How to register an imported phone with PTA (DIRBS) and pay the tax

A phone bought abroad works on a Pakistani SIM for 60 days, counted from the day you first insert the SIM. After that, PTA's DIRBS system cuts it off the network unless the phone has been registered and the tax paid. Visiting overseas Pakistanis and foreigners can instead get 120 days of tax-free use for one phone.

This guide covers both routes, what you need, how the PSID payment works and the mistakes that get applications deleted.

Summary

What DIRBS does

The Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System checks every phone's IMEI on Pakistani networks. Phones that are genuine but unregistered get a grace period; phones with invalid, cloned or stolen-reported IMEIs are blocked.

Step 1: Check whether your phone needs registering

SMS the 15-digit IMEI to 8484. PTA lists these replies:

You can also check on PTA's DVS app or at dvs.pta.gov.pk.

Step 2: Find your IMEI

Dial *#06#. A dual-SIM phone shows two IMEIs, and both go on the same application. Copy them exactly: a wrong digit is the most common reason people pay for the wrong device.

Step 3: Choose your route

1. Temporary registration (overseas Pakistanis and foreigners on a visit). Tax-free for 120 days from your arrival date, which PTA checks against FIA records. One device only, a Pakistani SIM issued in your own name, and a fresh application on every visit. The phone is suspended after 120 days unless you pay the tax.
2. Passport registration. For people bringing a phone into Pakistan. You must apply within 60 days of arrival; the arrival date is verified against FIA's border system. The passport rate has historically been lower than the CNIC rate.
3. CNIC registration. For everyone else, including anyone past the 60-day passport window and anyone who bought a non-PTA phone locally.

Step 4: Apply

Apply at dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs, by dialling *8484#, or at your mobile operator's franchise or customer service centre.

You need:

• CNIC or passport number,
• a mobile number issued in your name by a Pakistani operator,
• the phone's IMEI number(s),
• an email address.

Submit the application. The system generates a PSID (payment slip ID) through FBR's WeBOC system with the exact amount due.

Step 5: Pay the PSID within 7 days

Pay through any 1-Link channel: your bank's app or internet banking, an ATM, or a branch. Mobile wallets and bank apps usually list it under Government Payments, then FBR, then PSID. If the PSID is not paid within 7 days the application is deleted and you have to start again.

Step 6: Wait for approval

The status moves from Pending to Approved once FBR confirms the payment, and the IMEI is then whitelisted. PTA does not publish a fixed time. Re-check on 8484 after approval.

What it costs in 2026-27

Tax is charged by FBR according to the phone's customs value in US dollars. The PSID shows the exact figure.

• Sales tax: 25% on phones worth more than USD 500 and 18% on phones worth USD 500 or less. The FY2026-27 budget kept this structure after a proposal to cut the higher rate to 18% was not accepted.
• Mid-range phones (USD 101 to 200): from 1 July 2026 the income tax fell from Rs 930 to Rs 100 and the mobile levy from Rs 600 to Rs 20, according to ProPakistani.
• Regulatory duty: in September 2026 the Commerce Ministry reported a cut of about 20% in fixed regulatory duty on imported phones (for example Rs 22,000 to Rs 17,600 above USD 500). These figures were reported for commercial imports, so check your PSID for what applies to a personal registration.
• Instalments: the Finance Act 2026 allows the sales tax to be paid in instalments within the same financial year. FBR issued Circular No. 1 of 2026 on 11 September 2026, but the option was not yet live on DIRBS as of 14 September. PTA called an earlier "instalment notification" circulating online fake.

Use the PTA tax calculator for an estimate before you apply, and compare it with the PSID. For the iPhone 17 range, see what you will actually pay on passport vs CNIC.

Common mistakes

1. Wrong IMEI. If the application is still Pending, delete it and apply again. If it is already Approved, file a complaint with PTA.
2. SIM not in your name. The mobile number on the application must be registered to you.
3. Missing the 60-day passport window. After that, only the CNIC route is available.
4. Letting the PSID expire. Unpaid slips are deleted after 7 days.
5. Paid but still showing unregistered. The status only changes when FBR confirms payment. Check with your bank that the PSID payment went through, then contact FBR.
6. Invalid, duplicate or stolen-reported IMEIs cannot be registered at all.

Buying a used phone?

Before paying, send the IMEI to 8484 or check it on DVS. Only Compliant means the tax has been paid. A "non-PTA" phone is cheaper because the tax has not been paid: you will pay it, or the phone will stop working.

Help and complaints

• DIRBS helpline: 0800-55055, toll-free, 9am to 9pm, 7 days a week.
• Online complaints: complaint.pta.gov.pk, or the PTA CMS app.
• Tax and duty questions go to FBR.

Last reviewed: 15 September 2026.