You have a mobile phone from your country, you came to Turkey, got a Turkish sim card and then after some days you received an SMS from BTK (IT and Communication Authority) and the following days your phone is blocked. You have 120 days to register your phone after your arrival day.

If you do not want to register your phone you can buy a cheap phone from stores. 

It is because of your phone is not registered to Mobile Devices Registration System. Even the phone is registered you have to match your sim card with your residence permit ID number as well.  

We are going to explain how to register your phone to this system:

First step: Getting a Residence Permit 

You can not register your phone anymore without residence permit so if you would like to get information for the residence process please check our Touristic Residence Permit Page

Second step: Registration Fee Payment to Tax Office

After you arrive to Turkey, your passport is stamped by police at the customs. After this date you have 120 days to register your mobile phone. If 120 days passed after your last arrival then you may need a new entrance stamp in order to make the registration process.

Take your passport, residence permit card and 20.000 TL with you and go to any tax office around your district. After you get in the building you should go straight and ask for Vezne (Payment Desk). You should tell them "Cep Telefonu Kaydı" which means Mobile Phone Registration

They will ask you IMEI number of your mobile. You can learn it by pushing this digits:

*#06#

After you learn your IMEI number(s) write it down to a paper with your full passport name and passport number and Turkish Foreign ID Number (YKN, the number starting with 99, 98...) You will pay 20.000 TL and you will get a receipt. Here there is something you should pay attention.

Please check the details at your receipt is correct or not. IMEI number, your name, surname and passport number, residence permit number If there is a mistake you can not register your phone with this receipt. You will pay the tax again with the correct information.

Second Step: Registration 
You can register by two options if you have residence permit or not. 

Registration through operator company:

After you received your correct receipt. You can go to your mobile operator company store in your district (Türk Telekom, Vodafone or Turkcell)  in order to register your phone.

Mobile companies are charging for the registration around 700-1000 TL (excluding the sim card fee). So, you will pay in total 20.000-21.000 TL for mobile registration including the governmental fee.

On the other hand, please do not forget to match your sim card with your your residence permit card ID number (YKN), most probably you got your sim card with your passport and BTK system needs your mobile number matching with your Foreign ID NUmber (YKN). So your operator company will relate your passport number and YKN then the system will reactivate your number.

Registration with residence permit by e-Devlet (via turkiye.gov.tr) :

You can go to any PTT office and get a e-devlet password with your residence permit card. Then you can log in and register your phone to e-devlet website. In order to register your phone to the system you need to pay your tax (governmental fee) in advance with the correct details.

Briefly, if you would like to use Turkish Sim card at your mobile phone you should register your phone to BTK system, but if you think that 20.000 TL is too much to pay as a tax, it makes more sense to buy a cheap smart phone or a cell phone already registered to BTK system.

Registering your SIM card with your Residence Permit ID number

Your Turkish SIM Card will be blocked after 30 days x 4 times period which is 120 days. So it means, from the first time you start to use your sim card even 1 day, 30 days period starts for you and after using it actively in the following months 30+30+30+30=120 days then it will be blocked. In these 4 months period you should already start your residence permit process and then you should match your Turkish Foreign ID number with your Turkish Mobile Number. In order to make this registration you should go to your operator`s company and deliver them your active residence permit card.