One of those things that you can easily forget is making sure you can access the internet. Many European internetproviders in the European countries do not provide the same internetservice in Turkiye as they do in other countries. Internet is expensive if it is available. There is an easy solution to this, you can either use an eSim, or you can buy an Turkish Simcard. In this post you will read why you must chose a Turkish Simcard. We will guide you through the process of buying this Simcard. Let’s get started.

Why You Need a Turkish Simcard

It is possible to survive in Turkiye without a Turkish Simcard. However, you will make your own life a lot more complicated like this. For many things, like the residence permit application, or ordering food online, a Turkish phone number is required. There are some work arounds, but it will be more easy and comfortable to use your own Turkish phone number. This is not a big deal, as buying a Turkish Simcard is very easy.

Where to Get a Turkish Simcard

There are so many places in Istanbul where you can get a Turkish Simcard. We would advice you to go to one of the big three internetproviders in Turkiye.

• Turkcell (2000TL, 2025)
• Vodafone Turkey (2500TL, 2025)
• Türk Telekom (2000TL, 2025)

All of these three companies have many stores around the city, so it is very unlikely that there is not one store close to you. Which provider you chose is up to you, as there might be slight differences in prices and quality.

Personally I went with Turkcell, and I got a very pleasent experience with this. There is a very user-friendly app, and in my experience the internet works very well.

The Process

There are some imporant things you have to remember about the process. Firstly, you first must buy a Tourist Simcard which will be connected to your passport. This one is only working for a maximum of three months. In the meantime you should apply and receive your residence permit card. As soon as you have this residence permit card, you go back to the store and ask if they can make the necessary changes, meaning they connect it to your residence permit card instead of your passport.

So how do you get a tourist simcard? You go to the internetprovider’s store and ask for a tourist simcard. You will have to bring:

• Passport
• Phone
• Money (Cash or Card)

For the necessary changes after three months, you don’t have to pay anything. But you should still bring:

• Passport
• Phone

Most providers use an app where you can top-up your internet.

TIP 1: Don’t buy your simcard on the airport. On the airport it is much more expensive.

TIP 2: We would advise to use an eSim for the first days after arrival, as soon as you have time go to the store and buy a simcard. Make sure you have access to the internet after arrival, so that you don’t have to buy expensive internet on the airport.

WARNING: You can only use a Turkish Simcard for four months (120 days), as you must register your phone at the Turkish government. Your phone’s access to the internet will stop working after four months if your phone is not registered at the government. Erasmus exchanges are often only a few months. So, be smart about when you will buy your simcard. If you have a five month stay for example, you can use the first month an eSim and then buy the Tourist Simcard. If you stay six months, you can do the same, and for the last month use your eSim again.

The Turkish Simcard is very useful and is required for the residence permit application. Make sure you manage this well, buy it at the right time in the right place. I hope this post has given you some clarity about what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.

If you have questions, feel free to comment down below. And don’t forget to follow me on my socials. Thank you for reading and see you next time!