Bringing a Phone From Abroad to Pakistan: PTA Rules, Tax and Limits
You can bring a mobile phone from Dubai, Saudi Arabia, the UK or anywhere else to Pakistan, but it will only work with a Pakistani SIM for a limited time unless it is registered on PTA's DIRBS and the FBR duty and taxes are paid. Travellers can register baggage phones on their passport within 60 days of arrival. The tax is set by FBR and changes, so always get the exact amount from DIRBS before you pay.
Updated 24 October 2026
The short answer: what happens when you land with a phone
A phone bought abroad is a Non PTA phone in Pakistan until its IMEI is registered. According to the DIRBS FAQs on dirbs.pta.gov.pk: - Once a Pakistani SIM is inserted, the phone gets network service for 60 days without registration - After that, service stops until the duty and taxes are paid and the phone is registered - The 60 days do not restart if you leave and come back - The free duty allowance for phones in baggage ended on 30 June 2019, so every phone you register now is taxed by FBR
Wi-Fi, cameras and every other feature keep working without registration. Only the local SIM stops. So bringing a phone from abroad is legal and simple; the real question is whether paying the tax makes sense for that phone.
Last checked: October 2026.
Dubai se kitna mobile la sakte hai? Limits on number of phones
There are two separate limits, one from customs and one from DIRBS: - Customs baggage rules: FBR's baggage rules decide how many phones a passenger can carry for personal use. These rules have been amended several times since 2019, with the allowed number changing between one and two phones, so check the current Pakistan Customs baggage rules on fbr.gov.pk before you travel. Several phones of the same model, or sealed stock, can be treated as commercial goods. - DIRBS registration: one person can register up to five devices in a calendar year. A sixth is not allowed, and phones received by courier count toward the same five.
If you are bringing phones for family members, each person can register a phone on their own CNIC, but a phone carried in your baggage is registered at the passport rate only by the traveller who brought it.
Passport registration within 60 days
Passport registration is the route meant for travellers. To use it you need: - The passport you travelled on, with your arrival recorded by FIA - A Pakistani SIM issued in your own name - The phone's IMEI numbers, found by dialling *#06# - To apply within 60 days of arrival
After 60 days, DIRBS shows 'entered passport is not eligible for tax exemption' and you must register on CNIC instead, which has generally cost more for the same phone. Apply on dirbs.pta.gov.pk or by dialling *8484#. DIRBS generates a PSID with the exact tax, which you pay through a bank or banking app within 7 days.
Step-by-step help is in how to register a mobile with PTA (How to Register Your Mobile with PTA (DIRBS Guide)) and how to pay PTA tax online (How to Pay PTA Tax Online with Your PSID).
Free 120-day temporary registration for visitors
Overseas Pakistanis and foreigners on a short stay have another option. DIRBS temporary registration lets one phone per person work on a Pakistani SIM for up to 120 days from arrival, with no tax. The phone must be your own and must leave Pakistan with you, and the SIM must be in your name.
This suits someone visiting for Eid or a wedding with their everyday phone. It does not suit someone who buys a new phone in Dubai to keep in Pakistan, or a phone meant as a gift. Full details are in our guide to PTA temporary registration for overseas Pakistanis (PTA Temporary Registration for Overseas Pakistanis: 120 Days Tax Free).
How much tax will you pay?
We do not publish a fixed figure, because the PTA tax is set by FBR and revised through budgets and notifications. How it works: - FBR places each model in a value band based on its customs value in US dollars - Lower bands have had fixed amounts, while higher bands include percentage-based sales tax, so flagship iPhones and Galaxy S Ultra phones attract the most tax - Passport and CNIC rates differ for the same phone - The amount on the PSID that DIRBS generates for your IMEI is the final, official figure
The safe way to find it is to start the registration on DIRBS or *8484#. An unpaid PSID simply expires, so checking does not commit you. For background, read PTA tax on mobile phones (PTA Tax on Mobile Phones: How It Is Calculated and Paid), and for changes after each June budget, see mobile tax in the federal budget (Mobile Tax in the Federal Budget: How the New Budget Affects Phone Prices). FBR notifications are on fbr.gov.pk.
Dubai se phone kaise kharide: tips before you buy abroad
If you are buying a phone in Dubai or elsewhere to use in Pakistan: - Buy a factory unlocked phone. US carrier models from Verizon or AT&T may be locked to that network and will not take a Pakistani SIM. See factory unlocked meaning (Factory Unlocked Meaning, and How It Differs from JV and Non PTA). - Check SIM support. US iPhones from the iPhone 14 onward, some newer iPhones sold in Gulf and other countries, and US Pixel 10 models are eSIM only, with no physical SIM tray. Pakistani operators offer eSIM, but check with yours first. - Keep the receipt and box. The IMEI on the box should match *#06#. - Check that the phone is new. On an iPhone, the serial on Apple's coverage page should not show an earlier activation. - Ask about warranty. Many brands only honour warranty in the region of sale.
Avoid anyone at the airport or in a market who offers a 'patch' or IMEI change to skip the tax. It is illegal under PECA 2016 and such phones get blocked. See CPID vs patch vs PTA approved (CPID vs Patch vs PTA Approved Mobile: What Is the Difference?).
Gifted phones from relatives abroad
A phone sent or carried as a gift from abroad follows the same rule. The DIRBS FAQs say it must be registered, with the FBR duty paid, before it can be used on a Pakistani network after the 60-day period. The person who will use it registers it on their own CNIC and a SIM in their own name, unless the traveller registers it on their passport within 60 days of arrival.
If a relative visiting on temporary registration leaves their phone with you, it stops working when their 120 days end. You must then register it normally and pay the tax.
Before buying any used phone that 'came from Dubai', check its IMEI on 8484 or dirbs.pta.gov.pk yourself. Our guide on how to check PTA status (How to Check PTA Status of Any Mobile Phone) explains every reply.
Bringing a phone vs buying Non PTA box pack in Pakistan
For many buyers, a Non PTA phone bought in Pakistan ends up in the same place as a phone brought from abroad: an unregistered phone with its original IMEI that you can register by paying the PTA tax, or use on Wi-Fi.
Buying here has some practical advantages: - No baggage limits, airport questions or carrying risk - You can check the phone at home with our 7-day checking warranty - Our Android phones and iPhone 16 and 17 series are Non Custom / Non PTA box pack; our iPhone 11 to 15 units are used Non PTA phones with 95 to 99% battery health - Every phone has its original IMEI, so you can register it on CNIC whenever you want
The passport rate is only for the traveller who brought the phone in, so do not use someone else's passport for a phone bought locally. Browse Non PTA mobiles (Imported Mobiles) and Non PTA iPhone (iPhone Prices).
