Turkey eSIM Ban: What Is Blocked and How to Stay Online

Quick answer: is eSIM banned in Turkey?

• eSIM itself is not banned; many providers are blocked. Since July 2025, Turkey's telecom authority BTK has blocked access to the websites and apps of international eSIM providers. One count puts it at 35 or more, including Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Yesim and Ubigi.
• An eSIM installed before you arrive usually keeps working. Reports say the block hits websites and apps, not the mobile network. Buying, installing or topping up from inside Turkey is the hard part.
• So: buy and install your eSIM at home, pick enough data, and switch it on when you land.

What happened

On July 10, 2025, Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) issued a ruling blocking access to eSIM providers, followed by a second ruling on July 17, 2025. According to the Turkish free-speech initiative EngelliWeb, at least 35 providers were blocked, among them Saily, Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Instabridge, Mobimatter, Alosim, BNESIM, Holiday eSIM, Flexiroam, Roamless, Maya, Yesim, Ubigi, GigSky and Sim Local (bne IntelliNews, July 21, 2025). The legal basis of the ruling was not published.

German tech sites GIGA (June 27, 2026) and netzwelt (April 23, 2026) describe the block as still in place in 2026 (GIGA, netzwelt, both in German).

What is blocked, and what is not

BTK has not published an official list, so the situation can change.

Does Saily work in Turkey?

Saily is on the blocked list. Saily itself says on its Turkey page that access to the Saily app may be restricted in Turkey due to local restrictions, and it recommends setting up the eSIM before your trip (Saily, in German). The same logic applies to Airalo, Holafly and Nomad: a profile installed before travel usually works, the app may not.

Before you leave: the order that works

1. Check your phone: eSIM-compatible and carrier-unlocked (compatible devices).
2. Buy your plan at home and choose a bit more data than you think, since topping up in Turkey can be hard.
3. Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, for example by QR code. Label the line "Turkey".
4. Save the QR code or activation details, for example as a screenshot.
5. In Turkey: turn the line on, choose it for cellular data and turn on data roaming for the eSIM.

Step-by-step screens are in how to install your eSIM.

Already in Turkey without an eSIM?

• Try hotel Wi-Fi: not every provider site is blocked, and the list can change.
• Contact your eSIM provider's support, for example by WhatsApp or email, and ask them to send the installation details.
• A SIM card or eSIM from a Turkish operator such as Turkcell, Vodafone or Türk Telekom is the fallback.

If an installed eSIM has no data, it is often a setting such as data roaming or the selected data line: why is my eSIM not working?

eSIMFOX for Turkey

eSIMFOX shows the same advice on its Turkey page: install your eSIM before entering Turkey, because access to some eSIM websites and apps is restricted there. Validity starts with the first network connection in Turkey, no ID check is required, and the listed networks are Vodafone, Türk Telekom and Turkcell.

Sources

• Block, rulings and providers: bne IntelliNews, July 21, 2025; status in 2026: GIGA, June 27, 2026 and netzwelt, April 23, 2026 (German).
• Saily: Saily Turkey page, checked November 6, 2026.
• eSIMFOX prices and notes: Turkey eSIM, checked November 6, 2026.

Related guides

• Turkey eSIM: all eSIMFOX plans
• How to install your eSIM
• Why is my eSIM not working?