IMEI Registration Turkey 2026: Fee, SIM Card & Home Internet
IMEI registration in Turkey costs 54,258 TL in 2026. How to do it on e-Devlet, new SIM limits for foreigners and home internet contract tips.
Registering a phone in Turkey means recording the IMEI number of a phone you brought from abroad in the system of Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). In 2026 the official fee is 54,258 TL, the application is made through the government portal e-Devlet, and an unregistered phone works with a Turkish SIM card for at most 120 days. This guide walks you through the registration step by step, together with the new SIM card rules for foreigners and what to watch for in a home internet contract.
These three tasks are usually among the first things any family does when moving to Istanbul: without a Turkish line, many banking and government services won't send you a verification text, and without home internet, working or studying from home becomes difficult. So it pays to plan for them in your first weeks.
What is IMEI registration in Turkey and who needs it?
To fight phone smuggling, Turkey only allows permanent access to its mobile networks for devices whose IMEI is on BTK's "white list". Phones bought from official retailers inside Turkey are already registered. A phone you brought from Iran or any other country, however, works with a Turkish SIM card for only 120 days without registration, after which it is cut off from the mobile network.
So if you are only here for a short trip, you usually don't need to register. But if you have a residence permit or plan to stay in Turkey for more than four months and don't want to buy a new phone, you need to register it.
To see your IMEI, dial *#06# on the phone. Dual-SIM phones have two IMEI numbers; write both down carefully.
IMEI registration fee in Turkey in 2026
The fee is a "usage permit fee" charged under tariff no. 8 of Turkey's Fees Law (Law 492), and it rises every year with the "revaluation rate". For 2026, a presidential decision published in Turkey's Official Gazette applied an increase of 18.95% instead of 25.49%, bringing the fee to 54,258 TL. Some websites still quote 57,241 TL, which was based on the original rate and never took effect.
| Year | Fee per phone (Turkish lira) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | About 31,700 | As reported by Duvar English |
| 2025 | 45,614 | Revaluation rate of 43.93% |
| 2026 | 54,258 | Presidential decision published 31 December 2025 |
The fee does not depend on the price of the phone; it is the same for a cheap phone and an expensive one. It usually changes on 1 January each year, so if you put registration off until the following year, you will probably pay more.
How to register your IMEI on e-Devlet, step by step
Before you start: logging in to e-Devlet
To register, you need to log in to the government portal e-Devlet. The easiest way for resident foreigners is to get an e-Devlet password from a Turkish post office (PTT) branch with your residence card and passport. You can also log in with a mobile signature, an electronic signature or the online banking of a Turkish bank. If you don't have a bank account yet, see our guide to opening a bank account in Turkey.
The five registration steps
- On e-Devlet, open the "IMEI Kayıt Hakkı Sorgulama" service and check whether you are entitled to register. If you see "Kayıt yaptırabilirsiniz", you can go ahead.
- Pay the fee: at a tax office (Vergi Dairesi), at a contracted bank, or online through the Revenue Administration (GİB). To pay, you need an identification number (a foreigner ID number starting with 99, or a tax number) and the IMEI.
- On e-Devlet, open the "IMEI Kaydet" service and enter the IMEI, the type of entry document (usually your passport) and your date of entry into Turkey.
- At the end, save the eight-digit application number.
- A few days later, check the status in the "IMEI Sorgulama" service. "Yolcu beraberinde kaydedilen cihaz" means the registration is complete.
Important: paying the fee on its own does not register the phone. Until you complete step 3, the phone is not registered.
Limits you should know
- The registration is made in the name of the person who entered Turkey on that passport; a phone cannot be registered on someone else's passport.
- Only one phone can be registered per entry. After registering, you cannot register another phone in that year or the following two calendar years.
- On dual-IMEI phones, both numbers must belong to the same phone. In its announcement of 31 December 2025, BTK said that if the second IMEI belongs to a different phone, it is removed from the registration and shut off after 120 days.
- Don't trust anyone offering a "temporary extension" or "cheap registration"; this is the only official route.
New rules from July 2026: what changed?
On 2 July 2026, amendments to the regulation and communiqué on device registration were published in Turkey's Official Gazette (issue 33298). The main changes:
- The regulation now defines e-Devlet as the "application authority", and the SMS application method was removed from the text. e-Devlet is therefore the main way to register.
- The phrase "subscriber registration centre" was removed from one provision of the communiqué. If you can't log in to e-Devlet, ask your operator's store what help they can offer before you go.
- If a registered phone breaks down and an authorised service centre replaces the phone or its motherboard, the original registrant can apply through e-Devlet to change the IMEI within three calendar years of registration, with the service centre's document showing the old and new IMEI.
The amendment did not change the fee.
Register a foreign phone or buy one in Turkey?
With a fee of 54,258 TL, this is a real question for most families. The table below will help you decide:
| Criterion | Register a foreign phone | Buy a phone in Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | 54,258 TL per phone (2026) | None; the phone is already registered |
| Economics | Makes more sense for expensive phones | Usually better value for cheaper phones |
| Limit | One phone per person per three-year period | No limit |
| Warranty | Warranty from the country of purchase; usually not valid in Turkey | Official warranty in Turkey |
| Paperwork | e-Devlet password, fee payment and online registration | Just the purchase invoice |
A simple rule: before paying, compare the price of the same model at official Turkish retailers with "the current value of your own phone + 54,258 TL".
Turkish SIM cards for foreigners: documents and line limits
Turkey's three main operators are Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom, and all of them offer prepaid and postpaid lines. A line is always opened in your own name with a valid identity document. Since 2026, new lines can only be opened with a document that can be verified electronically.
To combat fraudulent lines, BTK has set limits on the number of lines:
- Turkish citizens: up to 6 lines
- Foreigners with a foreigner ID number (residence card): up to 3 lines
- Foreigners getting a line with a passport only: up to 1 line
According to Webtekno (13 August 2026), BTK postponed the closure of lines above the limit by six months, to 25 June 2027. It also extended the period for updating foreign subscribers' records to 12 months and moved the start of the related restrictions to 5 March 2027. If you got your line with a passport and now have a residence card, ask your operator whether you need to update the line's details with your foreigner ID number.
For newcomers, the sensible order is: first a Turkish line, then an e-Devlet password, then phone registration. A Turkish line is also needed for bank text messages, residence permit renewal and government appointments.
Home internet in Istanbul: subscription, documents and fixed-term contracts
Once you have rented or bought a home, it's time for home internet. A few points most newcomers learn too late:
- Check the infrastructure first. Every operator has an "Altyapı Sorgulama" section on its website that shows, for your exact address, whether fibre or VDSL is available. Your real speed depends on this infrastructure, not on the package advertising.
- Documents. You need a valid identity document and the exact address of the home. Each operator's requirements for foreigners differ; having a residence card and foreigner ID number makes things easier.
- Fixed-term contracts (taahhüt). Most cheaper packages come with a 12- or 24-month commitment. If you cancel early, you are charged an "early termination fee" (cayma bedeli). Under BTK's consumer rights regulation, this is in effect a clawback of the discount you received, and it must not exceed the lower of "the fees for the remaining months" and "the discount received".
- Moving home. If you move to an address where the operator cannot provide the same service, legal commentary indicates you generally should not have to pay the early termination fee.
- Cancelling. Since October 2020 you have been able to file a cancellation request through the "Abonelik Fesih Başvurusu" service on e-Devlet.
If you are a tenant, take out the internet subscription in your own name and state in the rental contract who pays which bills. For a full picture of a home's bills and running costs, read annual running costs of an apartment in Istanbul, and if you are buying property, estimate the total purchase costs with the Turkey property buying costs calculator.
Document checklist at a glance
| Task | Documents needed | Where |
|---|---|---|
| e-Devlet password | Residence card and passport | Turkish post office (PTT) branches |
| Paying the registration fee | Foreigner ID number or tax number, IMEI | Tax office, bank or online via GİB |
| IMEI registration | IMEI, type of entry document and entry date | "IMEI Kaydet" service on e-Devlet |
| Mobile line | Electronically verifiable ID (passport or residence card) | Official operator store |
| Home internet | Identity document and exact home address | Operator website or store |
Frequently asked questions
How much does IMEI registration in Turkey cost in 2026?
54,258 TL per phone, regardless of model or price. The fee usually rises on 1 January each year.
What happens if I don't register my phone?
A foreign phone works with a Turkish SIM card for at most 120 days, after which it is cut off from the mobile network. Wi-Fi has nothing to do with the IMEI, but calls and mobile data on the Turkish line stop working.
Can I register my phone with my spouse's or a relative's passport?
No. The registration is in the name of the person who entered Turkey on that document and brought the phone. Each family member has their own separate right to register.
How many SIM cards can I get with a passport?
Under BTK's new rules, foreigners with only a passport can get at most one line. With a residence card and foreigner ID number, the limit is three lines.
Can I get home internet without a residence card?
It depends on the operator. Before you go, ask whether they will sign a contract with a passport or require a foreigner ID number. With a residence card, it is simpler.
Free consultation with ALO TURKEY
ALO TURKEY's consultants in Istanbul guide property buyers and newly settled families through the first steps of life here, from getting residency to setting up a home. The rules on phone registration, lines and subscription contracts can change; before acting, check the latest position with official sources or with our consultants. Message us on WhatsApp or visit our contact page.
Sources: Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK), announcement of 31 December 2025; Official Gazette of Turkey (Resmî Gazete) issue 33298, 2 July 2026, as reported by Alomaliye and Diken; presidential decision on the 2026 registration fee, as reported by Teknoblog (31 December 2025); e-Devlet portal; Webtekno (13 August 2026); DonanımHaber; Duvar English; BTK consumer rights regulation as summarised in legal commentary (2026).