among foreign buyers, Brazilians led the way with 7,694 transactions, followed by Angolans with 4,054 and the French with 4,016. Separately, INE noted a rapid increase in the number of Americans: the number of their purchases rose from 537 in 2019 to 1,707 in 2024.
If we broaden the picture and look at all major foreign groups residing in Portugal, it becomes clear that the market demand is much broader than just traditional buyers from Brazil, France, or the United Kingdom. According to AIMA, 1,543,697 foreigners were residing in Portugal as of the end of 2024.
The largest community was Brazilians—484,596 people, followed by Indians—98,616, Ukrainians—79,232, Nepalese—58,086, and British—48,238.
The mortgage market adds a distinct dimension to this picture. According to Banco de Portugal, in 2024, 10.1% of people who took out a mortgage for their primary residence were foreigners. Brazilians again led the way, accounting for 38% of all foreign borrowers; they were followed by Angolans and British nationals. In terms of loan amounts, Brazilians accounted for 30% of foreign mortgage volume, the British for 7%, Americans for 6%, and the French and Italians for 5% each. This shows that in Portugal, foreign demand has long been driven not only by purchases with personal funds but also by full-scale lending.
That is precisely why the Portuguese market should now be viewed from two perspectives. In the first, foreign capital has indeed set a record and continues to fuel the real estate market even after the abolition of “golden visas” for housing. Second, the composition of actual foreign demand is becoming increasingly diverse: as before, Brazilians, Angolans, French, British, and Americans are the most active buyers, but within the country’s demographic structure, the role of Ukrainians, Indians, Nepalese, and other new communities is becoming increasingly prominent. For the market, this means one thing: the foreign presence in the Portuguese housing market is not weakening, but changing form.
https://relocation.com.ua/foreigners-break-record-in-portugals-housing-market/
