How to register your phone in Türkiye?
If you plan to bring your phone to Turkey, you should know that all communication devices, including mobile phones, must go through legal and customs procedures and pay certain taxes. However, if you bought your phone in Turkey, you don’t need to register it.
What devices can be registered in Türkiye?
All electronic devices with an IMEI number, including mobile devices, laptops and tablets, can be traced in Turkey. This helps prevent smuggling and allows for tracking in case of theft.
Foreigners living in Turkey who do not have a foreign identification number can register their phone at mobile operator common name register centers, university degrees for students and residence permits for other residents. They must go to the tax office to get a tax number, pay the name register fee, and then go to one of the official offices of Turkcell, Turk Telecom or Vodafone to register their phone.
Basic steps for phone register in Türkiye
If you have a residence card, you can go to one of the central post offices with your original passport and residence card and get the electronic government password and then go to the phone name register unit to deposit 1838 lira.
If you do not have a residence card, to receive the 14-digit IMEI code, you must enter the code #06# in your mobile phone, go to the tax office with your passport and mobile phone, fill in the corresponding code. Gives the form and then receives a bank receipt to make the payment at the bank. Then you can take the bank receipt with a copy of the first page of your passport and the last stamp of your passport to one of the mobile phone agencies in Turkey to register your phone within one to seven days.
The best solution for phone register in Türkiye
Considering the high cost of the mobile phone name register in Turkey, it is better to buy a new phone in Turkey if you have a mid-range and cheap mobile phone. However, if you have a high-end phone, it is better to pay for the name register because it will cost you a lot to buy these brands in Turkey.
Other ways to register a phone in Türkiye
Some mobile phone retailers will change the phone’s IMEI by rooting the phone, but this method is only effective for Android phones and costs around 100-200 lira.
What to do if your phone is lost or stolen
If your phone is lost or stolen, you can report the theft using the IMEI number of the phone registered in the Information and Communication Technology Organization, so that the phone is prevented from using the Internet data network. To submit your request, you can visit the e-government portal or call the customer contact center at 120. You can also report the stolen device to the judicial authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions:
– What should we do if we encounter a warning (unregistered device) while checking the IMEI number of a mobile phone that we have purchased from within the country?
In this case, we have to go back to the place where we bought the phone, the manufacturing factories or importing companies must declare the information of the device that they have legally imported or produced to the Information and Communication Technology Organization and when it is proven. There is a device whose data is not recorded, its antenna is disconnected.
– Can one's registration rights be transferred to others for money or for free?
According to the rules of the Department of Commerce, any traveler coming from a foreign trip is allowed to import a phone within 3 years, provided that he uses the lines registered in his name and uses someone to enter the country to register the phone. If someone else creates a problem for the document holder, in case of a crime with a registered phone, the first accused by the judicial and security system will be the holder of the entry document.
– Does the registry number in Turkey change according to the model of our phone, for example, does the cost of iPhones differ from Android?
Before 2020, this number was different for other Apple phones, but in the new year, this number is fixed and if you have any type of mobile phone, it does not depend on the type and model of the Turkish registered phone at all. Whether it's Windows Phone Android iOS or Blackberry or any brand, you have to pay the same fee because this amount is fixed.
