Note: If you are staying in Turkey for only a short period or are just on holiday, you won’t need to do this. This is only necessary for those staying for longer than 4 months.
Since October 2015, foreign visitors to Turkey have been allowed to use their own mobile devices for 120 days instead of 30 days without paying any fees to register them.
Despite the extension of the time limit, if you wish to use your mobile devices while in Turkey and if you are staying for any period that exceeds 120 days, you are legally required to register these devices and pay a registration fee to continue to be able to use them. Especially when it comes to phones, you’ll need to register your device if you want to continue to text or make or receive calls.
Things you should know before you begin:
- All mobile devices imported into Turkey, whether they are a mobile phone, laptop, or tablet, must be registered in the Mobile Devices Registration System (Mobil Cihaz Kayıt Sistemi).
- Each individual is allowed to register only 1 SIM-enabled device in Turkey every 3 years. In other words, one phone per passport. As of January 01, 2021, you can now add up to 3 IMEI’s per registration, multiple eSIM’s.
- Choose your phone carefully. If you want to get a new phone and register it, you will have to replace the old IMEI number registered on your passport with the IMEI on your new device. This means you will have to pay the registration fee/tax again.
- Your registered device will only work with a SIM issued in your name (the name that printed on your passport). If you decide to gift your phone to a friend decide to put their own Turkish SIM card in, it will not work.
To be able to register your mobile phone in Turkey, you’ll need:
- Your mobile device,
- Your valid passport and entry stamp inside it that shows your date-of-entry into the country (immigration police will stamp a page upon your arrival),
- Your Turkish residence permit*, or in Turkish words, your “ikamet tezkeresi”,
- ₺2006,20 Turkish liras – the registration fee as of 2021.
*If you are on a diplomatic mission in Turkey or have been deployed for military purposes, or a student studying at a Turkish university, you will be allowed to use other documents that evidence your residency.
The registration process
Registering your phone should be one of the first things you do when you arrive in Turkey. Try to complete this procedure as soon as possible as you have a 120-day time limit.
- Find your device’s unique 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number and note it down.
This information can be found under Settings in the About section in Android and in Settings>General>About on iOS devices. If you have a phone with a removable battery, check the sticker under the battery for your IMEI number.
Pressing *#06# on the keypad can also reveal your handset’s IMEI.
From here you have 2 options. The first will require you to navigate a Turkish website but allow you to make an online payment.
Online/ e-devlet route
- Go to your nearest PTT branch (Turkish Post Office) with your passport, IMEI, and residence permit (aka ikamet) and ask for an “e-devlet” (e-government) password to register your phone. This will cost you TL 2.
- Visit https://giris.turkiye.gov.tr/Giris/gir and enter the password inside the envelope you have been given. Then change your password.
- Type in “IMEI İşlemleri” in the search bar and you should see an option that reads “IMEI kaydet” (register your IMEI). Or you can always directly go to https://www.turkiye.gov.tr/btk-imei-kaydet. You will be asked to type in your IMEI number.
- Once you have filled out all the information asked, you will be directed to the payment page. You will see options to use online banking or pay by credit card to pay the registration fee.
- Making payment alone is not enough. You will have to return the registration page on e-devlet and receive confirmation that the process has been completed. You will be given an 8-digit application tracking number to see your progress.
Note: It may take about 24 hours for the payment to go through.
Tax office route
If the e-devlet site seems too complicated and you would rather pay in-person, or you cannot register through e-devlet, then you should go with the second option, which is going to a tax office.
- With your device, passport, Turkish residence permit, and your IMEI numbers written down on a piece of paper head, to your nearest tax office (vergi dairesi) and tell the clerk that you want to register your mobile device imported from abroad.
Tip: You can always write the following sentence on a piece of paper if you think you will have trouble communicating with staff: “yurt dışından gelen mobil cihazımı kayıt ettirmek istiyorum.”
- You will be sent to the “vezne” (pay desk) to make your payment for the registration. You should tell the clerk you want to pay the registration fee for your phone. (In Turkish: “Telefon kayıt vergisi ödemek istiyorum.”) You should be given a “vergi dairesi alındısı” or “dekont”, which is a receipt of payment for the tax.
Warning: Make sure all information on the receipt is correct. Pay special attention to your name and surname and your passport and IMEI numbers. If the information listed is incorrect, you will have to re-register your phone with the correct information and pay the tax again, so read carefully.
Choosing a GSM operator if you haven’t already
No matter which way you chose to make your payment, you will have to go to an official branch/store of one of the 3 Turkish mobile network operators, ie. Turkcell, Vodafone or Türk Telekom. Turkcell and Vodafone are more expensive compared to the latter but have wider coverage.
After choosing your operator, explain to the customer representative that you want to register your phone. You will need to have your phone, passport, residence permit, and receipt from the tax office or your 8-digit number from e-devlet.
You will be given options to choose a payment and data plan. You will be paying for the new Turkish SIM card and your first data/call package (if going the prepaid route). Most stores will also charge you for completing the registration of your phone.
Resource: ikamet.com