Foreign tourists and other short-term visitors to Türkiye will need to obtain a special digital token through the government’s e-Devlet portal to use social media platforms in the country once new rules take effect on Nov. 1, Turkish tourism news site Turizm Güncel reported on Oct. 14.
The requirement is part of a social media regulation prepared by Türkiye’s Cyber Security Presidency and published in the Official Gazette. The main aim of the regulation is to bar children under 15 from social media and to require platforms to verify users’ ages and apply special rules to children’s accounts from Nov. 1.
A separate track for visitors
The regulation contains a separate provision for people who do not live in Türkiye or are in the country only temporarily, such as tourists. These users are exempt from the age verification procedures that apply to residents.
Instead, to use the services of social network providers in Türkiye, they must create a special token through e-Devlet, the government’s online services gateway. According to the reports, the token can be requested through an online service using only passport information, with no separate identity verification step.
Neither report said how long the token would remain valid, how platforms would ask visitors to present it, or whether travellers who do not obtain one would be blocked from apps such as Instagram, X, TikTok or Facebook. Further guidance from the authorities or the platforms themselves is likely before the rules come into force.
What it means for travellers
For the millions of foreign visitors expected in Türkiye this winter, the change could add an extra step to staying connected. Travellers who rely on social media for messaging, navigation tips or sharing their trip may want to check for official instructions before arrival or soon after landing.
e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr) is mainly used by Turkish citizens and foreign residents for public services such as tax, health and residence permit records. Foreign residents with a residence permit can already log in with their foreign identification number; the reports did not spell out how the new rules will treat them.
Part of a wider tightening
The regulation is one of several recent steps in Türkiye to tighten rules on online platforms, particularly in relation to children. From Nov. 1, platforms operating in the country must also apply age verification and dedicated rules for children’s accounts.
Türkiye received 34.8 million foreign visitors in the first eight months of 2026, many of whom use social media apps throughout their stay.
Sources
- Turistlere Türkiye’de sosyal medya kullanımı için pasaportla onay zorunluluğu (Turizm Güncel)
- Türkiye’ye Gelen Turistlere Sosyal Medya için Pasaportla Belirteç Alma Zorunluluğu Geliyor (Techolay)
Photo: T88288 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
