Moving over to Turkey Communications

[mocruising]

I understand from past posts/threads that I should purchase a cheap mobile in Turkey along with a pay as you go SIM.

I seem to remember some one posting that if you put a locally purchased SIM in a UK unlocked phone for example it will only work for a while before it gets cut off.

I have a Vodafone Mifi I wonder if this will work with a Vodafone SIM in Turkey.

Can anyone confirm any of the above.

 

[affinite]

"I seem to remember some one posting that if you put a locally purchased SIM in a UK unlocked phone for example it will only work for a while before it gets cut off."

Yep thats what happened to me last year.

Advice after the event seemed to be that you should register your non-turkish phone by going to the tax office, the butcher and the candlestick maker.
Cant be bothered with that so I've bought a GYMSIM for this year.

No idea about your MiFi Im afraid

 

[Marsupial]

I understand from past posts/threads that I should purchase a cheap mobile in Turkey along with a pay as you go SIM.

I seem to remember some one posting that if you put a locally purchased SIM in a UK unlocked phone for example it will only work for a while before it gets cut off.

I have a Vodafone Mifi I wonder if this will work with a Vodafone SIM in Turkey.

Can anyone confirm any of the above.

Your UK phone with a UK SIM will work, you will be charged to receive calls and make calls

Your UK phone with a Turkish SIM will not work unless its registered

Registration costs 100TL and Turkish phone with a SIM costs around 100TL and you wont be charged to receive calls from the UK.

Your MiFi with a roaming UK SIM will work, if you can afford the roaming charges.

Your Mifi with a Turkish vodaphone SIM will not work unless its registered


The charge of 100TL is the official rate, some people have found it for free; others have been asked to pay a lot more.

Its Turkey

 

[akyaka]

Its quick easy and painless except for the payment which includes a tax introduced last year which means you may have to get a tax number from the local Tax Office ( free and takes 10 minutes at most). However only certain shops can register phones but they tend to be the larger branches and most have staff who speak English;anyone in your marina will direct you.It usually takes up to a day for the phone to be activated. Make sure that you take your passport with you, even if you have a Residents Permit.

 

[maxy]

Akyaka is quite correct. Foreigners can only register one new phone every two years unless you can prove the old one damaged. Also you can only buy 3 Turkish telephony devices per passport. This would include 3G Dongles.

Rather than using a Mifi device which has a telephony device included, use a 3G router with a separate dongle. You can buy the excellent Dovado Tiny in the UK from Moving Wi-Fi. I have about 10 of them and they work very well.

 

[steveallan]

Akyaka is quite correct. Foreigners can only register one new phone every two years unless you can prove the old one damaged. Also you can only buy 3 Turkish telephony devices per passport. This would include 3G Dongles.

Rather than using a Mifi device which has a telephony device included, use a 3G router with a separate dongle. You can buy the excellent Dovado Tiny in the UK from Moving Wi-Fi. I have about 10 of them and they work very well.

Will this work with a Turkcell VINN dongle?

 

[akyaka]

End of year budget has increased one off mobile phone registration tax to 120 TL

 

[Norman_E]

Will this work with a Turkcell VINN dongle?

If you have a Turkcell VINN all you need to do is buy credit for it from any Turkcell shop. You must however buy credit at least once every 6 months or its number gets cancelled and you will have to get a new SIM.

 

[akyaka]

If you have a Turkcell VINN all you need to do is buy credit for it from any Turkcell shop. You must however buy credit at least once every 6 months or its number gets cancelled and you will have to get a new SIM.

Not all Turkcell shops do top up and if you do use a shop remember to take your passport with you .You can top up on line . Google translate should convert to English.

https://csi.turkcell.com.tr/services/rechargeMGBPackets

 

[steveallan]

Thanks for the reply but I need to set up a wifi hotspot on the boat so would like to know if a Turkcell dongle will work with the Dovado Tiny router or any other 3G wireless router. Not a mifi as I believe these are classed as telecom devices so would have to be registered in Turkey.

 

[Norman_E]

I have never needed my passport to top up either my Turkcell phone or VINN.

 

[Norman_E]

Because my wife has an iPad which has no USB port I bought a thing to plug the VINN into to use as a hotspot. Its on the boat so I cannot remember the make. I had to get someone to remove the password from the VINN so that it would work. Turkcell have a combined VINN and hotspot device (a MIFI) which is a more elegant solution if you have not already bought the VINN.

 

[akyaka]

I have never needed my passport to top up either my Turkcell phone or VINN.

Yes you should not but some sales people will ask for it and its better to be safe than sorry . You will certainly need it to buy the initial dongle/sim .

 

[mocruising]

In the end we did indeed purchase a cheap Nokia phone plus PAYG SIM and also a Turkcell router and SIM which allows up to four people to log on. Both worked very well moving both east and west round the coast from Marmaris. The router SIM only lasted six months and we will need to purchase a new one on our return in April.