PTA Mobile Registration: Register Your Phone and Pay Tax in 2026

PTA mobile registration is the step that lets a phone brought from abroad work on a Pakistani SIM for more than 60 days. If you brought a phone with you, or received one as a gift, you must register it in PTA's DIRBS system and pay FBR tax. If you do not, the service stops after 60 days from the first use of the phone on a Pakistani network. A phone marked Non-Compliant is blocked just 1 day after first use. This guide explains the whole process in simple words.

How to Check Your Phone Before PTA mobile registration

Before you start PTA mobile registration, check your phone first. Send its 15-digit IMEI number by SMS to 8484. If the reply says Compliant, no registration is needed. If it says the phone is valid but not registered, then you must register it. A Non-Compliant phone cannot be registered at all. You can find all IMEIs of your phone by dialling *#06#. Dual SIM or eSIM phones have more than one IMEI, and all of them must be registered.

The tax is set by FBR, not PTA, and it depends on the phone model and price. To know the exact tax, check FBR's WeBOC page called Mobile Device Duty Information on weboc.gov.pk by entering the IMEI. Registration on a passport within 60 days of arrival in Pakistan is cheaper than registration on a CNIC.

You can register online at dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs, or dial *8484# from a SIM issued on your own CNIC, or visit your mobile company's franchise or customer service centre. A franchise may charge at most Rs100 per PTA SOP for this service. There are no registration counters at airports, so do not look for one there. The online method lets you track your application and see the PSID in your own account.

PTA mobile registration: Online, by Code, or at a Franchise

To create a DIRBS account for PTA mobile registration, give your name, address, mobile number, CNIC number, email, city, and password, then log in. Choose a local application for CNIC registration, or an international traveller application for passport registration within 60 days of arrival. Enter your own-name SIM number and all IMEIs of the phone, then submit. Enter the OTP sent to your mobile on the DIRBS website only, and submit again.

The PSID for PTA mobile registration usually arrives within 24 to 48 hours. PTA sends the IMEIs to the manufacturer for verification, and then the PSID and the tax amount arrive by SMS. The same details also show in your DIRBS account. If the PSID does not come in two days, log in and check the status.

Pay the PSID amount for PTA mobile registration in person at any commercial bank in Pakistan within 7 days. Online banking is NOT available for phone duty, as per PTA, so do not try to pay through an app or a website. If you do not pay within 7 days, the application is deleted automatically. An application may be deleted only 5 times. At the bank, double-check every digit of the PSID.

After FBR confirms the payment, the status changes from Pending to Approved, and PTA mobile registration is complete. A blocked phone usually opens 3 to 4 hours after the confirmation SMS, so restart the phone. If the service does not return after 24 hours and the status shows Compliant, complain on PTA CMS. The DIRBS helpline is 0800-55055, open Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 4 pm, and Friday from 8:30 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4 pm.

One person can do PTA mobile registration for at most 5 phones in a calendar year. There is no exemption for a filer, non-filer, student, government employee, or overseas Pakistani mission staff. For a FERC card concession question, ask FBR, because PTA does not decide it. The DIRBS website only opens inside Pakistan. Short visits have a separate 120-day temporary registration.

A few habits make PTA mobile registration smooth. Before buying a used phone, check every IMEI on 8484. If a phone is already registered on someone's CNIC or passport, get the PSID and duty receipt from the seller. Do not wait for the 60 days to end, because a repeat arrival in Pakistan with the same phone does not give a fresh 60 days. Register early and pay at the bank in time.

If you paid but the phone still shows Not PTA Registered, it is usually because payment was attempted through online banking, which is not available for phone duty. If the status does not change, contact the bank or FBR. If the PSID was deleted or 7 days passed, apply again. If payment was made and the application was deleted, complain on PTA CMS with payment proof, IMEI, and the CNIC or passport used.

If you get a Fraudulent Activity message, submit proof on PTA CMS at complaint.pta.gov.pk before the given date. If you entered a wrong IMEI and the status is still Pending, delete it and reapply. If it is Approved, complain on PTA CMS under Correction of wrongly entered IMEIs.

How do I check if my phone needs PTA mobile registration?

Send the 15-digit IMEI number by SMS to 8484. If the reply says Compliant, no registration is needed. If it says valid but not registered, you must register it. A Non-Compliant phone cannot be registered.

What is the tax for PTA mobile registration?

The tax is set by FBR, not PTA, and it depends on the phone model and price. Check FBR's WeBOC page Mobile Device Duty Information on weboc.gov.pk by entering the IMEI, or apply in DIRBS and the PSID will show the amount.

How do I pay the PSID for PTA mobile registration?

Pay in person at any commercial bank in Pakistan within 7 days. Online banking is NOT available for phone duty, as per PTA. If unpaid in 7 days, the application is deleted automatically.

How many phones can one person register in a year?

One person can register at most 5 phones in a calendar year. There is no exemption for a filer, non-filer, student, government employee, or overseas Pakistani mission staff.

My phone is blocked but I paid the tax. What should I do?

A blocked phone usually opens 3 to 4 hours after the confirmation SMS, so restart the phone. If service does not return after 24 hours and the status is Compliant, complain on PTA CMS.