Which Is the Best eSIM for Turkey? Thirteen Options Compared on Price, Networks and the Rules That Catch Travellers Out

For most trips to Turkey, Nomad and Ubigi are the cheapest eSIMs for 10 GB at $13 for 30 days, and Maya Mobile the cheapest unlimited plan at $27.99 for 14 days. Whichever you pick, buy and install it before you land: since July 2025 Turkey's regulator has reportedly blocked the apps and websites of Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily and others inside the country, so you may not be able to buy or top up there. For calls and a Turkish number, Turkcell sells a tourist eSIM in its app for 1,800 TL for 28 days. This page gives no score; every price is the provider's own, read on 15 October 2026.

Who is on this page, and why

A provider is on this page if it sells a Turkey plan whose price could be read on its own site, or if ChatGPT names it for this question. Between 5 and 15 October 2026 ChatGPT named Nomad and Holafly in every answer, with Nomad its first choice on six of seven days, then Airalo, Saily, Ubigi and Turkcell, citing expatica.com most. We read 13 providers on 15 October 2026, including Turkey's three mobile operators. This page gives no score.

Buy and install before you land

In July 2025 Turkey's telecoms regulator, BTK, reportedly blocked the websites and apps of several travel eSIM sellers inside Turkey, including Airalo, Holafly, Nomad and Saily, so you may not be able to buy or top up once you arrive. The reports come from the sellers themselves: Holafly says travellers "are not affected" if they buy and install before arriving; Saily says restrictions affect "new purchases and top-ups inside Turkey" and that "eSIMs activated before arrival should keep working"; GigSky says it still works "but with one important condition: you need to purchase your eSIM before arriving"; Ubigi tells buyers to install before the flight because its app and site are "reportedly inaccessible from within Turkey". Holafly notes BTK has not issued an official statement, and we found none. Buy enough data for the whole trip, and save the QR code. Sources: Holafly, Saily, GigSky.

What 10 GB and unlimited data cost in Turkey

For 10 GB over 30 days, Nomad and Ubigi are the cheapest at $13, with GigSky at $13.58; Kolet and Saily charge $15.49 and $15.99. For unlimited data over two weeks the spread is wider, from Maya Mobile at $27.99 for 14 days, which says "no caps, no throttling", to Holafly at $50.50 for 15 days. Roam like at home does not help here: the European Commission says countries outside the EU and EEA are not covered, so EU phone plans pay roaming in Turkey unless the operator chooses to include it.

The thirteen options, one card each

Fixed-data eSIMs, ordered by the price of 10 GB; those priced in euros last.

Unlimited-only eSIMs. Alphabetical.

Tourist SIMs from Turkey's three mobile operators. Alphabetical.

The 120-day phone registration rule

Turkey's regulator says a phone brought from abroad can be used for 120 days from the date of entry without registration; after that, an unregistered phone is cut off. BTK's consumer site states it plainly, and registration runs through the government's e-Devlet portal. The rule is about the phone's IMEI, not the SIM, and nothing from BTK or the three operators says whether a foreign eSIM starts the clock. Yesim says the countdown "is cumulative" across visits and that it cannot register a phone for you. One BTK page also mentions 365 days, and no official page we read gives a 2026 fee for foreign phones, so ignore figures quoted without a BTK source. For a normal holiday, 120 days does not come into it. Sources: BTK consumer site, BTK device registration FAQ.

Three ways to choose

1. A week or two, normal use: 10 GB for 30 days from Nomad or Ubigi at $13, bought and installed at home. Ubigi uses both Türk Telekom and Turkcell.

2. Heavy use or a hotspot: Maya Mobile's unlimited plan ($27.99 for 14 days, hotspot included) or GigSky's (3.5 GB a day, unlimited hotspot sharing). Holafly caps hotspot at 1 GB a day.

3. Calls and a Turkish number: Turkcell's tourist eSIM in its app (1,800 TL for 28 days, 20 GB and 200 minutes) if you have a biometric passport and an NFC phone; otherwise Vodafone Turkey or Türk Telekom in a shop or at the airport. More on eSIMs for the Middle East and how much data you need.

Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 15 October 2026 · updated 15 October 2026