Holafly not working in Turkey? Here's what's actually going on

LSThe LimitSim teamLast updated:

Holafly isn't down — it's blocked. Since July 2025, Turkey's telecom regulator BTK has blocked access from Turkish networks to the websites and apps of more than 50 foreign eSIM sellers, and Holafly's own announcement confirms it is one of them. The block is still in force in 2026. The good news: a Holafly eSIM installed before arrival keeps working — what fails is buying, installing, or topping up from inside Turkey.

Which eSIM stores are blocked in Turkey right now?

ProviderAccessible from Turkey
LimitSim— our storeWorks
AiraloBlocked
HolaflyBlocked
SailyBlocked
NomadBlocked
YesimBlocked
UbigiBlocked
MobiMatterBlocked
aloSIMBlocked
InstabridgeBlocked
BNESIMBlocked
FlexiroamBlocked
AirhubBlocked
GigSkyBlocked
RedteaGOBlocked
JetpacBlocked
Maya MobileBlocked
RoamlessBlocked
GlobaleSIMBlocked
KeepgoBlocked
BetterRoamingBlocked
Sim LocalBlocked
SimOptionsBlocked
OneSimCardBlocked
KnowRoamingBlocked
WorldSIMBlocked
eSIM GoBlocked
DENTBlocked

Statuses come from the BTK decision, the providers’ own announcements and Turkish-network tests. Re-checked monthly.

Why Holafly is blocked in Turkey

In July 2025, BTK (Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu, Turkey's telecom authority) began blocking the websites and apps of foreign travel-eSIM sellers — over 50 of them, including Holafly, Airalo, Saily and Nomad. The stated reasoning is regulatory: eSIM sellers are expected to provision through Turkish operators, store user data in Turkey, and avoid 'permanent roaming'. Foreign sellers without that local setup are treated as unauthorized telecom services.

You don't have to take anyone's word for it — Holafly's own announcement confirms the block (esim.holafly.com/news/esim-ban-turkey). This is a regulatory decision, not a Holafly outage or a problem with your account, and as of 2026 it is still in force.

Already installed your Holafly eSIM? It keeps working

The block targets the seller, not the connection. A Holafly eSIM you installed before entering Turkey roams on Turkish networks as usual — mobile data itself is not blocked. What's filtered is access to esim.holafly.com and the Holafly app from Turkish consumer networks; the block runs at DNS/SNI level on Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone TR.

The table above shows which stores are currently blocked from inside Turkey and which are reachable — worth checking before you buy anything new.

What you can't do from inside Turkey

Without a VPN, three things fail on Turkish networks: opening esim.holafly.com or the Holafly app, buying or installing a new Holafly eSIM, and topping up or extending an existing plan.

That last one bites hardest with Holafly, because unlimited data plans are its signature product. If your unlimited plan runs out mid-trip, you can't extend it or buy a fresh one from inside the country — the store simply won't load. Plan for that before your data ends, not after.

What actually works right now

1) If your Holafly eSIM is already active, do nothing — it keeps working until the plan ends. 2) A VPN restores access to Holafly's site, but it's clumsy: the VPN has to be installed and connected first, and VPN sites themselves are sometimes throttled in Turkey. 3) Buy from a store that's reachable from Turkey. Full disclosure: LimitSim is our store — it isn't on any published ban list and loads from Turkish networks without a VPN as of July 2026, with plans from €0.50. We also carry unlimited plans for Turkey-bound travelers and other destinations where available — check the destination page. 4) Airport and operator counters sell tourist SIMs, but packages start around 1,900 TL and the queues are long.

Before your next trip to Turkey

Install and test your eSIM before you land — that single habit sidesteps the entire block. If you travel on unlimited plans, buy the full length of your stay up front, since extending from inside Turkey isn't possible without a VPN. And if you'd rather not depend on workarounds at all, pick a store Turkish networks can reach; the table above is re-checked regularly.

Frequently asked questions

Has Holafly shut down or been banned in Turkey?
Holafly hasn't shut down — it operates normally everywhere else. What happened is a regulatory block: since July 2025, Turkey's BTK blocks access from Turkish networks to the sites and apps of 50+ foreign eSIM sellers, Holafly included. Holafly confirmed this in its own announcement (esim.holafly.com/news/esim-ban-turkey), and the block was still in force as of July 2026.
Will my Holafly eSIM stop working in Turkey?
No. An eSIM installed before you entered Turkey keeps working normally — data roams on Turkish networks, and connectivity itself isn't blocked. The filtering applies only to Holafly's website and app when opened from Turkish consumer networks. Problems start only when you need the store: a new purchase, a fresh install, or a top-up.
Can I top up or extend my Holafly unlimited plan while in Turkey?
Not directly — the top-up flow runs through Holafly's site or app, and both are blocked on Turkish networks. A VPN gets you through, but it must be installed and working first, and VPN sites themselves are sometimes throttled in Turkey too. The practical alternatives: extend before your plan expires, or buy from a store that's reachable from inside Turkey.
I'm already in Turkey and need data — what's the fastest fix?
Buy from a store Turkish networks can still reach. Full disclosure, LimitSim is ours: it isn't on any published ban list, loads without a VPN as of July 2026, and plans start at €0.50 — including unlimited options where available (check the destination page). The offline alternative is an operator tourist SIM at the airport, from roughly 1,900 TL, with long queues.