Airalo and major eSIM services are blocked in Turkey — which options actually work in 2026?

The short answer

Since July 2025, Turkey's telecom regulator BTK (Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu) has restricted access from inside Turkey to the websites and apps of Airalo, Holafly, Saily and more than other major foreign eSIM services. That decision is still in force in 2026.

The important point is that eSIMs installed beforehand keep working. The restriction only affects your ability to buy a new eSIM from those platforms while inside Turkey, top up a plan, or in some cases finish the installation.

Right now LimitSim is not on that block list, and as of August 2026 it can be used from Turkey without a VPN.

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What did BTK block?

In July 2025, BTK began restricting access from inside Turkey to a range of foreign eSIM services.

The blocked services include Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Yesim, Ubigi and other well-known eSIM platforms.

BTK's position is that eSIM providers offering service in Turkey have to meet certain local requirements. Access to the sites and apps of foreign platforms that don't operate in line with those requirements has been restricted.

Holafly and Saily have also confirmed these restrictions in their own official statements.

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Will an eSIM I already installed still work?

Yes.

This is one of the points people get confused about most.

The BTK decision does not target the eSIM service itself — only access to those providers' sites and apps.

If you installed the eSIM before arriving in Turkey and your plan is active, you can carry on using the internet as normal.

Connecting to the mobile network is not blocked.

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What can't you do inside Turkey?

On the blocked platforms, the following actions may not be possible:

• buying a new eSIM;
• buying an extra data plan;
• in some cases, finishing the installation through the app.

If your plan runs out during your trip and the service you use is blocked, buying a new plan can become difficult.

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Does a VPN help?

In most cases, yes.

A VPN can let you reach blocked sites and apps.

But relying on it completely isn't wise.

The VPN needs to be installed in advance and working. On top of that, access to some VPN services can itself be restricted from time to time.

For that reason, treat a VPN as a backup option rather than your main solution.

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You're in Turkey and you've run out of data?

In that case you have a few options.

1. Use your existing provider through a VPN

If your VPN works, you can log in to the blocked service and buy a new plan.

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2. Buy a tourist plan from a local carrier

Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone all offer tourist plans.

That said, these plans usually cost more, and you may have to wait in line at the airport.

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3. Use an eSIM service that's still open from Turkey

As of August 2026, LimitSim can be used from inside Turkey without a VPN.

After you order a new eSIM, the QR code is emailed to you within a short time and you can get back online.

If your current eSIM plan is still active and you have enough data, there's no need to switch.

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What's the smarter thing to do before you travel to Turkey?

The easiest option is to buy and install the eSIM while you're still in your home country.

That way, once you land in Turkey, all you have to do is activate the eSIM.

When you pick a plan, watch out for one thing:

Some eSIM plans count their validity from the purchase date, while others start from the moment you activate them.

Activation-based plans are the better deal, because you can buy them days or even weeks ahead and keep them ready to go.

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