How to Check PTA Status by IMEI Number in Pakistan (2026)

PTA status check by IMEI number in Pakistan 2026 guide

Have you just bought a phone, or are you about to buy one from someone?

Then there is one thing you should check before anything else, and it takes less than a minute.

You need to know whether the phone is registered with PTA. If it is not, the SIM will stop working after some time. No calls, no messages, no mobile data. Only Wi-Fi.

This happens more often than people think. A seller tells you the phone is approved, and you believe him, because you cannot tell by looking at the phone. Or someone sends you a phone from abroad, and they do not know that Pakistan has a rule like this. The phone comes, the SIM works fine, and everyone thinks everything is fine.

Then one day the SIM stops working, and people wonder what happened to their phone.

Nothing happened to the phone. The time finished.

Every phone used in Pakistan has to be registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. Until you register it, PTA gives you 60 days from the day you put a Pakistani SIM in it. In those 60 days everything works normally and you get no warning. After 60 days, the SIM is blocked.

So the phone that worked fine for two months was never approved. It was only inside those 60 days.

You can check this yourself. Every phone has a 15-digit number called the IMEI, and PTA keeps a record against that number. Check it and you will know where your phone stands: already registered, still needs tax, or blocked.

One thing to keep in mind. This check tells you the status of the phone, not the amount. If the phone is not registered, the tax depends on the model, and our PTA tax calculator gives you that estimate.

Here is how to find your IMEI number and check it.

What Is an IMEI Number?

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. It is a 15-digit number given to every phone, and no two phones in the world have the same one.

The number is not random. The first eight digits are called the Type Allocation Code, or TAC. This part tells the system which brand and model the phone is. The digits after that belong to your individual phone, and the last digit is a check digit that confirms the number is real.

This is why PTA uses the IMEI. When you send it in, the system knows exactly which phone you are asking about.

How to Find Your IMEI Number

Open your dialer and type *#06#. Your IMEI shows on the screen straight away. You do not need to press the call button.

You can also find it in these places:

Android: Settings, then About Phone
iPhone: Settings, then General, then About
Phone box: printed on the barcode label
Older phones: under the battery or on the back cover

Before you check it, count the digits. There should be exactly 15. Most failed checks are just a typing mistake.

If Your Phone Takes Two SIMs

A phone with two SIM slots has two IMEI numbers. Many people do not know this.

PTA is clear about it. Every IMEI in the phone has to be checked, and all of them have to be registered. So check them one by one.

The same applies if your phone has one physical SIM and one eSIM. That is still two IMEI numbers.

This matters when you are buying a used phone. A phone can come back clean on one IMEI and have a problem on the other. If you check only one, you have seen half the picture. Ask the seller for both numbers, check both, and see that they match what is printed on the box.

How to Check by SMS (8484)

This is the easiest way, and it works on any phone. You do not need internet.

Dial *#06# and note down your 15-digit IMEI number.
Open your messages and type the IMEI in a new message.
Send it to 8484.
You get a reply with your phone's status.

Your normal SMS charges apply. PTA does not charge you for the check itself.

If your phone has two IMEI numbers, send two separate messages.

This is the method to use when you are standing in a shop looking at a used phone. It takes under a minute and you do not need Wi-Fi.

How to Check on the PTA Website

If you would rather do it online:

Go to the official PTA DIRBS portal.
Type your 15-digit IMEI number in the box.
Submit it.
Your status shows on the screen.

Checking the status is separate from registering the phone. Registration is done through the DRS section of the same portal, and PTA says the registration facility works only inside Pakistan.

The website is useful when you want to see the result on a bigger screen, or when you want a screenshot to keep as proof while buying a used phone.

The Official PTA App

PTA has an app called DVS, which stands for Device Verification System. Their FAQ mentions it as an Android app on the Google Play Store.

PTA has also issued a notice mentioning an official Device Verification App on the main app stores. The Android one is the clearer of the two, so if you are on an iPhone, the SMS and website methods are safer.

Whichever one you use, install it only from the official store listing. Fake verification apps are out there.

What Your Status Result Means

Status	What it means	What you should do
Compliant	The phone is registered and approved.	Nothing. It works normally.
Valid / GSMA Valid	The IMEI is real, but the phone is not registered with PTA.	Register it and pay the tax.
Non-Compliant	The IMEI is invalid, duplicated, or does not meet GSMA standards.	Do not buy the phone. If you already own it, file a complaint.
Blocked / Stolen	Reported lost, stolen, or misused.	File a CMS complaint with proof of ownership.
Fraudulent Activity	PTA is reviewing the IMEI. It may be blocked.	Contact PTA through CMS.

The two people mix up most are Compliant and Valid.

Valid sounds good, but it only means the number itself is real. It does not mean the phone is registered. A new imported phone will show Valid before you pay anything.

Compliant is the one you want. That is the phone that is fully registered.

Why the IMEI Does Not Show You the Tax Amount

Your IMEI tells the system which phone it is. It does not carry a price.

The tax is worked out from three things:

The FBR value of your model. Every phone model has a value fixed by FBR. An old phone is valued lower than a new one, so the tax on it is less.
CNIC or passport. Registering on a passport costs less than registering on a CNIC for the same phone.
Sales tax at 18%, added on top.

When you register the phone, the details go through WeBOC and the system creates a PSID. PTA says the PSID is generated by FBR along with the amount of tax. That PSID is your bill, and that number is final.

The order is simple: the IMEI gives you the status, registration gives you the PSID, and the PSID gives you the amount.

There is no official PTA or FBR tool anywhere that gives you a tax figure from an IMEI alone.

If you want a figure before you register, use our mobile tax calculator for an estimate. You can also see the tax on specific models, like the iPhone 17 if you are buying new, or the Samsung Galaxy S23 if you are looking at an older phone from the used market.

Is the Check Free?

Yes. PTA does not charge you to check an IMEI. You pay only your normal SMS rate on the 8484 message, and nothing at all on the website.

Money comes in at registration, and only if tax applies to that phone.

Three different things get called "PTA tax check", and this is where people get confused:

Checking the status — free
Registering the phone — the process
Paying the FBR tax — the cost

Only the last one takes money from you.

If the Result Says Not Found or Non-Compliant

First check the simple thing. Count the digits again. Exactly 15, no spaces, no dashes.

If the number is right and the result is still wrong, then it is usually one of these:

The IMEI is not GSMA valid
The same IMEI is on more than one phone
The phone has been tampered with
The IMEI does not follow GSMA standards

On a two-SIM phone, check the second IMEI as well before you assume the worst. Sometimes one is typed wrong and the other is fine.

If you have not paid for the phone yet, do not. A Non-Compliant IMEI can be blocked at any time, and there is no way to fix it afterwards.

If the Phone Is Blocked

What you do depends on why it was blocked.

Lost or stolen phones

File a complaint through PTA's CMS. Keep these ready:

Your CNIC
The IMEI number
The phone model
What happened
FIR or a written application, where it applies

Duplicate or cloned IMEI

These also go through the complaint system, and PTA may ask for verification from the manufacturer before anything is restored.

Neither of these is quick. Both need paperwork, so collect it before you file.

If You Are Visiting from Abroad

PTA gives two different time periods, and they do not fully match each other.

One says overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals on short visits can register a phone temporarily and use it for 120 days from the day they arrive.

Another says a phone can be used for 60 days from the day you put the first SIM in it before you have to register.

Both are in PTA's own material. The 120-day temporary registration is the more specific rule for short visits, so go by that if you are visiting for a few weeks. If you are staying long term, plan for the shorter period and register the phone properly.

Be Careful with Fake Checker Sites

A website that promises to tell you your exact PTA tax from an IMEI alone cannot do it, because the IMEI does not hold that information.

Use these three for checking status:

SMS to 8484
The official DIRBS portal
The official Device Verification app

PTA has warned people about misleading links made to fool consumers. Any site that asks for your CNIC number, your passport number, or a payment just to run a check is not one to use.

For a used phone, the safest thing is simple. Check every IMEI on that phone yourself, in front of the seller, before you pay.

Where the Official Numbers Come From

Two places, two purposes.

For status, DIRBS is the final word. Whatever it says about your phone is the official position.

For the exact amount, the PSID you get during registration is the real figure. Everything before that, including our calculator, is an estimate to help you plan. The tax rates themselves are set by FBR.

You may also have read news about paying PTA tax in installments. This came up with the Finance Bill 2026-27, but it is not confirmed on PTA or FBR's own pages, so do not plan your purchase around it.

If you want to see every checking method in one place, including the ones that do not use an IMEI, read our guide on how to check PTA tax on any phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a check that tells you whether a phone is registered with PTA. You take the phone's 15-digit IMEI number and send it to 8484 or enter it on the DIRBS portal. The system replies with the phone's status: registered, not registered, or blocked.

Dial *#06# to get your 15-digit IMEI number. Send that number in a message to 8484, or enter it on the PTA DIRBS portal. You get the status back in a few seconds. Both ways are free.

You cannot. The IMEI tells the system which phone it is, not what it costs. The tax is worked out from the FBR value of your phone model and whether you register on CNIC or passport. You see the exact amount when the PSID is generated during registration.

Checking the IMEI is free. Registering the phone is not, if tax applies to it. Three different things get called PTA tax check: checking the status, registering the phone, and paying the FBR tax. Only the last one takes money from you.

The phone is registered and approved. Nothing more is needed and the SIM will keep working normally. This is the result you want when buying a used phone.

The IMEI number itself is real, but the phone is not registered with PTA yet. A new imported phone shows Valid before any tax is paid. Valid is not the same as approved.

The IMEI is invalid, duplicated, or does not meet GSMA standards. A phone with this status can be blocked at any time and there is no way to fix it afterwards. If you have not paid for the phone yet, do not buy it.

Because it takes two SIMs. A phone with one physical SIM and one eSIM also has two IMEI numbers. PTA requires every IMEI in the phone to be checked and registered, so send each one separately to 8484.

Ask the seller for the phone in your hand, dial *#06#, and send the IMEI to 8484 yourself. Do this before any money changes hands. On a two-SIM phone, check both numbers. If either one comes back as anything other than Compliant, do not pay.

First count the digits again. There should be exactly 15, with no spaces or dashes. If the number is right and the result is still wrong, the IMEI may not be GSMA valid, may be on more than one phone, or the phone may have been tampered with. On a two-SIM phone, check the second IMEI as well.

File a complaint through PTA's CMS. Keep your CNIC, the IMEI number, the phone model, details of what happened, and an FIR or written application ready where it applies. Duplicate or cloned IMEI cases may also need verification from the manufacturer.

PTA gives 60 days from the day you put the first Pakistani SIM in the phone. Everything works normally during those 60 days and you get no warning. After that, the SIM is blocked.

Yes, for a short time. Temporary registration lets overseas Pakistanis and foreign nationals use a phone for 120 days from the day they arrive. This is meant for short visits. If you are staying longer, the phone has to be registered properly.

Only the official ones. Use SMS to 8484, the DIRBS portal, or PTA's official Device Verification app. Any site that asks for your CNIC number, passport number, or a payment just to run a check is not one to use. A site cannot give you a tax amount from an IMEI alone, because that information is not in the IMEI.

No. PTA tax is fixed to the model, not the storage. A 128GB and a 512GB version of the same phone carry the same tax. What changes the amount is the model itself, and whether you register on CNIC or passport.