iPhone 8 PTA Tax in Pakistan 2026

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus PTA tax in Pakistan 2026

The iPhone 8 came out in 2017. Apple stopped selling it years ago, and nobody in Pakistan is buying one new today.

So every iPhone 8 on sale here is a used phone. That one fact decides how much PTA tax you pay on it, because FBR does not tax the phone at its old launch price. It taxes it at the value the phone holds now, in 2026, as a used device.

That value is low. Low enough that the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus end up paying exactly the same tax, which is not what most people expect.

Before the numbers, the basic rule. Every mobile phone used in Pakistan has to be registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority before it can accept a local SIM. If it is not registered, no Pakistani SIM will work in it, only Wi-Fi will. To register it, you pay a tax, collected by FBR, and the amount depends on the model, and whether you register with your CNIC or your passport.

This is also why you will see wildly different numbers for the same phone online. Some pages are still quoting what the tax was years ago, when the iPhone 8 was a current phone. This guide uses the current 2026 valuation instead. If you are comparing older models, the iPhone X PTA tax rate and the iPhone XR tax in Pakistan are worth checking, because both land in the same bracket as the iPhone 8. To estimate any other device, use our iPhone tax calculator.

iPhone 8 PTA Tax at a Glance

Here is the estimated registration amount for both models. The customs value column is the figure FBR has assigned to each phone, and it is what the tax is calculated from.

ModelFBR Customs ValuePTA Tax on CNICPTA Tax on Passport
iPhone 8USD 45PKR 5,101PKR 3,776
iPhone 8 PlusUSD 78PKR 5,101PKR 3,776

Both rows show the same tax. That is not a mistake in the table. The next section explains why it happens.

These are estimates. Your exact amount is generated by DIRBS at the moment you register, because it depends on the dollar rate that day. Confirm your own figure on the official DIRBS portal before you pay anything.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus PTA Tax Is the Same Amount

FBR does not charge tax as a percentage of what your phone is worth. It sorts phones into value brackets, and every phone inside a bracket pays one fixed amount.

The bracket that matters here covers phones valued between USD 30 and USD 100.

The iPhone 8 is valued at USD 45. The iPhone 8 Plus is valued at USD 78. Both numbers fall inside that same bracket, so both phones pay the same fixed amount.

The bigger screen, the second camera and the higher launch price make no difference here. Once both values land in the same band, the tax stops separating them.

What this means for you. If you were choosing between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus and expected the Plus to cost more to register, it does not. Pick whichever phone you actually want, because the registration cost is identical.

How the PTA Tax on an iPhone 8 Is Worked Out

The tax is not based on what you paid the seller. It is based on a value that FBR assigns to each model, and that value is published in a document called a valuation ruling.

The ruling in force right now is Valuation Ruling 2076/2026, issued in April 2026. It lists used phone models along with the customs value of each one in US dollars. Under this ruling the iPhone 8 is valued at USD 45 and the iPhone 8 Plus at USD 78.

Once FBR has that dollar value, the tax is applied according to the value bracket the phone falls into.

Phone Value (USD)PTA Tax on CNICPTA Tax on Passport
Up to 30PKR 550PKR 430
30 to 100PKR 4,323PKR 3,200
100 to 200PKR 8,651PKR 6,670
200 to 350PKR 14,661PKR 12,200
350 to 500PKR 23,420PKR 17,800
Above 500PKR 23,007PKR 13,600

An 18 percent sales tax is added on top of the base amount in the table above. For the iPhone 8 that takes the CNIC figure from PKR 4,323 to PKR 5,101, and the passport figure from PKR 3,200 to PKR 3,776.

Why Some Sites Show a Much Higher iPhone 8 PTA Tax

Search for this and you will find pages quoting PKR 19,000, PKR 24,000, even PKR 27,000 for these models. Some of them also show the iPhone 8 Plus costing around PKR 5,000 more than the iPhone 8.

Those numbers are old. They come from a time when the iPhone 8 was still a current phone and FBR valued it far higher than it does now. The valuation has been revised more than once since then, and the phone has moved down into a much lower bracket.

The values also moved during 2026 itself. In January 2026 the iPhone 8 was valued at USD 38 and the 8 Plus at USD 47. In April 2026 the ruling was revised and those figures went up to USD 45 and USD 78. Both changes stayed inside the same bracket, so the tax you pay did not move.

If a page shows a five thousand rupee gap between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus, that page has not been updated. Both models sit in the same bracket now, so no gap exists.

What Counts as a Used iPhone 8

The low value only applies if the phone is assessed as used. The valuation ruling attaches conditions to that.

The phone has to have been activated at least six months before it was sent to Pakistan. It also has to arrive without its box and without accessories.

In practice almost every iPhone 8 in Pakistan meets these conditions. The phone launched in 2017 and is not sold new anymore, so the used list is the one that applies to it. The full conditions are covered in our guide to the used phone customs valuation rules.

Does Storage Size Change the iPhone 8 PTA Tax

No. FBR assigns one value to the model, not a separate value for each storage option.

A 64GB iPhone 8 and a 256GB iPhone 8 pay exactly the same PKR 5,101 on CNIC. The same applies to the 8 Plus.

Storage changes what you pay the seller. It does not change what you pay FBR.

iPhone 8 Price in Pakistan and Total Cost

A used iPhone 8 in Pakistan usually sells for somewhere between PKR 15,000 and PKR 30,000, depending on condition, battery health and storage. The 8 Plus sits a little higher than that.

Add the registration amount and you have your total.

What you are paying foriPhone 8
Phone priceDepends on condition and storage
Registration on CNICPKR 5,101
Registration on PassportPKR 3,776
If already registeredNothing further

One thing worth noticing on a phone this cheap. The tax is a small amount by itself, but against a PKR 20,000 phone it is a quarter of what you spend. Work it into the price before you agree anything with the seller.

If the phone is already PTA approved, you pay nothing further. Ask the seller for the IMEI and check the PTA status by IMEI yourself before you hand over any money. Do not pay first and check afterwards, because once the money is gone a blocked phone becomes your problem to solve.

Should You Buy an iPhone 8 in 2026

The tax is not the problem with this phone. The software is.

iPhone 8 and iOS Updates

Apple stopped supporting the iPhone 8 after iOS 16. It does not get new iOS versions anymore, and it does not get the security fixes that come with them.

This shows up in daily use. Some apps have already stopped supporting older iOS versions, and more will follow. Banking apps tend to drop old versions earliest.

If you need the phone for banking, for work apps, or for anything that updates often, this is a real problem and it gets worse every year.

Who the iPhone 8 Still Works For

There are still people it suits.

If you want a spare phone that sits in a drawer and gets used when your main phone dies, it does the job. If you are buying a first phone for a child, it does the job. If you specifically want Touch ID and a home button, the iPhone 8 is one of the last iPhones that has them.

For calls, messages, WhatsApp, photos and YouTube, it still works fine.

iPhone 8 PTA Tax Compared With iPhone X and iPhone XR

This is where the bracket system becomes easy to see.

ModelFBR Customs ValuePTA Tax on CNICPTA Tax on Passport
iPhone 8USD 45PKR 5,101PKR 3,776
iPhone 8 PlusUSD 78PKR 5,101PKR 3,776
iPhone XUSD 70PKR 5,101PKR 3,776
iPhone XRUSD 80PKR 5,101PKR 3,776

Four different phones, four different customs values, one identical tax. All four sit between USD 30 and USD 100.

This is useful when you are deciding what to buy. The tax is not a reason to pick one over another, so the choice comes down to the phone itself. On that basis the XR is the better buy of the four, because it is newer and kept getting iOS updates for longer. The iPhone XS registration tax works out the same as well, at a customs value of USD 75.

How to Register Your iPhone 8 with PTA

  • Dial *#06# on the phone to see the IMEI. Write it down.
  • Go to the DIRBS portal and enter the IMEI to check the current status of the device.
  • If the phone needs registering, create an account on the portal and start a new registration request.
  • Enter your CNIC or passport details along with the device information. The system generates a PSID showing the exact amount due.
  • Pay the PSID through your bank app, JazzCash, EasyPaisa, or at a bank branch.
  • Check the status on DIRBS again after a day or two to confirm the device has been cleared.

You have 60 days from first use with a local SIM before an unregistered phone is blocked. Overseas Pakistanis and foreign visitors can register one device for temporary use for 120 days from the date of arrival.

Frequently Asked Questions

The estimated iPhone 8 PTA tax is around PKR 5,101 on CNIC and PKR 3,776 on passport. This is based on the FBR customs value of USD 45 for the model. Your exact amount is generated by DIRBS when you register, so confirm it at dirbs.pta.gov.pk before paying.
No. Both models pay the same amount. The iPhone 8 is valued at USD 45 and the 8 Plus at USD 78, and both values fall inside the same USD 30 to USD 100 bracket. Every phone in that bracket pays one fixed amount, so the registration cost is identical.
Because those figures are old. They date from when the iPhone 8 was a current phone and FBR valued it far higher. The valuation has been revised several times since, and the phone now sits in a much lower bracket. Any page showing PKR 19,000 or more for this model has not been updated.
No. A 64GB, 128GB and 256GB iPhone 8 all pay the same amount. FBR assigns one customs value to the model rather than a separate value for each storage option.
Passport registration costs less. On the iPhone 8 the difference works out at roughly PKR 1,325. Passport registration is meant for people arriving from abroad and has to be done within the allowed window after arrival.
Yes. There is no age limit on registration, and both the iPhone 8 and the 8 Plus appear on the current FBR valuation list for used phones. You register the phone the same way as any other device, through the DIRBS portal.
No. Apple stopped supporting the iPhone 8 after iOS 16, so it no longer receives new iOS versions or security fixes. Some apps have already dropped support for older iOS versions, and banking apps tend to drop them first. This is the main reason to think twice before buying one.
You have 60 days from the day you first use the phone with a local SIM. After that the device is blocked from Jazz, Zong, Ufone, Telenor and SCO, and only Wi-Fi keeps working until you register it.
You can, but you have to register it yourself and pay the tax. Registration on this model is only a few thousand rupees, so the saving on a non PTA unit is small. Check the IMEI status on DIRBS before you agree a price, and make sure the discount is bigger than the tax you will pay.
Yes. The iPhone 8 supports 4G LTE and works on Jazz, Zong, Ufone and Telenor. Units imported from certain regions can behave differently on some bands, so test a local SIM in the phone before you buy it from a private seller.
Valuation Ruling 2076/2026, issued in April 2026. It replaced the earlier ruling from January 2026. Customs values get revised from time to time, so the ruling in force on the day you register is the one that decides your figure.
Enter your IMEI on dirbs.pta.gov.pk. The system generates a PSID showing the exact payable amount at that day's exchange rate. That figure is the one that counts, and any estimate you see online is only a guide.
It depends on what you need it for. As a spare phone, a first phone for a child, or a phone for calls, WhatsApp and photos, it still works and costs very little to register. As a main phone it is a poor choice, because it stopped getting iOS updates and app support keeps shrinking.