Will my phone work in Turkey? IMEI rules for visitors

Using a phone from abroad with a Turkish SIM card is subject to Turkey's IMEI rules. There is a separate route for short-stay visitors; if you want to use the phone long-term, registration and a fee are required. The rules below come from BTK, Turkey's telecoms authority.

The short version

A phone brought from abroad can be used with a Turkish line for 120 days without registration (BTK, Turkey's telecoms authority).
Short-stay visitors — tourists, Turkish citizens living abroad and similar — who sign up with a Turkish mobile operator get their phone's IMEI paired with that number by the operator; the phone then works only with that number.
To use the phone with a Turkish line long-term, you must register it and pay a 54,258 TL usage-permit fee; one phone per passport every three calendar years.
Phones sent by post or bought online and shipped to Turkey cannot be registered.

Staying a short time: operator pairing

According to BTK, when people staying in Turkey temporarily (tourists, Turkish citizens living abroad and similar) sign a subscription contract with a mobile operator in Turkey, the operator enters the phone's IMEI number and the contracted phone number into the Mobile Device Registration System and pairs them. The IMEI is then enabled only with that phone number. For pairing, you apply to the operator's subscriber registration centre with your passport and the subscription contract.

BTK's explanation does not mention a separate fee for pairing; for costs and time limits, ask the operator or the BTK consumer line (120).

Using it long-term: IMEI registration

Topic	Rule
Allowance	One phone per passport every three calendar years; the registration right cannot be transferred to someone else.
Fee	54,258 TL (2026). Paid at a tax office or authorised banks, or by credit card through the online tax office; paying the fee does not complete registration — you must finish the process on e-Devlet.
Foreigners with a foreign ID number (YKN)	Aged 18 or over: through e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr/btk-imei-kaydet), with an e-Devlet password obtained from PTT post offices.
Foreigners who cannot use e-Devlet	Subscriber registration centres of the mobile operators (Türk Telekom, Turkcell, Vodafone). Students apply with a student certificate from their school, residents with their residence permit, diplomats and military personnel with their passport or ID; the original passport is shown.
Under 18	Phones can be registered in the child's name; a parent or legal guardian applies through their own e-Devlet account using the child's details.

Two sources on the deadline

The Ministry of Trade says the IMEI registration must be completed within 120 days of entering Turkey. BTK's registration page says the phone can be used for 120 days without registration and that the registration application must be made within 365 days of entry. Since unregistered use ends after 120 days, completing registration within the first 120 days is the safest way to keep using the phone without interruption.

Customs rules (how many phones, why phones cannot be brought as gifts or sent by courier): phone page.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I use my foreign phone in Turkey?

According to BTK, a phone brought from abroad can be used with a Turkish line for 120 days without registration; an unregistered phone is cut off from the network after that period.

Do I need to register my phone if I buy a Turkish SIM as a tourist?

According to BTK, when short-stay visitors sign up with a mobile operator, the operator pairs the phone's IMEI with that number; you apply at the operator's subscriber registration centre with your passport and the subscription contract. The phone then works only with that number.

How do foreigners register a phone in Turkey?

Foreigners aged 18+ with a foreign ID number (YKN) register through e-Devlet with a password from PTT. Foreigners who cannot use e-Devlet apply at Türk Telekom, Turkcell or Vodafone subscriber registration centres with their passport and a student certificate, residence permit or diplomatic ID.

How much is the IMEI registration fee in Turkey?

54,258 TL for 2026. The registration right is one phone per passport every three calendar years.