Istanbul eSIM
In Istanbul you connect to Turkcell or Vodafone, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 57 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Turkcell and Vodafone
- Typical speed in Türkiye
- 57 Mbps typical, 16 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- 4G only
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Istanbul
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $4.89 | $4.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $2.63 | $7.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $1.98 | $9.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.19 | $11.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $0.99 | $19.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $0.84 | $41.89 |
How Türkiye compares across Middle East
- Regional typical speed
- 72 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Turkcell, Vodafone
- 5G
- 4G only
- Next fastest nearby
- Oman, 64 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Jordan, 38 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 4: Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia, Izmir
Landing at Istanbul Airport (IST)
- Airport
- IST / LTFM
- Distance
- 35 km from the centre of Istanbul
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalOfficially described as 'unlimited and free internet'. Two login routes: 'Login with Mobile' sends a password by SMS, or scan your passport/ID at a terminal kiosk to get an access code and use 'Login with Access Code'.
- SIM on arrival
- SIM counters or vending in the terminalTürk Telekom and Turkcell both have stores on the Arrivals floor, landside; the airport lists the Türk Telekom store as open 24/7.
- Also serves
- Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)
Getting into Istanbul
- M11 metro, Istanbul Airport Gayrettepe / Halkalı (IST)
- Havaist airport buses (11 routes to the city centre) (IST)
- M4 metro, Sabiha Gökçen Havalimanı Kadıköy (SAW)
- Havaist and İETT express buses to Taksim and Kadıköy (SAW)
Underground and on the metro
Istanbul Metro runs 11 lines. It opened in 1989. The operator does not publish whether the tunnels carry a mobile signal, so we do not claim either way.
Worth knowing about Istanbul
- A phone brought into Türkiye from abroad can be used on a Turkish SIM for 120 days without IMEI registration; after that the device is blocked from Turkish networks. Registration goes through e-Devlet and needs a Turkish ID or a foreigner ID number (YKN), which most short-stay tourists do not have.
- Istanbul Airport's free Wi-Fi will not let you on with a foreign number that cannot receive SMS in that case use the terminal kiosks, which scan your passport and print an access code.
- Istanbul's two airports are on opposite continents: Istanbul Airport (IST) is in Arnavutköy on the European side, while Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) is about 32 km south-east of the centre on the Asian side. Transferring between them means crossing the Bosphorus.
- The M11 metro to Istanbul Airport is the one Istanbul metro line not run by Metro Istanbul it is operated by TCDD Taşımacılık. It opened on 22 January 2023 and only reached Gayrettepe on 29 January 2024.
- Türk Telekom's store on the Arrivals floor landside at Istanbul Airport is open 24/7, so a physical SIM can be bought on any arrival regardless of hour.
- Seven Metro Istanbul lines, M1A, M1B, M2, M4, M5, M6 and M7, run without a break at weekends, from 06:00 on Friday to midnight on Sunday. M4 is the line to Sabiha Gökçen Airport.
- On the weekend night metro, each card tap between 00:30 and 05:30 is charged a double fare. Normal fares return at 05:30 when night running ends.
- On other nights, Metro Istanbul's first trains start around 06:00, depending on the line, and the last departure on every line is at 00:00.
- Metro Istanbul fares are paid with Istanbulkart. The Biletmatik machines in stations sell the card, deposit included, and top it up.
- Filming or photographing in metro and tram stations without permission is prohibited, and Metro Istanbul security staff can ask to see a permit.
- The city's free İBB Wi-Fi works at about 10,000 points, including Şehir Hatları ferries, metrobüs vehicles and stops, trams and tram stations, the M2 metro, bus terminals and tourist areas.
- Smartphones reach İBB Wi-Fi only through the İstanbul Senin app. Once signed in, the app shows nearby hotspots on a map and connects with one tap, with no password to type.
- Foreign nationals register for İstanbul Senin with the Turkish ID number beginning with 99 that is issued to them. The app's FAQ describes no sign-up with a passport alone.
- İBB Wi-Fi gives each user 30 GB a month at 2 Mbps as standard, with a 60 GB allowance for the first three months after joining through İstanbul Senin.
- İETT reports that more than 3,300 buses, metrobüs included, now carry İBB Wi-Fi, reached through the same İstanbul Senin app.
Sources for this page
Other cities in Türkiye we cover
- Izmir
- 328 km from Istanbul, nearest airport ADB
- Antalya
- 481 km from Istanbul, nearest airport AYT
- Cappadocia
- 567 km from Istanbul, nearest airport NAV