Withholding & Advance · PTA / DIRBS
Mobile Phone Import Cost Calculator
What an imported phone actually costs once PTA registration duty is paid — and whether buying locally works out cheaper.
Reference
PTA duty by device value
| Device value (USD) | On passport | On CNIC |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $30 | Rs 1,230 | Rs 1,430 |
| $31 – $100 | Rs 6,400 | Rs 7,843 |
| $101 – $200 | Rs 17,280 | Rs 20,031 |
| $201 – $350 | Rs 23,800 | Rs 24,770 |
| $351 – $500 | Rs 34,000 | Rs 39,000 |
| Above $500 | Rs 52,000 | Rs 60,000 |
One shared table drives this page and the PTA Registration Tax Calculator, so the two can never disagree. Revised periodically by PTA/FBR — verify before purchase.
Reading the result
Compare the landed total, not the sticker price
A phone bought abroad is usually cheaper on the shelf and often not cheaper once registered. The comparison that matters is the overseas price plus registration duty against the local retail price — and for many models the gap closes or reverses.
Local purchase also comes with a warranty that is straightforward to claim and a device already registered. Those are worth something real, even when the arithmetic is close.
The passport route is limited
Bringing devices in on a passport at the lower rate is intended for personal use, and the allowance is limited per traveller. Importing several phones to sell is a different activity with different treatment, and treating a commercial import as personal is a problem rather than a saving.
Register before you need the phone
The device works for a limited period before being blocked. People who arrive, start using a phone and intend to sort registration out later are the ones who lose service at an inconvenient moment.
Where this stops
This compares two costs from figures you enter. It does not account for warranty differences, network band compatibility, or whether a model sold in another market supports the bands used in Pakistan — all of which can matter more than the duty.
FAQs
Phone import & PTA tax FAQs
How much PTA tax will I pay on an iPhone?
It depends on the device's declared value in US dollars, not on the model name. Enter the price you paid and an exchange rate, and the calculator places it in the right PTA band and shows the duty for registering on a passport or on a CNIC. Model-specific figures circulate widely online but go out of date quickly — the band table is the underlying rule.
Why is registering on a passport cheaper than on CNIC?
The schedule sets two different duty figures, with the passport route lower. It is intended for travellers bringing a device in personally, and eligibility conditions apply — including limits on how many devices a passenger can register this way. Confirm your eligibility with PTA before assuming the lower figure.
What happens if I do not register the phone?
An unregistered device works on Pakistani networks only for a short grace period after its first use, then gets blocked for local SIMs. It will still work on Wi-Fi. Because the block is tied to the IMEI, an unregistered handset is also much harder to resell.
Is the duty based on what I actually paid?
PTA works from the device's value as assessed, which need not equal a discounted price you paid or a low figure on a gift declaration. If the assessed value lands in a higher band, the duty follows the band. Treat the result here as an estimate based on the value you enter.
Should I import or just buy locally?
Add the local price of the PTA-approved handset and the calculator will tell you. Once duty, shipping and the exchange rate are in, importing frequently costs more than buying locally — particularly for mid-range phones, where the duty is a large share of the price.
Does this cover commercial imports?
No — this is for a phone brought in or shipped for personal use. Importing phones as a business also attracts customs duty, regulatory duty, sales tax and income tax at import; see the Import Duty & Landed Cost Calculator for that stack.
Are these duty figures current?
The totals come from the table this site has carried and are not independently verified against a live DIRBS schedule, so check the portal before committing. One component is verified from the Ordinance: the Section 148 income tax per phone is Rs 70 (up to $30), Rs 100 ($30–100), Rs 100 ($100–200, cut from Rs 930 by the Finance Act 2026), Rs 970 ($200–350), Rs 5,000 ($350–500) and Rs 11,500 (above $500). The Finance Act 2026 also lets an individual pay the DIRBS tax in instalments within the financial year of import.
Related tools
Importing an iPhone?
Every model, with each PTA charge worked out separately from its statutory source.
Open iPhone PTA Tax CalculatorRelated tools
Just want the duty figure?
The PTA calculator gives the registration duty on its own, by band.
Open PTA Registration Tax Calculator