Airalo in Turkey: Why It Stopped Working in 2026 and What to Do

The Short Version

Turkey's telecom regulator BTK blocked Airalo and most other foreign eSIM stores in July 2025, and the block is still active in 2026. An eSIM you installed before arriving keeps working normally. What you lose is access to the store itself — no new purchases, no top-ups — unless you use a VPN or switch to a store that isn't affected.

What Happened in July 2025

Around 10 July 2025, BTK (Bilgi Teknolojileri ve İletişim Kurumu) ordered Turkish internet providers to restrict access to the websites and apps of major foreign travel-eSIM sellers. The regulator's position is that eSIM sellers must 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.

Enforcement happens at the network level through DNS and SNI filtering on Turk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone Turkey networks. That's why airalo.com times out or throws a connection error instead of showing a clean block notice — and why the failure happens on mobile data and hotel Wi-Fi alike.

This is not an Airalo outage, a problem with your account, or a fault in your phone. The same restriction applies to almost the entire industry.

Which eSIM Stores Are Blocked

The list is long: Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad, Yesim, Ubigi, MobiMatter, aloSIM, Instabridge, BNESIM, Flexiroam, Airhub, GigSky, RedteaGO, Jetpac, Maya Mobile, Roamless, GlobaleSIM, Keepgo, BetterRoaming, Sim Local, SimOptions, OneSimCard, KnowRoaming, WorldSIM, eSIM Go and DENT. Holafly and Saily confirmed the restrictions in their own announcements.

Stores that aren't on the published ban list — such as Donesim — are generally reachable from Turkish networks.

Your Installed Airalo eSIM Still Works

The block targets the seller's website and app, not connectivity itself. An Airalo eSIM that was installed and activated before you arrived keeps roaming on Turkish networks exactly as designed, and nothing in the BTK order switches it off.

So if your plan is active and still has data, there is genuinely nothing to fix. Don't delete the profile, don't reinstall it and don't reset your network settings — the profile on your phone is fine.

What You Can't Do From Inside Turkey

Without a VPN, you cannot buy a new Airalo eSIM, install a fresh one or top up an existing plan — the store simply never loads. One practical warning follows: if you delete your installed Airalo eSIM, you won't be able to get it back from inside Turkey, so don't.

A VPN can get around the block, but it needs to be installed and connected before you can even open airalo.com, and VPN providers' own websites are sometimes throttled in Turkey too. If you already have a working VPN, this route is viable; if not, setting one up just to buy data is usually more hassle than switching stores.

Your Options in 2026

• Need more data? Buy from a store that's reachable from Turkey, such as Donesim. Plans are sold online, the QR code arrives within minutes, and you're back online after scanning it.
• Already have a reliable VPN? Keep using Airalo through the tunnel. It works, but you'll be paying and managing top-ups through the VPN connection.
• At the airport? Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist packages, but they cost around 1,900+ TL and the queues are long. It's the expensive fallback, not the smart default.

Install Before You Fly

The block hits the store, not the eSIM. So the durable lesson is to buy and install your eSIM before you enter Turkey. A profile installed before arrival works on Turkish networks for its whole validity — you only get stuck when you try to reach a blocked seller from inside the country. Land with the eSIM already on your phone and this entire problem never touches you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Airalo banned in Turkey?

Access to Airalo's website and app is blocked from Turkish networks by BTK, as part of a wider block on foreign eSIM stores in force since July 2025. Airalo itself hasn't shut down — it works normally everywhere else, and an eSIM installed before arrival keeps working inside Turkey.

Does my Airalo eSIM still work in Turkey?

Yes. If the eSIM was installed and activated before you arrived, data keeps roaming on Turkish networks as normal. Only the store side is unreachable: the website, the app's shop and top-ups. Don't delete or reinstall the profile.

Can I top up Airalo from inside Turkey?

Not on a normal Turkish connection — the app can't reach Airalo's servers. A VPN works if you already have one, though VPN sites are sometimes throttled too. Otherwise, buying from a reachable store like Donesim is usually faster.

Which eSIM stores still work in Turkey?

Most big foreign brands are blocked — Airalo, Holafly, Saily, Nomad and dozens more. Stores that aren't on the published ban list, such as Donesim, load from Turkish networks without a VPN.

Prices and plan availability may change. Check donesim.com for current offers.