PTA mobile Registration for overseas 2025:
PTA mobile Registration for overseas is a great initiative by Pakistani government for overseas Pakistani nationals whenever they visit the home country. If you’re an overseas Pakistani, PTA allows you to register your mobile phone for four months free of cost. Below is a comprehensive guide outlining the requirements, necessary documents, and step-by-step process of PTA mobile Registration for overseas.
Eligibility for Free PTA Registration:
- Who is eligible?
- Only overseas Pakistanis who have recently traveled to Pakistan can avail of this free registration. PTA verifies your travel history through Airport/FIA immigration records.
- Attempts to register a phone using someone else’s passport or CNIC details will not be successful.
- Important for verification:
- The SIM card must be registered to your own CNIC.
- You must have entered Pakistan recently, matching the travel details on your passport and CNIC.
Key Requirements for PTA Mobile Phone Registration:
To ensure a smooth registration process, the following must be met:
1. Verified Travel History
- You need a confirmed travel record from abroad, checked against immigration data.
2. Registered SIM in Your Name
- The mobile number used must be active and linked to your own CNIC. This is crucial since the OTP (One-Time Password) for verification will be sent to this number.
3. Dual SIM Phones
- For phones with dual SIM slots (physical or eSIM), both IMEI numbers must be registered. Use the code
*#06#to check both IMEIs.
4. OTP Verification
- The SIM must be active to receive the OTP. Double-check your provided number to avoid delays. At least one phone number must be able to receive an OTP.
Common Issues & Solutions
Dual SIM Phones (iPhones and Others)
- iPhones often come with one physical SIM and one eSIM, which the PTA system treats as dual SIM.
- Ensure both IMEI numbers are registered.
Inactive or Incorrect SIM
- OTP verification fails if the SIM is inactive or not linked to your CNIC. Confirm your mobile number’s status before starting the process.
Step-by-Step PTA Free Mobile Registration.
The process is straightforward and can be completed in a few minutes:
- Visit the PTA Registration Portal
Go to the official PTA portal for mobile registration. - Enter Travel Details
Fill in your passport number, CNIC, and date of entry into Pakistan. - Provide IMEI Numbers
Enter the IMEI for your phone. Dual SIM users must provide both IMEI numbers. - Input Your Mobile Number
Use a number registered under your CNIC and verify via OTP. - Complete the Registration
Submit the details. Your phone will usually be registered within 24 hours.
Final Notes
- Exclusive for Overseas Pakistanis:
This service is strictly available for those traveling from abroad and is not valid for Pakistani residents or misuse of travel details. - Follow Rules for Smooth Registration:
Use your own documents and avoid third-party services.
By adhering to the steps above, you can complete the registration without any hassle or cost.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan has recently made an important announcement regarding the PTA Free Mobile Registration for overseas Pakistanis. It was shared yesterday at a media conference. You might have heard the news on social media that the PTA tax is no more required and the PTA mobile registration is free. Today we are going to share the details regarding this topic and the difference between the new and old PTA mobile registration systems. Before we go in-depth let us clarify one thing, the PTA mobile registration is not free yet. However, they have made some changes to the terms and conditions.
Check PTA mobile TAX, click here.
Old PTA System
As per the old rules if you bought a mobile in a foreign country and used it in Pakistan, two months’ time was given to you. If you had a non-PTA dual sim mobile phone, sim 1 could be used for two months and then sim 2 could also be used for another two months. Only the sim 1 slot was blocked by PTA after two months. After four months both sims stopped working and the phone was blocked by PTA. If you have paid the PTA tax before the 2 months period, there was no penalty but after this period you will have to pay some extra PTA tax to get your smartphone approved.
New PTA System of PTA Free Mobile Registration:
Now if we talk about the new rules, PTA is now providing relief of four months of sim working time per IMEI. This means if you have a non-PTA phone you can use a slot sim slot for four months. In the old system, you didn’t need to register your phone for two months but now everyone will be going to register their smartphone by signing up at the official PTA website. So you will have to register your phone as soon you reach Pakistan. You will still have to pay the PTA tax once the four-month period has passed.
How to apply for PTA Free Mobile Registration:
PTA Free Mobile Registration is valid for 8 months. The trick used here is that only 1 IMEI should be registered even if your mobile phone is dual sim. However, you will have one passport and it can be done only one time. For example, one passport can be used for one IMEI. You can ask your friends and family members who travel a lot to register your phone’s second slot using their passport details.
Steps for PTA Free Mobile Registration
- First, you need to visit the official PTA website and sign up by visiting: https://dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs/auth/login
- Once you click on sign up and fill out the form with basic information such as the purpose for registration and nationality type.
- Enter your full name, city, phone number, and address.
- In the next step, enter your passport which was used for recent traveling. Don’t enter a new passport number without any exit or entry.
- Type an eight-digit password using a capital letter, small letter, digit, and special character.
- If you receive this kind of error while adding the phone number, try to add a number registered on the same ID card of the passport owner.
- Correct the data and click on submit.
- As you can see our account has been created and we have been asked to check our email inbox for account verification.
- Now open Gmail and check if you have received any email for confirmation.
- We have received an email for verification.
- Click on the link for confirmation.
- Your account will be activated as soon you click the verification link.
- Now log in using the email/mobile number and password.
- In case, you are having trouble logging in by email. Try using a phone number instead of email.
- After logging in successfully agree with the terms and conditions and click on temporary registration for overseas Pakistanis.
- Enter your CNIC number, select your nationality, passport number used at immigration, and entry and departure date from Pakistan.
- Choose the correct entry and departure dates. You can check your ticket to confirm the dates.
- Select the mobile as per the number of supported sim cards.
- Enter the 15-digit IMEI, mobile number and select the sim operator.
- Repeat the same process for the second sim.
- Dial *#06# for the IMEI Numbers.
- Tick the disclaimer and click on submit.
- You will soon receive an email and message from PTA that your phone is approved for four months.
NOTE: Already blocked phones are not eligible for this registration. Assure that you take advantage of PTA free mobile registration as soon you enter Pakistan and before your phone is blocked.
Conclusion
PTA mobile Registration for overseas is a great relief for overseas Pakistani from the PTA. Four months for working sims are enough if you are going to stay for holidays. All the given steps are easy and explained hopefully you can do all the process by yourself.
