Turkey SIM Cards: Everything You Need To Know | 2022
Visiting Turkey soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Turkish SIM card.
Fortunately, Europe is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily. You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Europe. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Turkey in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them. That said, if you’re traveling to other countries in Europe, you should be able to use the same SIM card because most SIM card providers also offer coverage in other European countries. Turkey is part of both Europe and Asia, so please check with your network provider if Turkey is covered in your plan before traveling there.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Turkey. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a Uber, or translate Turkish – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Turkey.
Note that your mobile phone provider may already offer Turkey coverage if you’re European. If that’s the case, you won’t need a SIM card for your adventures in Turkey. Turkey is not part of the EU, so double-check with your network provider if Turkey is covered in your European roaming.
Best SIM Cards In Turkey
If you’re traveling in Turkey, we recommend using a SIM card from Turkcell, Vodafone, Turk Telecom, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Europe, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other European countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In Turkey
You can either buy a Europe prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport. That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a European prepaid SIM card online. (Many Europe SIM cards include coverage in Turkey.)
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Turkcell, Vodafone, and Turk Telecom.
Turkcell SIM Cards
Turkcell offers a local SIM card for tourists with the following points:
- 20 GB data
- 200 minutes and unlimited WhatsApp
- 30 days
- TL 149 ($8.02)
As you can see, this is a relatively cheap option and has the added bonus of unlimited WhatsApp messaging.
Vodafone SIM Cards
Vodafone also offers one prepaid plan for tourists, which includes:
- 20 GB
- Unlimited WhatsApp
- 28 days
From what we can see, the new SIM card charge can vary from store to store, depending on where you buy it.
Turk Telecom SIM Cards
Turk Telecom offers prepaid SIM cards for tourists also. They offer three different plans, based on how much data you want:
- Welcome 25: 28 days, 25 GB data, 750 minutes + 750 texts for TL 85 ($4.58)
- Welcome 50: 28 days, 50 GB data, 1500 minutes + 1000 texts for TL 165 ($8.88)
- Welcome 75: 15 days, 75 GB data, 750 minutes + 750 texts for TL 165 ($8.88)
Overall, we think Turk Telecom is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
How To Buy A Turkey Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the OneSimCard Expedition Prepaid SIM Card works in more than 200 countries. Turkey is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and make sure the countries you plan on visiting are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid Middle Eastern SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or Australia. They currently offer 4 different packages.
- 12 GB, valid for 30 days for $26 – works in 71 countries
- 100 GB, valid for 30 days for $49 – works in 44 countries
- 80 GB, valid for 28 days for $69 – works in 45 countries
- 40 GB, valid for 28 days for $55 – works in 45 countries
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Europe.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For Turkey
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Turkey.
Curious? Learn more about eSIM for travelers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs in Turkey.
Airalo Turkey
If you want to buy an eSIM for Turkey, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Europe and Turkey. I’ve been using Airalo in Europe for several months, and it works fine.
Here are the options available:
- Merhaba: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
- Merhaba: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $8
- Merhaba: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $12
- Merhaba: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $18
Here’s an overview of the options available in Europe:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
- 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
- 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185
The options mentioned above are part of Eurolink and offer coverage in 39 countries, including Turkey.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 87 countries, including Turkey.
Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
- 20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly Turkey
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store. I’ve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine. Their Europe eSIM work in 32 countries (including Turkey), and they offer the following plans:
- Unlimited data for 5 days for $19
- Unlimited data for 10 days for $34
- Unlimited data for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data for 20 days for $54
- Unlimited data for 30 days for $64
- Unlimited data for 60 days for $84
- Unlimited data for 90 days for $99
Nomad Turkey
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for Turkey:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $20
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $48
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $54
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Turkey
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Turkey or even an eSIM for your travels in Turkey is pretty straightforward. You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Europe without changing your SIM card (depending on your network provider), especially if you purchase a European SIM card.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Turkey if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card. Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to Turkey soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
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