PTA Tax on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in Pakistan (2026)
28 Sep 2026 · 2 min read
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max reached Pakistan through importers in late September 2026. Most of these early units are not PTA approved, so the buyer has to pay PTA tax to use a Pakistani SIM permanently. Here is roughly what that costs.
Estimated PTA tax on the iPhone 18 Pro series
Estimates reported at launch:
- iPhone 18 Pro: about Rs 205,000 on passport registration, or about Rs 225,000 on CNIC registration
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: about Rs 209,000 on passport, or about Rs 230,000 on CNIC
These are not final figures. The real amount depends on the customs value given to your exact model and storage, the dollar rate on the day, and the tax rules at that time. The only reliable number is the one PTA's DIRBS system gives you for your phone's IMEI.
Passport or CNIC: why the difference?
Registering on a passport (for people arriving from abroad) is usually cheaper than registering on a CNIC. That is why many buyers ask a friend or relative travelling from abroad to bring the phone and register it on their passport. Read our full PTA tax on iPhones guide for how the slabs work.
Can you pay it in installments?
From the 2026-27 budget, the government allowed PTA tax on imported phones to be paid in installments, but the detailed process was to be announced separately. See PTA tax in installments: what the 2026-27 budget changed.
Is a non-PTA iPhone 18 Pro worth it?
Add the tax to the price of a non-PTA unit and compare it with a PTA-approved one. Often the difference is small, and a PTA-approved phone is easier to sell later. A non-PTA phone that is never registered stops working with Pakistani SIMs after the temporary period, though Wi-Fi still works. Read PTA approved vs non-PTA.
Before you pay for any iPhone 18 Pro
- Dial \*#06# and check the IMEI matches the box.
- Check the PTA status by sending the IMEI to 8484 or on the DIRBS website. Our PTA check guide shows how.
- Ask the seller whether it is a PTA-approved unit or a "PTA tax not paid" unit, and get it in writing in the chat.
Browse iPhone 18 Pro ads on VerifiedPhones, where every ad shows its PTA status.
