Turkey has three mobile providers: Turkcell, Vodafone Türkiye and Türk Telekom. All three sell a tourist SIM card with a Turkish number, and you need your passport to get one. Turkcell lets you apply online and set up its tourist eSIM in its app. With Vodafone, you collect the SIM or eSIM in a shop. If you only need mobile data, a travel eSIM you install before you fly is the other option. This guide covers what each Turkish provider offers visitors, the IMEI rule that can block a foreign phone, and how to set up a travel eSIM so it works the moment you land.
Just need data in Turkey? These Turkey eSIMs are data-only and run on 5G where it's available. You install one at home and it starts when you arrive.
Data-only plans for Turkey · 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days or 50 GB for 30 days · See all eSIMs for Turkey
eSIM providers in Turkey: what each one offers visitors
Here's what Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom say about their tourist lines on their own websites. Packages and prices change often, so check the carrier's page before you buy.
Turkcell
Turkcell's tourist SIM is the easiest local option to set up before you travel. You apply online with your passport number and arrival date, up to 90 days before you arrive. Then you have two ways to activate it:
- In the Turkcell app (eSIM only). You need a biometric (chipped) passport and a phone with eSIM and NFC. You scan your passport, do a quick face check and accept the contract on video. After passport control in Turkey, the app tells you when you can start using the line.
- In a Turkcell store. Show your passport within 90 days of applying and pick a physical SIM or an eSIM.
Turkcell only accepts a passport, not a national ID card. The package includes calls, SMS and data, and it only works in Turkey.
Vodafone Türkiye
Vodafone's tourist SIM comes as a physical SIM or an e-SIM, which you collect in a Vodafone shop, airport shops included. You can fill in a form online first with your name and passport number. The line comes with a Welcome to Turkey Pack that includes minutes, SMS and data for 28 days. Vodafone says the tourist line is switched off automatically after 60 days unless you change your tariff.
Türk Telekom
Türk Telekom sells Tourist Welcome packages for new prepaid lines registered with a passport or ID card in the last 90 days. They include minutes, SMS and data, and only work in Turkey, not in Northern Cyprus or abroad. Türk Telekom offers eSIM on new lines bought in its shops, but its tourist page doesn't say whether the tourist packages come as an eSIM. Ask in the store.
Want more detail on physical SIM cards? See our guide to prepaid SIM cards for Turkey.
Turkey's IMEI rule: will your phone get blocked?
Turkey keeps a register of phone IMEI numbers. A phone bought abroad that isn't registered can be blocked on Turkish networks. Here's what that means for you.
With a Turkish SIM card or eSIM: 120 days
According to Turkey's telecoms regulator BTK, a phone brought from abroad can be used with a Turkish line for 120 days without registration. After that, an unregistered phone is cut off from Turkish networks (BTK Mobile Device Registration System: FAQ).
If you're a visitor and you sign up for a Turkish line, the carrier pairs your phone's IMEI with your new number, and your phone then works with that number. Bring your passport to the store. The rules ask for the passport page with your details and the page with your Turkey entry stamp (BTK communiqué, Official Gazette).
Staying longer: registering your phone
If you'll use your foreign phone with a Turkish SIM beyond the 120 days, for example because you live or study in Turkey, you need to register it:
- Check your phone's IMEI. Dial *#06#.
- Check you're eligible. You can register one phone brought from abroad every three calendar years.
- Pay the registration fee at a tax office, a bank or the Revenue Administration's online tax office. The fee is set every year, so check the current amount before you pay.
- Register on e-Devlet with IMEI Kaydet. You need a Turkish ID number or a foreign resident ID number, plus an e-Devlet password from a PTT post office. Paying the fee alone doesn't register the phone.
- Check the result with e-Devlet's IMEI check.
BTK explains the steps on its registration page. The rules changed in July 2026, and applications now go through e-Devlet (Official Gazette, 2 July 2026). Ask your tax office or check e-Devlet for this year's fee.
With a travel eSIM from home: no registration on a normal trip
Turkey's IMEI rules cover phones that use a Turkish carrier's SIM. A phone that roams on a foreign SIM or eSIM, like a travel eSIM, isn't part of the registration process on a normal trip. There's one exception in the rules: "permanent data roaming", meaning a foreign SIM that uses data in Turkey for more than 90 days within 120 days with no voice calls (BTK regulation, Official Gazette). If you plan to stay in Turkey for several months on a data-only eSIM, check with BTK first.
Turkish tourist SIM or travel eSIM: which fits your trip?
A Turkish tourist SIM or eSIM is better if
- You need a Turkish (+90) number, for example for restaurants, drivers or local apps.
- You want local calls and SMS included.
- You're happy to show your passport and, depending on the carrier, visit a shop.
A travel eSIM is easier if
- You want to be online the moment you land, with no shop visit or passport check.
- You only need data for maps, ride apps, WhatsApp and social media.
- You want to keep your home number on your phone for calls and texts.
- You're also visiting Greece or other countries in Europe on the same trip.
The SimOptions Turkey plans are data-only. They have no Turkish number and no SMS, so you call and message with apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime. Here's how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. Need to receive SMS codes from your bank? Keep your home SIM switched on for texts, and turn off data roaming on it.
Combining Turkey with Europe?
Turkey isn't part of the EU's "Roam like at home" area, so an EU plan doesn't work in Turkey at domestic prices (European Commission: Roaming). UK, US and other plans follow their carrier's own roaming prices. Check them before you go.
If your trip covers Turkey and other countries, for example Istanbul and the Greek islands, a SimOptions Europe plan covers Turkey and 33 other countries with one eSIM. Europe 20GB lasts 15 days and you can top it up. It runs on 4G/LTE.
Activate your eSIM before you leave for Turkey
The simplest way to avoid trouble is to buy and install your travel eSIM at home, on stable Wi-Fi. Our Turkey and Europe plans start automatically when you reach a country they cover, so installing early doesn't use up any days.
- Check your phone. It needs to support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID, it supports eSIM. More in our guide to checking eSIM compatibility.
- Buy your plan before you travel. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi. Scan the QR code in your phone's settings. Our eSIM install guide shows the steps.
- When you land in Turkey, choose the travel eSIM as your mobile data line and turn on data roaming for it.
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad. See the correct roaming settings for an eSIM.
On iPhone, you pick the data line in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data (Apple: Use Dual SIM with an eSIM). On Android, look for the SIM settings under Settings > Network & internet or Connections, depending on your phone.
Can you reach eSIM websites and apps from Turkey?
Some travellers worry that an eSIM provider's website or app might be hard to reach from Turkey. We can't confirm how any particular site behaves on every Turkish network. That's one more reason to buy and install before you fly: once the eSIM is on your phone, it doesn't need the provider's website or app to work. If you think you'll use a lot of data, pick a plan with enough data from the start.
Other things to know about staying connected in Turkey
- WhatsApp and calls. With a data eSIM, you call and message over the internet. Vodafone's Welcome to Turkey Pack also includes data for WhatsApp.
- Hotspot. Our Turkey plans let you share data with a hotspot, and so does Turkcell's tourist line.
- Coverage outside the cities. Heading to the mountains, a national park or a remote stretch of coast? Download offline maps before you go, in case the signal drops.
- Northern Cyprus. Türk Telekom's tourist packages don't work in Northern Cyprus, and Turkcell's tourist package only works in Turkey. Check coverage before you cross.
- Wi-Fi. Hotels and cafés often have Wi-Fi, but you may need to log in with a code or a phone number. A data eSIM saves you from hunting for Wi-Fi when you need a map or a taxi.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our Turkey holiday guide, or find your next destination.
FAQs
Which eSIM providers are there in Turkey?
The three Turkish mobile providers are Turkcell, Vodafone Türkiye and Türk Telekom. Turkcell and Vodafone offer their tourist lines as an eSIM. Türk Telekom offers eSIM on new lines, but its tourist page doesn't say whether that includes tourist packages. You can also use a travel eSIM from a provider like SimOptions.
Can I buy a Turkey SIM card before I arrive?
Yes, with Turkcell. You apply online up to 90 days before your arrival, then activate the eSIM in the Turkcell app or pick up the SIM in a Turkcell store. Vodafone lets you fill in a form online, but you collect the SIM or eSIM in a shop.
Do I need a passport for a Turkish SIM card?
Yes. All three providers register tourist lines with your passport. Turkcell only accepts a passport, not a national ID card.
Will my phone be blocked in Turkey?
With a Turkish SIM, a phone from abroad works for 120 days without registration. When you buy a tourist line, the carrier pairs your phone with your new number. If you use a travel eSIM from home in roaming on a normal trip, your phone isn't part of the registration process.
Does a Turkey eSIM include SMS?
Turkish tourist lines include SMS. The SimOptions Turkey plans are data-only, with no number and no SMS. Keep your home SIM on for texts, such as bank codes.
Does my EU phone plan work in Turkey?
Not at domestic prices. Turkey isn't covered by the EU's "Roam like at home" rules, so roaming charges depend on your carrier.
When does my travel eSIM start?
Our Turkey and Europe plans start automatically when you arrive in a country they cover. Install the eSIM at home, then turn on data roaming for it when you land.
