Buying a property in Turkey comes with a short list of insurance obligations, and they arrive faster than most buyers expect — some before you have the keys.
The order things happen in
- DASK before or at transfer. It is compulsory, and it is asked for at the title deed office and when opening utility accounts.
- Home insurance once the property is yours, for fire, theft, water damage and contents.
- If there is a mortgage, the lender will require specific cover — check the wording they ask for before arranging anything.
- Update the address on any existing policies. Cover follows the address, not the person.
Setting the sum insured
For the building, use the current construction cost for the square metres — not the price you paid, which includes the land and the neighbourhood. For contents, add up replacement cost rather than estimating.
The single most common mistake at this stage is insuring the property for the purchase price. In a desirable area the land can be most of that figure, and insuring it inflates the premium without improving the claim.
If you are buying as a foreign national
The requirements are the same, but the paperwork moves through more steps. DASK will be requested at several points, so arranging it early removes friction later. Policies and correspondence can be issued in Turkish; ask for a plain-language summary in English so you know what you are holding.