Phone Replaced Under International Warranty? Re-Register the New IMEI With PTA in Pakistan
Phone replaced under international warranty? The new IMEI needs a PTA warranty claim, not a normal registration. See the documents and two rules that decide it.
If a maker replaced your registered phone under an international warranty, the new phone has a new IMEI and PTA treats it as unregistered. Apply for a warranty replacement through PTA's device registration system, with the maker's job order showing the old and new IMEIs. The old IMEI is then blacklisted.
We read PTA's DIRBS FAQ document, file dated 14 October 2025, on 11 October 2026. This guide follows its section on international warranty claims. It is for people who sent a phone abroad, or had it swapped by a distributor, and then got a message asking them to register again.
Why the replacement phone is asked to register again
An IMEI is the 15 digit identity of a phone. Registration in PTA's system, DIRBS, is tied to that number. A replacement phone has a different IMEI, so the system has no record of it. Your old registration does not move across by itself.
The FAQ answers this exact complaint. A user replaced a registered device under warranty from abroad and received a message to register. PTA says the replacement must go through the warranty claim route, not through a normal registration.
That matters because a normal registration produces a tax slip. The warranty claim route is a separate application with its own documents. Do not start a normal registration for the new IMEI before you read the list below.
Documents PTA asks for
PTA lists eight items. The most important is the job order from the manufacturer or distributor. It must show every IMEI of the old phone and the new phone.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Job order | From the manufacturer or distributor, with all old and new IMEIs |
| Warranty card | Of the device |
| Old IMEI | With brand and model |
| New IMEI | With brand and model |
| ID copy | CNIC or passport |
| Contact | Mobile number, email and postal address |
The two conditions that decide the case
PTA states two mandatory conditions. First, any application without an authentic job order or work authorisation from the manufacturer or distributor will not be processed. Second, the damaged IMEI and the replacement IMEI must belong to the same model.
That second rule closes a door. You cannot swap a cheap model for a dearer one and call it a warranty replacement. If the maker sent a different model, the claim will not go through this route. Ask the service centre to put the exact model name on the job order.
How to apply
PTA says the application is accepted through its online portal at dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs. Sign in with the account you used to register the old phone, if you have one. If you forgot the password, use the forgot password link and enter the same SIM number.
- Collect the job order, warranty card and ID copy before you start.
- Dial *#06# on the new phone and write down every IMEI, including an eSIM IMEI if it has one.
- Match each new IMEI with the one printed on the job order.
- Open dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs and choose the warranty claim IMEI replacement application.
- Enter the old and new IMEIs, brand and model, and your contact details.
- Upload the documents and save your application number.
The FAQ does not give a processing time for warranty cases. For normal registrations it says the maker check takes 24 to 48 hours, but we cannot say the same holds here. Keep your application number and check again after a few days.
What happens to the old IMEI
After PTA processes the replaced IMEIs for registration, the damaged IMEIs are placed on the blacklist. That is on purpose. It stops the broken phone, or a copy of its identity, from being used on a network again.
So do not sell the old phone as a working registered phone. Once the swap is processed, its IMEI is no longer clean. Our guide to checking a phone's PTA status before you insert a SIM shows why buyers look for exactly this.
Check the new phone after approval
When PTA approves the replacement, send every IMEI of the new phone by SMS to 8484, or check it on the DVS website or app. The reply should say compliant, and the model name should match your phone. Our walkthrough on checking an IMEI number and its PTA status explains the reply.
If the status is fine but there is still no signal, PTA's FAQ says to restart the phone and ask your network to check from its side. If service does not return within 24 hours, file a complaint on PTA's portal. See how to complain about your network to PTA for the way to write it.
Before you send a phone abroad for repair
Write down both IMEIs and keep the box. Ask the maker or distributor to put the old and new IMEIs on a job order. Check whether your phone is covered at home first. Our guide to checking phone warranty by IMEI covers seven brands.
Common questions
Do I need to pay tax again for the replacement phone?
PTA's FAQ does not say. It sets out a warranty claim application with documents and does not mention a new tax slip. Duties are decided by FBR, so ask FBR if PTA's portal shows an amount.
Which portal do I use?
PTA says the warranty claim IMEI replacement application is accepted through dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs.
Can the replacement be a different model?
No. PTA says the damaged IMEI and the replaced IMEI must belong to the same model.
What if I have no job order?
PTA says an application without an authentic manufacturer or distributor job order will not be processed. Ask the service centre for one.
Will the old phone still work?
After the replacement is processed, PTA places the damaged IMEI on the blacklist.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 11 October 2026. We downloaded and read PTA's DIRBS Frequently Asked Questions document, file name 2025-10-14-FAQs_updated.pdf, on pta.gov.pk. The document list, the two mandatory conditions, the portal address and the blacklisting of the damaged IMEI come from its International Warranty Claims section. We did not file a warranty claim and the document gives no processing time or fee for it. Confirm the current steps on dirbs.pta.gov.pk before you apply.
About the author
Technology Journalist & Multimedia Producer
Ahmad Ali is a technology journalist and multimedia producer at Pakistan Era, joining the team in October 2026. He covers consumer technology and digital life for Pakistani readers, combining research with hands-on product testing.
