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Can I Use My Mobile Phone in Turkey?
This article will answer the question; “Can I use my mobile phone in Turkey?” in detail. The simple answer is yes, your phone will still do its job as long as you want to consider some matters about packages and prices.
You will be needing to choose between three options. Their names are; international roaming & international package, an international SIM card, or a Turkish SIM card (to be used in Turkey). All of them have their own charm. You can choose based on how your situation is. The following is a peak to give you some vision so you could know what the best option is for you. To know which one will steal your heart, let’s begin.
The Same Sim Card For Visiting Turkey
It helps when you want to use your regular SIM card instead of a new one. That will be much easier for you to get the data and call package after you just arrived at the airport, without any activation and some kind of other stuff. Remember to set the international package while you are still in your home country, also remember that this will probably cost extra money.
International Roaming
For international roaming, you can individually set it on your mobile phone. Choose the “settings” menu, then click “mobile network.” After you see the “data roaming,” option tap to enable it. However, every mobile phone product / OS has different exact order to turn it on.
This one is quite pricey because you will be charged a per minute. You need to provide enough amount of deposits on your phone. Of course, it’s not preferable if your call suddenly stopped because you run out of credits. Also, you might have a postpaid line package, which will be added to your phone bill.
International Package
You can arrange for an international package plan with your GSM provider too. You will set your maximum usage before you come to Turkey. Check your provider’s website or call them to know how you can get it. Some GSM providers give their customers the freedom that same as if you use it in your home country. Please choose the best offer because they are always expensive.
International Sim Card For Visiting Turkey
It is called a “Travel SIM Card.” You can use it wherever you are and what country you want to go to. It can be in Asia, Africa, America, and so on. You can use it all around the world. According to a website, the best international SIM card can be referred to as GoSIM. Besides, they provide you some basic services like; calls, data, and SMS plans, GoSIM also has coverage in over 210 countries across 340 networks. This is persuasive, but they claimed, they could save you up to 90% on international roaming charges, which may be a good candidate. Where to buy an international SIM card? The easiest way is through online shops. So, good luck.
Buy a Sim Card in Turkey
There are only three GSM providers in Turkey that can be set up with a SIM card which are; Vodafone, Turkcell, and Turk Telekom. New ones are coming and some are also available. If you need to make and receive calls inside Turkey, these ones are quite suitable. The price is also less pricey compared to the other ones.
As we have mentioned above, Turkey has three main GSM providers. They are Turkcell, Vodafone, and Turk Telekom. Turkcell is the recommended one. It has the most customers in Turkey and coverage in many areas. One traveler said that; “it’s the best option for most visitors to Turkey.”
While Vodafone is in second place. It suits you when you need a vast amount of data. They offer larger prepaid data package options than Turkcell. Then comes Turk Telekom in third place as the smallest operator. They have the least coverage outside the major towns and cities. But they have a particularly good price range.
International Roaming & Turkish SIM Card Users
You should register your device and then pay the registration fee or your mobile phone(s) will be blocked/stop working 120 days after it’s first used in Turkey. So this won’t affect the vast majority of short-term visitors.
For those who want to / will stay longer in Turkey, please prepare your; device, passport, residence permit in Turkey, and some Turkish lira. Then visit the tax administration office in any town in Turkey. Then pay a significant fee to register them. You will get a paper receipt for payment of the tax, with your mobile device’s IMEI noted on it. Next, visit one of the network operator shops in Turkey to register your device. Bring along your; phone, your passport, residence permit in Turkey, and the paper receipt for payment of the tax, buy a SIM card and the clerk will register it for you.
Do you not want to go through all this trouble? Is it too much work for you? Just hire our legal firm in Turkey and we’ll handle it all for you. We’ll get you set up with a new SIM card registered in Turkey and handle all the necessary procedures.
Related Article: Does Turkey Have Good Internet?
