SIM Cards and IMEI in Turkey:
The Two 2026 BTK Reforms and What They Mean for British Residents
The short version. In summer 2026 Turkey’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) introduced two separate reforms that between them change everything foreigners need to know about mobile phones in Turkey.
Reform 1 (from 25 June 2026). Mandatory re-verification of every subscriber’s identity. Foreign nationals who cannot be verified first lose outgoing services, then lose the number altogether.
Reform 2 (from 2 July 2026). IMEI registration has gone fully digital: applications are accepted only through e-Devlet, the SMS route has been abolished, and it is now possible to transfer a registration to a replacement handset when the original fails.
Two groups of British nationals are affected in quite different ways: full-time residents with an İkamet card, and second-home owners and overwinterers who come and go on the 90-day visitor rule. The second group faces the tighter squeeze — see sections 3 and 11.3.
1. The legal basis
This is not an operator initiative. It rests on regulations published in Turkey’s Official Gazette, Resmî Gazete of 11 June 2026, No. 33277:
- Elektronik Haberleşme Sektöründe Başvuru Sahibinin Kimliğinin Doğrulanma Süreci Hakkında Yönetmelikte Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Yönetmelik — on identity verification of applicants in the electronic communications sector (amending the parent regulation of 26.06.2021, RG No. 31523);
- Elektronik Haberleşme Sektörüne İlişkin Tüketici Hakları Yönetmeliğinde Değişiklik Yapılmasına Dair Yönetmelik — on consumer rights in the electronic communications sector.
Both came into force on 25 June 2026 (Article 9 of each).
Three weeks later a third instrument followed: the Elektronik Kimlik Bilgisini Haiz Cihazların Kayıt Altına Alınmasına Dair Yönetmelikte Değişiklik Yapılmasına İlişkin Yönetmelik, governing registration of devices with an electronic identity — that is, IMEI. It appeared in the Resmî Gazete of 2 July 2026, No. 33298 and took effect on the day of publication. Section 11 covers it in full.
The stated aim is to eliminate so-called açık hat (“open lines”) — numbers registered in someone else’s name. Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu linked the reform directly to fraud and other criminal activity conducted through such numbers, and to the predicament of people who discover enforcement proceedings, civil claims or even criminal investigations attached to lines they never knowingly held.
One point to grasp: this is not a one-off amnesty-style campaign. Operators must now audit their subscriber databases every three months.
2. Who is affected
The requirement captures:
- every foreign national holding a Turkish number — individuals and holders of business lines alike;
- above all, anyone whose line was opened on a non-chipped passport or on a document that has since expired;
- anyone whose Foreign Identification Number (Yabancı Kimlik Numarası, YKN — begins with 99) is missing from the operator’s system or recorded incorrectly;
- anyone whose residence permit has been renewed or reissued while the operator still holds the old details;
- visitors and short-stay travellers, who face separate and stricter limits.
Verification runs through KPS (Kimlik Paylaşım Sistemi), the state identity data-sharing system, keyed to either a T.C. Kimlik No or a YKN.
A note for dual nationals. British-Turkish dual citizens hold a Turkish ID number and a Turkish chip ID card, and are treated as Turkish nationals for these purposes — the six-line limit applies and the chip card resolves verification straightforwardly. If your Turkish ID is still the old paper nüfus cüzdanı, however, it will no longer be accepted for opening a new line, so a replacement chip card is worth arranging before you need it.
3. New caps on the number of lines
The regulation introduces, for the first time, a ceiling on lines held per person:
| Category | Maximum lines |
|---|---|
| Turkish nationals | 6 |
| Foreign nationals with legal residence status | 3 |
| Visitors / tourists | 1 |
| Corporate subscribers | 100 |
| Political parties, trade unions, tax-exempt foundations, public-benefit associations | up to 2,000 |
Exempt: government bodies, embassies, large enterprises above the SME threshold, and NGOs engaged in search-and-rescue work in emergencies.
Anyone already holding more lines than permitted has six months to transfer or cancel the surplus. No charge applies to either transaction.
This matters most for second-home owners. If you do not hold an İkamet card and visit on the standard 90-days-in-180 visitor allowance, you are legally a visitor — and the cap is one line. British owners in Alanya commonly hold two: a personal number and a second card left in the apartment for the property manager, the alarm system, a router or a family member. Under the new rules that second line is surplus. Deal with it deliberately, on your own terms, rather than discovering it has been cut.
4. Which documents are now accepted
This is the change most often lost in simplified retellings.
No longer acceptable for opening a line
Documents with no electronic verification capability:
- the old Turkish paper ID card (nüfus cüzdanı);
- driving licences;
- professional ID cards (meslek kartı);
- passports of the older, non-chipped type.
Acceptable
- electronic ID documents with a contact chip (TEKB) and NFC-enabled documents (YAKB) meeting ISO/IEC 15408 (EAL4+ or above) and ISO/IEC 7816;
- the British biometric passport — read via NFC;
- the residence card (İkamet Kartı) and the work permit (Çalışma İzni);
- for foreign nationals without an electronically verifiable document: biometric confirmation through the Migration Authority’s GöçBil app;
- for diplomatic staff and their families: confirmation through e-Devlet against Turkish Foreign Ministry records.
On the British passport: all UK passports issued since 2006 contain a contactless chip to ICAO standard, so in principle they satisfy the requirement. In practice, take your İkamet Kartı as well if you hold one — it is the least troublesome document in Turkish systems because it is bound directly to your YKN.
On the UK driving licence: it is not accepted, and neither is any other photo ID short of a passport or a Turkish residence document. The photocard licence is a common fallback for British nationals in everyday situations here; it will not work at a mobile shop.
In-branch registrations now also involve a video recording of the transaction. Where a document has been lost or is being replaced, a procedure using a temporary document combined with biometrics (facial scan) is available.
5. Timescales and consequences: the precise mechanics
Two distinct deadlines run in parallel.
A) The general clean-up window for foreign-held lines
Existing lines held by foreign individuals are being re-verified, and those that cannot be confirmed are closed within six months. Counting from commencement, that window runs to roughly the end of December 2026.
B) The individual process on a given number
If a quarterly audit fails to confirm your identity or activity, a staged process begins:
| Stage | Deadline | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | within 24 hours | The operator notifies you — by SMS at minimum — on the contact numbers held against all of your lines |
| 2 | within 30 days | If verification has not been completed, a restriction is applied (under Art. 17(2)(a): outgoing services are blocked) |
| 3 | within 90 days | If verification is still outstanding, the line is closed |
On “permanent”. Once a line is closed the contract is terminated and the number generally returns to the operator’s pool, becoming available for reallocation after a quarantine period. There is no automatic restoration procedure. That is precisely why stage 3 should never be reached — particularly where mobile banking, e-Devlet, government apps and two-factor authentication all hang off the number.
Separate rule for business lines: where the legal entity still exists but only the authorised representative’s identity could not be confirmed, the line is not closed. However, all contractual transactions are frozen until a new authorised representative is appointed.
6. Route 1: in person at an operator’s shop
What to bring:
- the original İkamet Kartı (number begins 99) or Çalışma İzni;
- or your British biometric passport;
- your existing contract, if you have it.
Where to go: an official Türk Telekom, Vodafone or Turkcell store. Practical advice: choose a large, central operator-owned branch rather than a small franchised dealer. Smaller outlets more often lack working NFC readers, and entering foreign nationals’ details correctly tends to go wrong there.
What the assistant does: checks the document, reads the chip by NFC, performs a facial scan where required, enters your YKN into the system, and records the transaction on video.
The step that actually matters. Once your details are entered, ask for the updated contract to be printed and check it yourself:
- the spelling of your forename and surname, character by character, exactly as on your residence card;
- your YKN (11 digits, beginning 99);
- the document expiry date recorded in the system.
British names create a specific and very common failure mode here. Middle names on a UK passport may be entered into the forename field, omitted entirely, or split across fields — and the resulting mismatch will fail the database check. Hyphenated and double-barrelled surnames are frequently entered without the hyphen or split in two. The authoritative version is the machine-readable zone at the foot of your passport photo page: insist the record matches that.
A single divergent character is enough for the cross-check against government records to fail, at which point the process in section 5(B) begins. Keep a copy of the contract.
Cost: verification is free. Anyone charging for it is not a reputable outlet.
7. Route 2: remote verification via GöçBil
GöçBil is the official app of Turkey’s Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi Başkanlığı). It is free, available on the App Store and Google Play, and includes a section for mobile operator transactions (NFC, MRZ reading, facial recognition, subscriber confirmation). The interface is available in English, alongside Turkish, German, Arabic, Persian, Russian and Pashto.
How it works:
- Install the app from the official store. The project’s official information site is
gocbil.goc.gov.tr. - Sign in via e-Devlet (single sign-on) or create a profile in the app.
- Capture your document: MRZ line and/or chip via NFC.
- Complete the biometric facial scan — the live image is matched against the photograph on the government database, with anti-spoofing checks against photo or video substitution.
- Once confirmed, the data passes to your operator and the restriction is lifted.
An important caveat on e-Devlet. You can register in the app without an e-Devlet password, but if you do not have one, identification must be completed in person at the İl Göç İdaresi Müdürlüğü (provincial migration directorate). For Alanya, that means the directorate in Antalya.
On data handling. According to GöçBil’s privacy notice, biometric data is processed solely for identification, stored on the authority’s own servers, not shared with third parties and not transferred abroad; facial recognition biometrics are deleted or anonymised within 30 days of the process concluding. Processing is stated to comply with Turkey’s data protection law, KVKK.
For readers used to UK GDPR: KVKK is modelled on European data protection law and provides comparable data subject rights, including access, rectification and erasure. UK GDPR itself does not apply to a Turkish public authority acting domestically in relation to people present in Turkey — the governing framework here is KVKK, and the enforcement body is the Turkish Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK Kurumu), not the ICO. If you would rather not submit biometrics at all, use the shop route with NFC reading of your passport instead.
8. ⚠️ Telling a genuine notification from a phishing attempt
This is the most dangerous aspect of the whole exercise. The reform has created ideal conditions for fraud: people are now genuinely expecting a text from their operator, and are primed to tap the link.
Rule one: check the domain
The official domains — and only these:
turktelekom.com.trvodafone.com.trturkcell.com.tr- government portals:
turkiye.gov.tr(e-Devlet),goc.gov.tr(Migration Authority),btk.gov.tr(BTK)
Everything else is phishing. Retellings of this story circulating online include links in the form turktelekom.ly…. The .ly suffix does not belong to Türk Telekom and has nothing to do with Turkey. Any shortened link (bit.ly, tinyurl, .ly, .info, .top, .xyz) and any domain with a typo in the operator’s name (turktellekom, turk-telekom, turkcell-dogrulama) is an attempt to harvest your credentials.
Rule two: don’t follow links at all
The safest approach is simple: you receive a text — you tap nothing. Instead:
- open your operator’s official app, installed from the App Store or Google Play;
- or call the helpline: Türk Telekom 444 1 444, Vodafone 542, Turkcell 532 (from your own number);
- or walk into the operator’s shop.
Rule three: the tells
- being asked to enter your e-Devlet password, a PIN, an SMS code or card details on a third-party site;
- any demand for payment to complete verification;
- a request to send photographs of documents via messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram);
- extreme urgency (“your number will be blocked in two hours”);
- a call from “BTK” or “the police” demanding immediate action — Turkish authorities do not verify subscribers by telephone;
- messages in stilted or machine-translated English. Operators generally correspond with foreign customers in Turkish or in standard English.
Neither your operator nor BTK nor the Migration Authority will ever ask for your e-Devlet password or your banking details. Identity verification happens either in person or in the official app — never through a link in a message.
If you have already followed a suspicious link and entered details: change your e-Devlet password immediately, freeze your cards through your bank’s official app, and report it. In Turkey, call the police on 155 or report a cyber incident to USOM (usom.gov.tr). Where UK accounts are involved, call your bank on 159 from a UK line and report the fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (or Police Scotland on 101).
9. What is riding on your number
Before matters escalate to a restriction, take stock of the dependencies. For most residents, a Turkish number carries:
- online banking with a Turkish bank and SMS transaction confirmations;
- e-Devlet (account recovery, notifications);
- Migration Authority correspondence about your residence permit;
- utility, internet, tenancy and DASK earthquake insurance contracts;
- two-factor authentication for email and messaging.
Losing the number produces a cascade, and restoring bank access without a working Turkish line is a laborious, strictly in-person process. That is the real practical argument for not putting this off.
Recommendations. Make sure your Turkish bank holds a current email address as a secondary channel, and set up an alternative sign-in method for e-Devlet (via ID chip or mobile signature). If you are only in Turkey seasonally, check that your pay-as-you-go line will not be deactivated for inactivity over the winter — a number closed for non-use is now considerably harder to replace than it was.
For British pensioners: if your State Pension or a private pension is paid into a Turkish account, or if you receive DWP correspondence including life certificates, make sure the contact details held by the paying body are not solely a Turkish mobile number that might be interrupted. A UK number or email as backup is prudent.
10. Reform 2: new IMEI registration rules (from 2 July 2026)
This is routinely confused with SIM verification. The distinction is fundamental:
- Subscriber verification concerns the person and the number. Free. Compulsory for everyone.
- IMEI registration concerns the physical handset brought in from abroad. Chargeable. Required only once the grace period expires.
Legal basis: the regulation in the Resmî Gazete of 2 July 2026, No. 33298 (amending the parent regulation of 12.07.2014, RG No. 29058), effective on publication. The associated implementing communiqué (tebliğ) was amended at the same time.
10.1. What has changed
All applications go through e-Devlet only. The definition of the application authority (başvuru mercii) in Article 4 has been rewritten to read, literally, “the e-Devlet portal”. At the same time, references to initiating registration by SMS were struck out, and Article 20(2), (3) and (4) — which previously permitted processing through subscriber registration centres (abone kayıt merkezleri) — were repealed. In short: the SMS method and the operator-counter route are gone. One channel remains.
Registration can now be transferred to a new IMEI. Previously, if a registered — that is, paid-for — handset failed, its owner effectively forfeited the fee, because the replacement counted as a new device. Now, where the handset or its motherboard has been replaced because of a fault by the manufacturer, importer or an authorised service centre, the registration can be carried across to the new IMEI.
The application is made through e-Devlet by either the original applicant or the importer/manufacturer that carried out the replacement. It must be accompanied by a replacement document showing:
- company letterhead with details, or the company stamp;
- the name, registered title and contact details of the firm that performed the replacement;
- an explicit statement that the replacement was made because of a fault;
- both the old and the new IMEI numbers.
Without that document no transfer is possible, and the replacement handset must be registered afresh with the fee paid again.
A point on wording. The regulation speaks of replacement because of a fault (arıza nedeniyle). Warranty claims and manufacturing defects obviously fall within that, but the text does not use the word “warranty” — what counts is that the service centre’s document identifies a fault as the reason. Swapping a working handset (an upgrade, trade-in or sale) confers no right of transfer.
A special regime for diplomatic staff. Employees of embassies, consulates and foreign missions granted tax exemption by the Turkish Foreign Ministry (holders of the Yabancı Misyon Kimlik Kartı) apply through e-Devlet while their card is valid. Their devices’ IMEIs remain on the “white list” for the full validity of the card. Once the card expires, a further 120 days of use is granted; if registration is not renewed by then, the IMEI moves to the “black list” and the device is cut off from Turkish mobile networks.
Tighter enforcement of the black list. If a device whose IMEI is black-listed is used again with any subscriber number, the operator must report it to BTK immediately, citing the number concerned.
10.2. What has NOT changed
A widespread misunderstanding is worth correcting: the new regulation governs the procedure for registration and IMEI replacement. It changes neither the import rules for handsets, nor the fee, nor the grace periods.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Use of an imported handset without IMEI registration | unchanged — 120 days (about 4 months) per calendar year |
| Same for dual-SIM or eSIM devices | up to 8 months (the allowance runs per SIM slot) |
| IMEI registration fee for 2026 | TRY 54,258 — unchanged |
| Import rules, including the “one device every three years” allowance | unchanged |
The clock starts not on arrival but at the moment a SIM is inserted and the handset actually registers on a Turkish network. The fee is revised annually by the official revaluation rate, so the 2027 figure will differ. Widely cited conversions put the current fee at roughly US$1,260; check the live sterling rate before budgeting, as Turkish lira movements make any fixed pound figure unreliable within weeks.
10.3. What this means in practice for British residents in Alanya
- Overwinterers are the group most exposed. A stay from October to April runs to six or seven months and comfortably exceeds the 120-day allowance. A dual-SIM handset stretches the position; with a single SIM you will have a dead phone by around February.
- Roaming is the alternative for shorter stays. For a few weeks a year, a UK tariff with a Turkey add-on is often cheaper and sidesteps the issue entirely. Note that Turkey has never fallen within EU-style inclusive roaming, and since Brexit most UK providers charge separately for it — check your specific plan rather than assuming, since terms vary considerably between providers and between older and newer contracts.
- Registering is frequently not worth it. At TRY 54,258, buying a handset officially imported into Turkey is cheaper for many devices — its IMEI is already cleared.
- If you have registered and the handset fails, keep the paperwork. Insist the service centre issues a document showing both IMEI numbers and identifying the fault. It is the only way to avoid paying twice.
- You need an e-Devlet password to apply. There is no other route now.
- Check IMEI status free of charge through e-Devlet (the BTK “IMEI Sorgulama” service); find your own handset’s IMEI by dialling
*#06#.
10.4. How the two reforms interlock
Formally these are separate procedures. In practice they intersect:
- Both run through e-Devlet. Without an e-Devlet password you cannot submit an IMEI application at all, and remote verification through GöçBil becomes awkward.
- Both generate the same scam. Messages along the lines of “your IMEI will be blocked, pay the fee via this link” are circulating in exactly the same form as the fake verification notices. The same rule applies: the IMEI fee is paid only through official channels, and the application is made only at
turkiye.gov.tr. - The consequences can stack. It is entirely possible to have a number restricted for failed verification and a handset black-listed by IMEI at the same time — two separate remedies before two different bodies.
11. If your number is already restricted or closed
Where a restriction is in place (stage 2): incoming calls usually still arrive, while outgoing calls and mobile data are blocked. You have until the 90-day deadline expires. Take the original of your residence card or biometric passport to an operator’s shop; the restriction is lifted once identification succeeds.
Where the line has already been closed (stage 3): the contract has ended. Approach the operator and ask for the number’s status in writing. Where closure resulted from a technical error on the operator’s side — incorrectly entered details, for instance — a challenge is possible:
- a written complaint to the operator, insisting on a reference number for the case;
- if refused, or if no response arrives within the applicable period: a complaint to BTK through the form at
btk.gov.tror via e-Devlet; - in parallel, where there is a monetary dimension: an application to the Tüketici Hakem Heyeti (consumer arbitration committee) for your district — in Alanya, at the Kaymakamlık.
Experience suggests prospects improve markedly where the previous contract, payment records and correspondence with the operator have been kept. If banking services are tied to the number, notify the bank in writing at the same time.
For more tangled situations — particularly where a residence permit, property management arrangements or banking mandates are affected — legal representation is advisable. The British Vice Consulate in Antalya (Gürsu Mahallesi, 324 Sokak No. 6, Konyaaltı; +90 242 228 28 11) can assist with passport and documentary matters and maintains a list of English-speaking lawyers, but it cannot intervene in a dispute with a Turkish mobile operator.
12. Checklist: what to do now
On the SIM card:
- [ ] Confirm you hold a valid İkamet Kartı or Çalışma İzni.
- [ ] Check in your operator’s app what details are held against you (name, surname, YKN).
- [ ] If the line is registered to a passport, book a shop appointment and have your YKN added.
- [ ] Install GöçBil from the official app store.
- [ ] Count how many lines are in your name — the cap is 3 for residents, 1 for visitors.
- [ ] Check your name against the machine-readable zone of your passport, paying attention to middle names and hyphens.
On the handset (IMEI):
- [ ] Work out how many days the device has already run on a Turkish SIM this calendar year.
- [ ] Check IMEI status through e-Devlet if in any doubt.
- [ ] If the device is registered, keep the registration paperwork.
- [ ] On any repair involving a board or handset swap, obtain a service document with old and new IMEI at the time, not later.
If you are a second-home owner or overwinterer:
- [ ] Establish whether you count as a resident or a visitor for the line cap.
- [ ] Deal with any surplus line yourself within the six-month window.
- [ ] Make sure a seasonally dormant number will not lapse for inactivity.
- [ ] Compare the cost of IMEI registration against UK roaming for your actual pattern of stay.
General:
- [ ] Make sure you have an e-Devlet password — both procedures now depend on it.
- [ ] Save the operator helpline numbers to your contacts.
- [ ] Never tap a link in a text message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions on your mind
- A general six-month window for closing unverified foreign-held lines (roughly to the end of December 2026)
- An individual clock per number — 30 days to restriction, 90 days to closure, from the date of notification
- Verification concerns you and your contract, is free and is compulsory
- IMEI registration concerns a handset brought in from abroad, is chargeable, and is required only once the grace period runs out
In summary
Neither BTK reform is a scam or a temporary campaign. Together they establish a permanent control regime: quarterly subscriber audits, and a fully digital, single-channel process for device registration.
For British nationals it reduces to four points:
- Complete verification early, on your own initiative — in person at a large operator branch, or through the official GöçBil app. It is free and takes anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour.
- Set up and safeguard e-Devlet access. It has become the shared front door to both procedures.
- Work out whether you count as a resident or a visitor, and deal with any surplus line within the six-month window rather than waiting for it to be cut.
- Never follow a link in a text message — not about your SIM, not about your IMEI, not about an allegedly unpaid fee.
The real risk here lies not in the complexity of the procedures but in delay, and in phishing that is flourishing precisely because people now genuinely expect official notifications.
Need assistance?
The lawyers at AlanyaLegal advise English-speaking clients on residence permits, work permits, dealings with the Migration Authority and mobile operators, and complaints to BTK and the consumer arbitration committee. Where a number has already been restricted or closed and banking or government services depend on it, prompt action usually resolves matters — and clear written documentation, gathered before the first refusal rather than after, makes all the difference.
This article is provided for general information and does not constitute legal advice. It reflects the position at the date of publication; regulations and their application in practice may change. Primary sources: Resmî Gazete of 11.06.2026 No. 33277 (subscriber verification, in force from 25.06.2026); Resmî Gazete of 02.07.2026 No. 33298 (IMEI registration, in force on publication); the official portals of BTK (btk.gov.tr), e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr) and the Presidency of Migration Management (goc.gov.tr, gocbil.goc.gov.tr). For your specific circumstances, please consult a qualified lawyer.
