Wednesday 12 / March / 2025
Muscat: People flying to Pakistan from Oman and abroad can now only carry one mobile phone in a year without paying customs duty.
However, as per new personal baggage rules, they can carry a maximum of five mobile phones but will be paying duty on the four extra handsets.
"For people bringing in phones from abroad, as per personal baggage rules, one phone per annum is allowed duty-free and up to a maximum of five phones in a year can be brought in. The duty on remaining four will have to be paid if you require service in Pakistan beyond 30 days," Hammad Azhar, Pakistan's Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs announced on his twitter handle recently.
He continued saying that “if you are purchasing a new phone or carry any phone that you wish to install a SIM in and activate after 1st December 2018, make sure to send its IMEI number to 8484 to know about its legal status. The IMEI number can be found in the mobile phone's box or by dialling *#06# on its screen."
As for the purposes of implementation and enforcement of this policy, the customs electronic automated system has already been integrated with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's (PTA) DRIBS system, Azhar said before adding that the IMEI numbers of customs duty paid phones is automatically uploaded into PTA's database.
He said that the cabinet has also approved the relaxation in policies regarding commercial import of new and used mobile phones, but will be deactivated by the PTA if sold after 1st December, 2018 and are not custom duty paid (smuggled).
"Ban on commercial import of used phones is also lifted if the said phone models conform to PTA regulations and duties and taxes are paid on them.
"The cabinet has decided that mobile phones sold after 1st December, 2018 that are not custom duty paid (i.e. smuggled) will be deactivated by the PTA after a lapse of 30 days. Phones currently in use or activated before 1st December will not be effected or require any registration," Azhar said.
