Wednesday 30 / April / 2025
Muscat: People flying to Pakistan from the Sultanate and abroad can now only carry one mobile phone in a year without paying customs duty.
However, according to 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, according to 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 the 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, “If you are purchasing a new phone or carrying any phone that you wish to install a SIM in and activate after December 1, 2018, make sure to send its IMEI number to 8484 to know its legal status. The IMEI number can be found in the mobile phone’s box or by dialling *#06#.”
As for the purpose 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, adding that the IMEI numbers of customs duty paid phones are automatically uploaded into PTA’s database.
He said that the cabinet has also approved a relaxation in policies regarding the commercial import of new and used mobile phones, but will be deactivated by the PTA if sold after December 1, 2018, and are not customs duty paid (smuggled).
“The ban on the commercial import of used phones has also been 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 December 1, 2018, that are not customs duty paid (i.e. smuggled) will be deactivated by the PTA after a lapse of 30 days. Phones currently in use or activated before December 1 will not be affected or require any registration,” Azhar said.
