PTA Tax Calculator: Mobile Phone Tax on Passport & CNIC

Brought a phone from abroad? Enter its value in US dollars to see the tax to register it with PTA (DIRBS), on a passport and on a CNIC, using the rates in force from 1 July 2026.

All phone prices New launches Price drops Best phones by budget Compare phones PTA tax calculator

Phone value in US dollars

Use the price you paid, or the phone's launch price in the US. Customs may assess its own value.

Dollar rate (Rs per $1)

PTA tax slabs 2026-27

Phone value	On passport	On CNIC
Up to $30	Rs 340 + 18% of value	Rs 440 + 18% of value
$30 to $100	Rs 2,600 + 18% of value	Rs 2,700 + 18% of value
$100 to $200	Rs 6,600 + 18% of value	Rs 6,700 + 18% of value
$200 to $350	Rs 10,600 + 18% of value	Rs 11,570 + 18% of value
$350 to $500	Rs 16,000 + 18% of value	Rs 21,000 + 18% of value
$500 to $700	Rs 25,600 + 25% of value	Rs 37,100 + 25% of value
Above $700	Rs 33,600 + 25% of value	Rs 45,100 + 25% of value

"% of value" is applied to the phone's value in rupees at the dollar rate above. The final amount is the one on your PSID.

How the PTA tax is worked out

PTA itself does not set the tax. It is FBR's regulatory duty, sales tax (18% up to $500, 25% above) and the mobile handset levy, plus income tax when you register on a CNIC, collected through a PSID when a phone bought abroad is registered on PTA's DIRBS system. The amount depends on two things:

The phone's value in US dollars picks the slab. Customs uses its own assessed value for each model, which can differ from what you paid.
Passport or CNIC: CNIC registration also pays income tax (doubled if you are not on FBR's Active Taxpayers List), so it usually costs more than registering on a passport.

Some slabs charge a fixed amount in rupees; higher slabs charge a percentage of the phone's value converted at the dollar rate.

Examples at Rs 276.55 per dollar

Phone worth	Tax on passport	Tax on CNIC
$150	Rs 14,067	Rs 14,167
$400	Rs 35,912	Rs 40,912
$800	Rs 88,910	Rs 100,410
$1200	Rs 116,565	Rs 128,065

How to register and pay

Find the IMEI(s) by dialling *#06# (register every IMEI shown, e.g. both SIM slots / eSIM).
Apply through PTA DIRBS: online at https://dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs (create an individual account), by dialling USSD *8484# from a SIM issued on your own CNIC/passport, or at a mobile operator's franchise / customer service centre. There are no registration counters at airports.
Enter passport number (plus CNIC/NICOP if applicable) for the traveller route within 60 days of arrival, or CNIC for the local route, the SIM number issued on your name, and the IMEI(s).
DIRBS sends the application to FBR's WeBOC, which assesses duty/taxes automatically and generates a Payment Slip ID (PSID). The PSID is valid for 7 days; if unpaid the application is deleted and you must apply again.
Pay the PSID amount through internet banking, mobile banking apps, ATMs, or bank branches (CGO 01/2019; PTA FAQ). The payment reaches FBR through 1-Link.
Once FBR confirms payment, the application changes from Pending to Approved and the IMEI(s) are whitelisted. Blocked IMEIs are sent to operators for unblocking every hour. Check status by SMS of the IMEI to 8484, at https://dvs.pta.gov.pk, or in the DVS app.
Duty for a specific IMEI can be checked on FBR WeBOC 'Mobile Device Duty Information' (https://www.weboc.gov.pk/Shared/MobileDeviceDutyInformation.aspx).

Questions

What is PTA tax?

It is the customs duty and tax you pay to register a phone brought from abroad with PTA's DIRBS system. Until it is paid, a SIM will stop working in that phone after the free period.

How is PTA tax calculated?

By the value of the phone in US dollars: each value band (slab) has its own amount, and it is different when you register on a passport or on a CNIC. Enter the value above to see the amount.

Is it cheaper on a passport or CNIC?

For most slabs the passport rate is lower. Check the table above for your phone's value band.

How do I pay PTA tax?

Generate a PSID through PTA's DIRBS website (dirbs.pta.gov.pk) with your phone's IMEI, then pay it through a bank, internet banking or a payment app. The phone is registered once the payment is confirmed.

Are these the latest PTA tax rates?

These rates apply from 1 July 2026 (2026-27). Rates can change with the federal budget, so the amount on your PSID is final.

Good to know

Amounts combine FBR's official rates: regulatory duty, sales tax (18% up to $500, 25% above) and the mobile handset levy; CNIC registration also pays income tax (doubled if you are not on the Active Taxpayers List). Customs may assess a different value.
Passport (international traveller) route: devices brought in accompanied baggage must be registered within 60 days of arrival; after that, registration requires the leviable duty/taxes plus a prescribed fine (CGO 01/2019 as amended). PTA FAQ: there is no discount for registering within 60 days, but a traveller registering after 60 days, or a local applicant registering on CNIC, pays additional tax/duty.
An unregistered phone with a local SIM works for 60 days from first SIM insertion; the 60 days are not renewed on a later visit with the same phone (PTA DIRBS FAQ). Roaming on a foreign SIM needs no registration.
Overseas Pakistanis / foreigners on short visits can get free temporary registration for one device for 120 days from arrival, paired to a Pakistani SIM issued in their own name; arrival is verified from FIA data (PTA FAQ, CGO 01/2019 para 2AA).
Up to five mobile devices can be registered by an individual in a calendar year (PTA DIRBS FAQ; CGO 01/2019 note).
All IMEIs programmed in the device (e.g. physical and eSIM IMEIs) must be registered. Filers get no exemption; duty/taxes apply regardless of filer status (PTA FAQ).
Finance Act 2026 added sub-clause (vi) to the Ninth Schedule: an individual paying tax on an imported phone through DIRBS may pay in instalments 'as may be prescribed', all instalments to be paid before the end of the financial year of import (effective 1 July 2026). As of September 2026 news reports said the instalment mechanism had not yet been set up.

Official sources

Buying in Pakistan instead?

PTA-approved phones sold here already include these taxes.

Best phones by budget →

This calculator uses the official FBR / PTA rates listed above and is for guidance only. Dareecha is not connected to PTA or FBR. Rates can change with each budget; the amount shown on your PSID in DIRBS is final.