How Overseas Pakistanis Can Buy PSX Shares With a Roshan Equity Investment Account

Overseas Pakistanis with a Roshan Digital Account can buy shares on the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) by opening a Roshan Equity Investment (REI) account from their bank's portal. PSX says CDC sends the account package within 24 hours of its acknowledgement email, if your details are complete.

An account in Karachi, a salary in Dubai or London and a wish to own Pakistani shares: that is the case this account was built for. We read the PSX page on the REI account on 15 October 2026. Below are the steps, the money flow and the limits PSX does not answer.

The REI account is the stock market route for Roshan Digital Account holders

PSX calls it the first and only investment account that non-resident Pakistanis can open through a Roshan Digital Account. You must already hold the Roshan Digital Account. It lets you trade shares, bonds, exchange traded funds and government securities listed on PSX.

Roshan Digital Account is the State Bank of Pakistan's scheme that lets overseas Pakistanis open a bank account remotely through a digital process. PSX says the account also supports remittances, bill payments and investments in shares, rupee deposits and government debt. If you are not yet in the scheme, the steps to open a dollar account in Pakistan cover a related option.

Five steps open the account from your bank portal

PSX gives a short order. You open or log in to your Roshan Digital Account, choose the Roshan Equity Investment option, pick a broker, move money to your CDC bank account and start trading through the broker's app.

1. Open your Roshan Digital Account, or log in to the one you have.
2. Select the Roshan Equity Investment option in the portal or app.
3. Click the consent tab, accept the terms and choose a broker.
4. Transfer funds to your Roshan Equity Investment account, which is your CDC bank account.
5. Trade through your broker's online trading app.

CDC sends an acknowledgement, then an account package within 24 hours

After you consent, CDC emails an acknowledgement as soon as the bank's information arrives. PSX says that within 24 hours, if your credentials are complete and correct, CDC sends an account opening package by email.

That package covers five things: your account with the chosen broker, your Unique Identification Number (UIN), your custody account at CDC, the Direct Settlement Service if you chose it, and a login for CDC Web Access. The UIN is the number NCCPL issues so that each trade can be matched to you.

Money moves through CDC, and trades settle two business days later

Before your first trade you ask for a fund transfer from your Roshan Digital Account to the CDC bank account. PSX says that two business days after a buy, CDC pays the cash and receives the shares into your CDC account.

A sale works the same way in reverse. Two business days after the trade, CDC moves the shares out and the cash is ready for use. CDC also pays your broker's commission from the money you sent. NCCPL's clearing charges are taken by CDC, and PSX points to the NCCPL website for the fee schedule.

The broker contacts you directly about its commission and trading terms, so ask before you fund the account. PSX gives no commission figure. Dividends and other corporate actions are credited to your CDC account, and the information is available on the CDC Access portal and app.

Tax and sending money back are not answered on the PSX page

The PSX page covers how to open and trade. It does not state tax rates on dividends or gains for overseas holders, and it does not describe sending proceeds abroad. We therefore give no figure on either.

Check tax with a qualified adviser and the official tax pages before you invest. The guide to filing a tax return as an overseas Pakistani is a good starting point. For the wider picture of money coming in, see the figures in September 2026 remittances.

For the basics of picking and buying a share once the account is live, how to start investing on the PSX applies here as well.

Common questions about the Roshan Equity Investment account

Who can open a REI account?

PSX says you must be a Roshan Digital Account holder, with one of the banks on its list.

How long does the account take to open?

PSX says that within 24 hours of the CDC acknowledgement email, you receive the account package if your details are complete and correct.

What can I buy?

Conventional and Shariah-compliant shares, bonds, ETFs and government securities traded on PSX, according to the PSX page.

Who pays the broker's commission?

CDC pays it from the cash you transferred from your Roshan Digital Account to the CDC bank account.

When do I get my shares or cash?

Two business days after the trade. CDC settles the cash and shares on your behalf.

Is the Direct Settlement Service free?

PSX says the service is free of cost for overseas Pakistanis.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 15 October 2026. The steps, the 24-hour package, the settlement timing and the services come from the PSX page on the Roshan Equity Investment account, which we opened on that date. We did not open an account. Broker and bank lists change, so confirm both on the PSX download pages before you choose.