Turkey's 120-day phone rule (IMEI registration) and travel eSIMs

What the rule says

Turkey's telecoms regulator, BTK, requires phones brought in from abroad to be registered within 120 days of entering Turkey. Unregistered phones are cut off from Turkish networks, and operators send an SMS reminder every 30 days.

Since an amendment published on 2 July 2026, registration is done only through e-Devlet. Turkish media report the 2026 fee as TRY 54,258, and the number of phones you can register per passport is limited.

Travel eSIMs

BTK's rule doesn't say whether it covers foreign roaming SIMs and eSIMs. Either way the 120 days only matter for long stays; on a holiday of a few weeks there is nothing to register.

Buy and install before you fly

In July 2025 BTK ordered access blocks on several foreign eSIM sellers' websites and apps. Buy and install your Turkey eSIM at home; most plans only start counting when they first connect in Turkey.

Networks

Turkey has three operators: Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom. All three launched 5G on 1 April 2026 in all 81 provincial centres. In Opensignal's June 2025 Türkiye report, Turkcell led on speed and coverage and Vodafone on reliability and consistent quality.

Entry

UK, US, Canadian and Australian ordinary passports can visit visa-free for 90 days in any 180. The UK government advises a passport valid for at least 150 days from arrival. Other nationalities can check the Turkish foreign ministry's list.