COP31 Antalya 2026: Dates, Venue, Visa, Hotels and Staying Online

COP31, the UN Climate Change Conference, runs in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026. Türkiye hosts it and expects about 100,000 participants, while Australia leads the negotiations. The venue is the Antalya EXPO Center in Aksu, on the former EXPO 2016 grounds, 20 to 30 minutes from Antalya Airport. UN documents call the same site the COP31 Venue in Soğucaksu. The official site is cop31.tr.

COP31 dates and the days that change your plans

Date	What happens
3-8 Nov	Pre-sessional meetings for least developed countries (3-4), small island developing states and the African Group (5-6), and G77 and China (7-8)
9 Nov	COP31 opens
11-12 Nov	Leaders' Summit, with the Green Zone closed to visitors
Sun 15 Nov	The UNFCCC closes the conference venue, registration area included, and the host lists the day for social and cultural programmes
17-18 Nov	The high-level segment resumes
20 Nov	Final day

Registration counters open daily from 08:00 to 19:00 during the conference, except on Sunday 15 November.

Blue Zone or Green Zone: who can attend COP31

The Blue Zone, managed by the UNFCCC for the negotiations and the Leaders' Summit, admits only accredited participants. The UNFCCC accredits Party delegates, observer organisations, UN agencies, media and exhibitors. Parties and admitted observer organisations nominate their delegates, and observer nominations closed on 10 August. Türkiye's Directorate of Communications says media accreditation must be completed by 16 October 2026.

Badges are free and collected in person, with a passport or government-issued ID, your accreditation confirmation and any invitation letter. The host calls the collection point the COP31 Registration Centre in Antalya, and the UNFCCC's notice treats the registration area as part of the conference venue. Check the UNFCCC's information for participants for the exact desk before your first day. Wear the badge visibly on site and never lend it, since the UN suspends transferred badges.

The Green Zone is open to the public, with exhibitions, panels, workshops and concerts. Entry is generally free, and in most cases you must pre-register. Sign up on the Green Zone visitor registration page with a Turkish ID or a passport, and your entry QR code appears in your account. Hours are generally 09:00 to 20:00, varying by event, and the zone is closed to visitors on 11 and 12 November. Most events are in Turkish, and some may be in English. Bags may be searched and X-rayed at the entrance.

Entering Türkiye: the COP31 Visa and visa-free stays

Türkiye issues a free, electronic COP31 Visa to every registered participant. Apply on the official e-Visa platform as soon as the UNFCCC confirms your registration, using the code in your acknowledgement letter. The visa allows multiple entries from 1 to 30 November 2026, for up to 30 days, and is issued within 7 working days. Turkish missions warn that unofficial e-Visa sites may charge extra and that some have issued fake e-Visas. The COP31 visa and entry page adds these rules:

• Visa-exempt participants are advised to apply for a COP31 Visa Exemption Certificate. UN laissez-passer holders must get one and carry it printed with the UNFCCC acknowledgement letter.
• Passports and UN and EU laissez-passers are accepted, and any other travel document needs a sticker visa from a Turkish mission.
• Passports must be valid for at least 90 days after arrival. The UN's notification and the foreign ministry's advice say six months, the safer rule to follow.
• Accompanying persons who are not registered cannot get a COP31 Visa.

Anyone without a COP31 Visa, Green Zone visitors included, follows the standard rules on the foreign ministry's visa page. For ordinary passports:

• Visa-free for up to 90 days: most EU states, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and China since 2 January 2026.
• Visa-free for up to 60 days: Russia, for tourism and business.
• e-Visa under conditions: India, Pakistan and Egypt, for example with a valid Schengen, US, UK or Ireland visa or residence permit.
• Visa from a Turkish mission: Nigeria and Kenya.

The ministry words the UK, Australian and Qatari exemptions for tourist travel, and its Turkish-language page does the same for the US and Canada. Registered participants from these countries can apply for the Exemption Certificate that the host advises.

Azerbaijanis and some EU citizens may enter Türkiye on a national ID card, but the COP31 Visa rules accept passports, not ID cards, so travel on a passport. No visa or exemption allows more than 90 days in any 180. Travel medical insurance is required by law and may be checked at the border. When you leave, cash above 25,000 lira, or above 10,000 euros or the equivalent, must be declared in writing.

Getting to Antalya and the venue

If you connect in Istanbul, Pegasus puts its flight from Sabiha Gökçen to Antalya at about 1 hour 15 minutes. At Antalya Airport, Terminal 2 is the main international terminal, and the airport's own free shuttle links it with Terminal 1, 2.5 km away. The host promises arrival guidance at the airport for participants.

Free COP31 shuttles for accredited participants will run to the venue from the official hotels, the airport and the city centre. Schedules and route maps are due closer to the conference on the host's transportation page. The UNFCCC describes the hotel service as running from the principal hotels on the official accommodation platform, so if you book elsewhere, check the route map before you rely on it.

The AntRay tram serves both the airport and the EXPO area, on different branches, so check the line map for a change. A ride costs 42 TL with a 100 TL Antalyakart card, 46 TL on a disposable ticket or 50 TL by contactless bank card. Disposable tickets are sold only as 2-ride cards for 112 TL or 5-ride cards for 250 TL. Only the Antalyakart gets a free transfer, once within an hour, or within two hours when you change between tram lines.

Metered taxis wait at the arrivals ranks around the clock, and Uber Taxi picks up at the airport. The host advises carrying some cash for taxis. BoB is the official transfer partner and Bagacar the official car-hire partner.

Where to stay during COP31

The official COP31 accommodation platform, run by Coral Travel, covers 2-star to 5-star hotels, according to the UNFCCC. The host suggests four areas: near the venue, Belek and the coastal resort zone, the city centre, and places with shuttle or public transport links. It states no price cap and strongly recommends booking early. Turkish press has reported that Kaleiçi is nearly full, that many hotels in Belek, Kundu and Lara hold about half their rooms for the conference, and that some have paused sales or changed prices.

Antalya in November: weather, power and money

Turkish State Meteorological Service normals for Antalya in November are a mean high of 21.4 °C, a mean low of 10.9 °C, 7.48 rainy days and 127.7 mm of rain. Pack layers for warm days and cooler evenings, and a rain jacket. Sockets take type C and F plugs at 230 V. Türkiye keeps UTC+3 all year. The emergency number is 112. The currency is the Turkish lira, cards are widely accepted and ATMs are common.

Staying connected at COP31: why a Donesim eSIM fits

Antalya Airport gives 1 hour of free Wi-Fi, with a kiosk PIN you can get with a passport. The host says the Green Zone generally has free Wi-Fi, but cop31.tr says nothing about the Blue Zone, so watch the UNFCCC's information for participants.

Türk Telekom and Vodafone have shops at the airport. On the operators' pages, Türk Telekom's tourist packs cost 320 TL for 10 GB over 7 days or 420 TL for 25 GB over 28 days, plus new-line fees, and Turkcell's pack costs 1,800 TL for 20 GB over 28 days. They are not expensive, but each is registered to your passport, at an airport counter after your flight if you buy there, and the operator pairs your phone's IMEI with the Turkish number. A phone from abroad can be used with a Turkish line for 120 days before it must be registered, for a fee of 54,258 TL in 2026. A travel eSIM keeps the phone on roaming instead, and a two-week conference stays well inside every limit either way.

Roaming day passes cost 12 USD a day with AT&T or Verizon, 10 Australian dollars with Telstra and 7.99 EUR with Vodafone Germany, and the EU's roam-like-at-home rules do not cover Türkiye. Twelve conference days at 12 USD come to 144 USD.

Turkish press reports that since 10 July 2025 the regulator, BTK, has blocked access to a number of foreign eSIM sellers from Turkish networks. Turkish tech press has also reported travellers struggling to reach eSIM profiles they bought before the trip, so whatever you buy, install it at home before you fly. In 2025 the press also reported social media slowdowns lasting hours during news events, WhatsApp included, so keep email as a backup.

A Donesim plan is bought and installed at home, with no SIM counter to find after your flight, and the checkout asks for an email address, not a passport. After landing, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line, and it is ready for the shuttle route map, your Green Zone QR code, maps and ride-hailing. Your own SIM and number stay in the phone, so if your home plan receives texts abroad, bank and conference codes still reach you, and WhatsApp can keep your usual number.

At the time of writing, 10 GB for 30 days costs 6.10 USD, less than one 12 USD roaming day, and 30 days are long enough for 3 to 20 November, pre-sessionals included. For lighter use, 5 GB for 30 days costs 4.37 USD. Donesim's Turkey page lists Vodafone and Türk Telekom among its networks.

The plan is data only, with no Turkish number. It cannot be renewed or extended in place, so choose the size before you buy.

Set up your eSIM before you fly

1. Check that your phone is on our compatibility list and not locked to a carrier.
2. Buy a day or two before you fly, since Donesim notes that a plan "may begin when it is provisioned, installed, activated, or first connected".
3. Install it on home Wi-Fi by QR code, as our install walkthrough shows.
4. Save your COP31 Visa or exemption certificate, your accreditation confirmation or Green Zone QR code, and your hotel address offline.
5. After landing, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line only, and keep your home line for texted codes.
6. Charge your phone before each venue day.

Every plan is on our Turkey eSIM page.

Frequently asked questions

When and where is COP31?

From Monday 9 to Friday 20 November 2026. The host gives the address as Solak Alanya Yolu Serik Caddesi, Antalya Expo Center, Aksu, and the venue's Go to Location link on cop31.tr opens it in Google Maps.

Do I need a visa for COP31?

Registered participants who need a visa for Türkiye, and EU laissez-passer holders, must apply for the free COP31 Visa, and a Turkish visa you already hold does not replace it. Visa-exempt participants are advised to get the Exemption Certificate instead, which UN laissez-passer holders must have. Green Zone visitors follow the ordinary rules for their passport. As a general rule the visa cannot be extended, and any detail that differs from your passport makes it invalid.

How do I get from Antalya Airport to the venue, Belek or Lara?

Accredited participants can take the free COP31 shuttle to the venue, 20 to 30 minutes away, and anyone can take a taxi or the AntRay tram. The announced shuttles all run to or from the venue, so none goes from the airport to a hotel in Belek or Lara. For that trip, take a metered taxi or Uber Taxi, or book a BoB transfer ahead.