# Northern Cyprus travel eSIM guide

> Northern Cyprus mobile guide: Kuzey Kibris Turkcell's tourist packages in lira with Ercan Airport pick-up, KKTC Telsim and Turkcell eSIM routes, Green Line entry rules and 112 listed for Cyprus.

Page: https://esimnest.com/cy-nc/guide/

The north of Cyprus has two mobile operators that publish their own websites, Kuzey Kibris Turkcell and KKTC Telsim, and only Turkcell's pages that this guide read show a tourist range with prices in Turkish lira. Both describe an eSIM, but in each case the process described starts with a visit to a shop or centre, a phone call or a text message rather than a purchase on the web. This guide reads both operators' pages and the UK Foreign Office advice for Cyprus, which has a section on the north. It states what the pages say, and says where we found nothing.

By eSimNest Team. Facts last checked 2026-10-03 against the sources listed at the end.

## Turkcell's tourist packages, priced in Turkish lira

Kuzey Kibris Turkcell's prepaid page has a group of packages labelled Exclusive For Tourists. At the time of checking, the Tourist Plus package, also called Tourist Surfer, cost 699 TL for 15 days and included 30 GB of internet, 100 minutes towards local and Turkey lines, 50 minutes towards local, Turkey and international lines, and 500 SMS. The package page says the internet included is valid for use in the TRNC, which is the abbreviation the operator uses for the north, and that calls to a list of countries are not possible within the international minutes.

A separate application page, headed North Cyprus Tourist Package, describes discounted online-only pricing and shows a Fast Tourist Package at 599 TL for 15 days, with 55 GB of internet, 25 minutes towards local, Turkey and international lines and 100 minutes towards local and Turkey lines. The two pages list different allowances and prices for what looks like the same kind of product, so treat both as what the operator showed on the day we checked, and confirm the current offer before you pay.

## Ordering online and collecting at Ercan Airport

The application page says you can make a request on kktcell.com and pick the package up from the Turkcell Contact Center at Ercan Airport. It stresses that the online step is only a preliminary request: it does not create a subscription or activate the line, which can be activated only after delivery, identity verification and completion of the contract process. The form asks for a name, e-mail, ID or passport number, phone number and birth date, and takes card details.

The page also says you must collect the requested line within 30 days at the latest. If the line is not collected or the subscription process is not completed in that time, the amount collected or pre-authorised is not refunded, so time the request to your arrival date. The page title refers to an online eSIM, but the text we read describes collecting a line, so we do not state that this route delivers an eSIM.

## eSIM from Turkcell and from KKTC Telsim

Turkcell's eSIM service page, which we read in Turkish, says that for a new Kuzey Kibris Turkcell eSIM line you come to a Turkcell Communication Centre and scan a QR code created by a customer representative. To convert an existing SIM you can call +90 533 878 05 33 or visit a centre. After the line is activated, a QR code is sent to your e-mail address, and the phone needs an internet connection while the profile is installed. The page says the only charge is the standard SIM change fee, and that a line on a SIM not compatible with 4.5G can be changed to an eSIM free of charge.

KKTC Telsim's eSIM page, also in Turkish, offers two routes. You can visit a Telsim Shop, where staff create a QR code for you to scan, or you can send a text message from the device you want to use, writing eSIM followed by an e-mail address to 7000, after which customer service calls you, verifies your identity and sends a QR code. For a first-time subscription, it says the documents needed for an ordinary line also apply to an eSIM subscription, and it does not list them for a visitor. As with Turkcell, it says there is no charge beyond the standard SIM replacement fee. The page gives no visitor or tourist package, so this guide cannot compare Telsim with Turkcell's tourist range.

## Using a phone across the Green Line

Turkcell's tourist package says its included internet is valid in the TRNC, so a package bought for the north is not stated to cover the south. For a prepaid line the operator lists a separate South Cyprus 4.5G Roaming Package of 1 GB valid in South Cyprus at 70 TL per day. The same page also lists weekly roaming discount packages and a Mega Roaming package for calls in Turkey.

## What we could not confirm

The pages read for this guide describe no ready-to-install visitor eSIM bought online and delivered by e-mail: both operators' eSIM pages start with a shop visit, a call or an identity check. They also set out no SIM registration rule for foreigners, no coverage map and no statement of speeds. Turkcell's pages mention 4.5G, which is a label used by the operator, so we do not quote it as a measured speed.

The UK Foreign Office lists 112 for Cyprus, and its separate section on the north gives no numbers. A Turkcell tourist package collected at Ercan Airport is the route to a local number that the operator describes.

## Entry rules and travelling in the north

The UK Foreign Office page for Cyprus, last updated on 14 August 2026, says British citizens can travel to Cyprus without a visa for up to 90 days as tourists, and that the Republic of Cyprus authorities count time in the north towards the 90-day total. You can use any crossing point to move between the north and south, but only pedestrians can use the crossing points at Ledra Palace and Ledra and Lokmaci Street. At Cyprus border control you may be asked to show a return or onward ticket and prove you have enough money for your stay.

The page says that if you enter the Republic of Cyprus through the north, such as through Ercan Airport, the authorities will consider you to have entered illegally, and you could be fined, refused entry to or exit from the Republic, or prevented from crossing back into the north. It says to get your passport stamped on entry and exit. The page is written for people travelling on a British citizen passport.

On the status of the area, the Foreign Office says the Republic of Cyprus is a full EU member but the country is divided by the Green Line, and the British government does not recognise the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It says it can provide only limited consular support in areas of the north not under the control of the Republic, and that the authorities in the north do not share information with the British High Commission about the location, wellbeing or treatment of British nationals, which may leave you more vulnerable.

Cars hired in the Republic often have no insurance cover in the north, and you will not be allowed through a crossing without the correct insurance documents, although at some crossing points you can buy insurance for the north. There are controls on goods bought in the north and taken across the Green Line, such as a limit of 40 cigarettes per person, and the authorities can confiscate goods and fine you.

## Wildfires, photography, clinics and emergency numbers

The Foreign Office says there is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October, and advises making sure your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts. It says crime against tourists is not common, that drink spiking is a risk, and that avoiding photographs near sensitive areas such as military buildings matters because the authorities could arrest you. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in the north but not widely accepted, according to the page.

It warns that fertility treatment in the north carries risks because clinics are not regulated in the same way as in the UK. Rental companies often ask for your passport as a deposit, which the page says is illegal, so never hand it over that way.

For Cyprus the Foreign Office gives one number, 112, covering ambulance, fire and police, and tells you to call it if you are in immediate danger from a wildfire. Its section on the north gives no separate numbers, so this guide states none. For urgent help for a friend or relative abroad it lists FCDO in London on 020 7008 5000, open 24 hours.

Emergency calls: Many travel eSIMs carry data only, and a data-only profile may not place a normal phone call. Keep a voice-capable SIM for emergencies, such as your home SIM or a local plan, and save the local emergency number from this guide.

Plans and current prices for Northern Cyprus: [eSIM for Northern Cyprus](https://esimnest.com/cy-nc/).

## Questions

### Which mobile operators serve the north of Cyprus?

The two with their own websites that we opened are Kuzey Kibris Turkcell and KKTC Telsim. Only Turkcell showed a tourist package range with prices.

### How much is Turkcell's tourist package in Northern Cyprus?

At the time of checking, Tourist Plus was 699 TL for 15 days with 30 GB, and an online-only Fast Tourist Package was shown at 599 TL for 15 days with 55 GB. Confirm the current offer, as the two pages differ.

### Can I collect a Turkcell package at Ercan Airport?

The operator's application page says you can request online and pick the package up from the Turkcell Contact Center at Ercan Airport, and that you must collect it within 30 days.

### Does the north have eSIM?

Both Turkcell and KKTC Telsim describe an eSIM service, but each starts with a shop visit or an identity check, and we found no purchase-online-and-install route for visitors.

### Does a Turkcell tourist package work in the south of the island?

Its package page says the internet is valid for use in the TRNC. A separate South Cyprus roaming package of 1 GB at 70 TL per day is listed for prepaid lines.

### Does time in the north count towards the 90-day limit?

The UK Foreign Office says the Republic of Cyprus authorities count time in the north towards the 90-day visa-free total for British citizens.

### What is the emergency number?

The UK Foreign Office gives 112 for Cyprus, covering ambulance, fire and police. Its section on the north gives no separate numbers.

## Sources

- [Kuzey Kibris Turkcell: prepaid packages](https://www.kktcell.com/en/prepaid)
- [Kuzey Kibris Turkcell: Tourist Surfer package](https://www.kktcell.com/en/packages/prepaid-package/tourist-surfer-package)
- [Kuzey Kibris Turkcell: new prepaid line application](https://www.kktcell.com/en/get-new-prepaid-line)
- [Kuzey Kibris Turkcell: eSIM service (Turkish)](https://www.kktcell.com/servisler/esim)
- [KKTC Telsim: e-SIM (Turkish)](https://www.kktctelsim.com/tr/servisler/servisler/sim-servisler/e-sim)
- [KKTC Telsim: home page](https://www.kktctelsim.com/tr)
- [Kuzey Kibris Turkcell: South Cyprus prepaid usage tariff (Turkish)](https://www.kktcell.com/paketler/yurtdisi/guney-kibrista-faturasiz-hat-kullanim-tarifesi)
- [GOV.UK: Cyprus regional risks](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/regional-risks)
- [GOV.UK: Cyprus entry requirements](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/entry-requirements)
- [GOV.UK: Cyprus safety and security](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/safety-and-security)
- [GOV.UK: Cyprus getting help](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/getting-help)