Guides / Mobile and PTA / How to Check PTA Tax by IMEI
How to Check PTA Tax by IMEI
Tax year 2026-27 · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · TaxGuide
A PTA tax check or PTA approved check does not need an account. It asks whether the IMEI is already registered. It does not, by itself, show the rupee amount. The amount appears when you apply on DIRBS and FBR issues a PSID.
Find every IMEI
Dial *#06#. You can also look in Settings, on the box, or under the battery on older phones. Write down each 15-digit number. PTA says a device with more than one IMEI, including an iPhone eSIM, must have every IMEI checked. If one IMEI is unregistered, the set can still be blocked.
Three official ways to check
SMS 8484. Send the 15-digit IMEI, and nothing else, to 8484. This is the check most people mean by “PTA tax check online” when they are on a Pakistani SIM.
DVS website. Open dvs.pta.gov.pk and enter the IMEI.
DVS app. PTA’s Device Verification System app does the same lookup, and it can scan a barcode if you are checking a phone before you buy it.
What the reply means
- Compliant or PTA approved: already registered. You do not pay again.
- GSMA Valid, not PTA approved: the IMEI is genuine and still needs registration and FBR duty.
- Blocked: lost, stolen, cloned, or already blocked. Do not buy it.
- Non-compliant: the IMEI is not a GSMA number. PTA says it cannot be registered.
Check before you pay a seller. If the reply says the phone was registered by an individual, ask for the custom duty slip and the PSID record. A compliant status on one IMEI is not enough when the phone has two.
When the phone needs registration, continue with how to pay the PSID or open the PTA tax calculator for an estimate.
Questions
Where do I pay PTA tax?
Pay the PSID from DIRBS at a commercial bank. The payment goes to FBR. A wallet works only when it accepts that PSID.
TaxGuide.pk provides informational estimates based on the selected tax year and published rules. Verify final tax obligations with official sources or a qualified tax professional.