COP31 in Antalya 2026: Dates, Venue, Accreditation and the Delegate's Travel Guide

COP31 is the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the annual summit where nearly 200 governments negotiate global climate policy. The 2026 edition takes place in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20.

Hosting follows an unusual compromise. Turkey and Australia both bid for COP31, and the deal reached at COP30 lets Turkey host in Antalya while Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, serves as President of the Negotiations. Turkey's Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum holds the COP presidency.

Expect tens of thousands of participants: party delegations, UN bodies, observer NGOs, researchers, business groups and press. Ahead of the main event, a pre-COP meeting runs in Fiji from October 5 to 8, with a leaders' event in Tuvalu.

The conference runs from Monday, November 9 to Friday, November 20, 2026. The World Leaders' Summit brings heads of state to Antalya on November 11 and 12, and the rest follows the usual COP rhythm: technical negotiations through the first week, ministers arriving for the closing week.

COPs regularly overrun. Recent editions closed a day or two after the official end, so if your work depends on the final plenary, book accommodation and return flights with room past November 20.

COP31 takes place at the Expo Center Antalya, the grounds built for EXPO 2016 in the Aksu district on the eastern edge of the city. The site sits about 13 km from central Antalya and a short drive from Antalya Airport.

As at every COP, expect a UN-managed Blue Zone for accredited participants, holding the negotiation halls, country pavilions and press center, and a public Green Zone with exhibitions and side events. The Turkish presidency will publish the site layout and logistics closer to the conference, and we will update this section when it does.

Antalya Airport (AYT) is one of Turkey's busiest, with year-round connections through Istanbul and direct flights from many European cities. Conveniently for delegates, it sits between the city center and the venue, roughly a 10-minute drive from the Expo Center.

COP31 is a working conference, and entry to the negotiation areas requires UNFCCC accreditation. Party delegates are nominated by their governments, observer organizations such as NGOs, IGOs and universities register through the UNFCCC observer system, and journalists apply through UNFCCC media accreditation.

Accreditation costs nothing but runs on strict deadlines months ahead of the conference, and observer badges are limited per organization. If you plan to attend with an NGO, confirm your organization's quota early. The public Green Zone will not require UNFCCC accreditation.

Turkey is outside the EU roaming zone, so European roam-like-at-home allowances do not apply, and most UK, US and Australian plans price Turkey in their expensive tiers too. Two working weeks of maps, calls and uploads on roaming add up fast.

The local operators are Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom, with strong 4G across Antalya and 5G arriving in the big cities. A local SIM works, but buying one means a counter queue and passport registration on arrival.

A travel eSIM installed before departure is the simple route: you land at Antalya Airport with data already working, keep your home number active for calls and codes, and top up from the app during the two weeks. Conference Wi-Fi shared by tens of thousands of participants slows down at peak hours, so your own mobile data is the reliable channel.