Phone Customs Clearance for Students in Northern Cyprus: Benefits and Rules

International students in Northern Cyprus can benefit from a concession when registering a phone brought from abroad. A fixed customs duty of 4,000 TL applies to one mobile device, but the concession is available only if the specified conditions are met. The phone must be registered in the student’s name, a local number registered in their name is required, and the concession can be used again only after 24 months.

• Who can use the student concession
• What documents are required
• How much student customs clearance costs
• How the process works
• Why the SIM card must be registered in the student’s name
• One phone every 24 months
• Can someone else’s phone be registered in a student’s name?
• Mobile registration at universities
• Frequently asked questions

Who can use the student concession

The customs clearance concession is available to international students who are not citizens of Northern Cyprus. The student must be enrolled in an active university approved by the Ministry of Education of Northern Cyprus, in an ön lisans, bachelor’s, or master’s programme.

Having a student residence permit or student ID alone does not replace confirmation from the university. A current official document confirming student status—a Student Certificate—is required for the application.

What documents are required

Under the current BTHK requirements, the following documents are needed to apply for the student concession:

• the phone to be registered;
• the original passport for a foreign national;
• the original, current Öğrenci Belgesi / Student Certificate, certified by the university;
• a Northern Cyprus mobile number registered in the student’s own name.

The Student Certificate must be valid at the time of application and issued by a university that meets BTHK requirements.

How much student customs clearance costs

Students who meet the conditions for the concession pay a fixed customs duty of 4,000 TL per mobile phone. Unlike standard customs clearance, the duty is not calculated according to the phone model or storage capacity.

A separate fee is payable for the device’s preliminary registration with BTHK. As of July 2026, the BTHK fee for a foreign national is 580.60 TL.

Therefore, 4,000 TL — is the customs duty under the student concession, while 580.60 TL — is a separate BTHK fee for the device’s preliminary registration.

The current BTHK fee and the conditions for the student concession are published in the MCKS section of the official BTHK website.
BTHK location

How the process works

How to do it

1. Prepare the phone, passport, current Student Certificate, and details of a local mobile number registered in the student’s name.
2. Visit an MCKS registration unit and complete the preliminary IMEI registration.
3. After the preliminary registration, receive the documents, invoice, and receipt.
4. Take the documents to a branch of Gümrük ve Rüsumat Dairesi and pay the student customs duty.
5. After payment, obtain the customs documents confirming payment.
6. Submit the customs documents, together with the MCKS documents, to a customer service centre of Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell or Telsim.

If, for any reason, you are unable to pay the customs duty at the BTHK building in Nicosia, you can take the documents you received to the customs offices in Kyrenia or Famagusta.

The final step is important: paying the customs duty does not, by itself, mean that registration is complete. BTHK states that the documents must be submitted to the operator’s customer service centre, after which the device registration process is completed.

Why the SIM card must be registered in the student’s name

To receive the concession, the student must have at least one local mobile line registered in their own name.

This is not just a formality at the time of submitting the documents. A phone registered under the student concession may be used with mobile lines belonging to the concession recipient.

Therefore, before applying, check whose name the SIM card in use is registered under. If the number is registered to someone else, it does not meet the conditions for the student concession.

One phone every 24 months

The student concession can be used for one mobile phone once every 24 months.

This means that after registering one device under the concession, the same student cannot register a second phone on the same terms a few months later. The right to use the concession again arises only after two years have passed.

For example, if a phone is registered under the student concession on 15 October 2026, the concession can be used again after 24 months have passed.

Can someone else’s phone be registered in a student’s name?

The student concession is personal. Therefore, you should not register another person’s phone in a student’s name solely to benefit from the fixed customs duty.

During the first 24 months, a device registered under the student concession cannot be transferred to another person or used with a mobile line that is not registered to the concession recipient.

BTHK states that if these conditions are violated, the device will be blocked. To unblock it later, the applicable taxes and other charges must be paid, along with an additional penalty of 50%.

Therefore, the concession holder, the person in whose name the local mobile number is registered, and the actual user of the registered phone must be the same person.

Mobile registration at universities

BTHK periodically sets up MCKS mobile service points directly on university campuses. They are set up at the beginning of the academic period so students can complete the preliminary phone registration without travelling to the main registration centre.

Mobile service points do not operate permanently. BTHK publishes a separate schedule, and a service point at a university may operate for anywhere from a few days to several weeks. While the mobile team is operating, registration at the main BTHK centre continues as well.

If a mobile service point is operating at your university, you can complete the first stage directly on campus. After that, take the documents you receive to the nearest branch of Gümrük ve Rüsumat Dairesi, pay the customs duty, and complete the registration through a customer service centre of Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell or Telsim.

The current schedule for mobile service points should be checked in the MCKS Üniversite section of the official BTHK website. If no new schedule is available, it means that BTHK has not published a new schedule of visits at this time.

Frequently asked questions

Who can benefit from the phone customs clearance concession?

It is available to international students who are not citizens of Northern Cyprus and are enrolled in eligible programmes at active universities approved by the Ministry of Education.

How much is the student customs duty?

A fixed duty of 4,000 TL applies to one mobile phone.

Are there any other charges besides 4,000 TL?

Yes. The customs duty and the BTHK fee are separate charges. As of July 2026, preliminary device registration with BTHK costs a foreign national 580.60 TL.

Does the student duty depend on the phone model?

No. According to the current information from BTHK, a fixed customs duty of 4,000 TL applies to one mobile phone.

What certificate is required from the university?

The original, current Öğrenci Belgesi / Student Certificate, certified by the university, is required.

Can I use a relative’s or friend’s SIM card?

To receive the student concession, you must have a local mobile number registered in the student’s own name. A phone registered under the concession may be used with lines registered to the concession recipient.

How often can a student clear a phone through customs under the concession?

Once every 24 months. The student concession cannot be used again before this period has elapsed.

Can I register a friend’s phone in my name?

You should not use the student concession to register someone else’s phone. For 24 months, the device cannot be transferred to another person or used with a number registered to someone other than the concession recipient.

What happens if the 24-month rule is violated?

The device will be blocked. To unblock it later, the applicable taxes and other charges must be paid, along with an additional penalty of 50%.

Is it necessary to travel to Nicosia?

If BTHK has set up a temporary MCKS mobile service point at your university, you can complete the preliminary registration directly on campus. The customs duty is then paid at the nearest branch of Gümrük ve Rüsumat Dairesi, and the documents are submitted to a Turkcell or Telsim customer service centre.

Where can I check the mobile registration schedule?

Current dates are published on the official MCKS Üniversite page.