Register an Imported Car in Punjab: 7 Papers and the Reported One Year Transfer Rule

To register an imported car in Punjab you bring Form F, your CNIC, the Customs import permission, the original duplicate GD showing duties paid, the invoice and the bill of lading. Since 30 September 2026 it is also reported that the car cannot be transferred to a buyer for one year. We read the document list and fees on the Excise Department's page on 11 October 2026. We could not find the one year rule there.

The commercial import of used cars has opened up, and Punjab buyers are asking one thing: what happens at the excise office. The paperwork is fixed. The one year rule is new, and it changes the plan for anyone who imports to resell.

Registering an imported car in Punjab needs seven papers

The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department lists the papers for an imported vehicle registered in the importer's name. They are all copies or originals shown at the registration counter.

1. Application for registration in Form F.
2. Copy of the owner's CNIC, for an individual.
3. Copy of the import permission issued by Customs.
4. The original duplicate copy of the GD, the Goods Declaration, showing that all taxes and duties are paid.
5. Copy of the invoice, if the car was bought directly from the manufacturer.
6. Copy of the bill of lading, the shipping document.
7. Payment of the registration fee, the number plate fee and other taxes.

The GD is the paper that matters most. It proves Customs cleared the car and that duties are paid. Without the original duplicate copy, the counter will not proceed. Keep it safe, and do not hand it over to anyone who is not registering the car.

The registration fee depends on the engine size

The department's page lists one registration fee scale for cars. It is charged on top of the number plate fee, token tax and any advance tax.

For a new locally made car the base is the invoice value, as we show in our breakdown of the cost of a new car registration in Punjab. For an imported car, the page does not say what value the percentage is applied to. Ask the counter for the assessed value before you plan your cash. As an illustration only, a 1500cc car assessed at Rs 6,000,000 would pay 2 percent, or Rs 120,000. That is our arithmetic, not a department example.

A reported rule locks the car to the importer for one year

On 30 September 2026 it was reported that Punjab's Excise Department changed its policy. An imported vehicle must stay registered in the name of the person who imported it for one year from the date of registration. Before, the owner could transfer it to a buyer right after registration.

The reports say the lock applies to imported vehicles registered under three categories: personal, gift and residence. They also say the department changed its registration system so that a transfer before the year ends is blocked. Officials were quoted as saying imported cars are about 20 percent of Punjab registrations, and that the department may lose some revenue because quick transfers used to bring transfer charges.

What we could not confirm about the one year rule

We looked at the department's registration page, its news list and its announcements list on 11 October 2026. None of them carries a notification about the one year rule. Its news list shows items from January 2026 and nothing on this topic. So we call the rule reported, not confirmed.

Three questions stay open. Does the lock also cover cars brought in under the commercial import route? How is the year counted if registration is delayed? And the page still describes a route called "importer disposes off unregistered vehicle", where the buyer registers the car in their own name straight away. We cannot tell whether that route is closed or changed. Ask the excise office in writing before you buy an imported car that is not yet registered.

What this means for buyers and for importers

If the rule is in force, a buyer should expect an imported car registered under the personal, gift or residence category to sit in the importer's name for a year. Buying one and driving it on a seller's registration is risky. The seller's name stays on the book, and the seller's token tax and traffic fines stay tied to that name.

For an importer, the practical point is cash. A car bought to resell cannot be sold on paper through a transfer for a year, if the report is right. The commercial import route reported in September is a separate system, and we explain it in the piece on commercial used car imports reaching 2,276 in September.

The transfer fee and advance tax still apply later

When a transfer is allowed, the department's listed fee depends on the engine. A motorcycle is Rs 550. A car up to 1000cc is Rs 2,750. A car above 1000cc and up to 1800cc is Rs 5,500, and one above 1800cc is Rs 11,000. A late transfer may carry an extra fine, which we could only mark as reported in our note on Punjab's late transfer fine.

Federal advance tax is a separate charge. It is not collected on a transfer more than five years after first registration, a point we explain in the guide to advance tax on a vehicle in Pakistan.

Steps to register an imported car in Punjab

1. Collect the Customs import permission, the original duplicate GD, the invoice and the bill of lading.
2. Fill in Form F and attach a copy of your CNIC.
3. Ask the excise office for the assessed value and the exact fee before you pay.
4. Pay the registration fee, number plate fee and other taxes.
5. Collect the registration documents and the plate.
6. Ask in writing about the one year rule if you plan to sell.

Common questions

Can I sell an imported car in Punjab right after registering it?

Reports from 30 September 2026 say no. The car must stay in the importer's name for one year. We could not confirm this on the department's own pages.

Which imported cars does the reported lock cover?

The reports name three categories: personal, gift and residence imports.

What is a GD and why does the excise office need it?

A GD is the Goods Declaration filed with Customs. The original duplicate copy shows that duties and taxes on the car are paid.

How much is the registration fee for an imported car?

The department lists 1 percent up to 1000cc, 2 percent up to 2000cc and 4 percent above 2000cc. It does not state the value base for imports, so ask the counter.

Where do I confirm the one year rule?

At your excise office, in writing, or on the department's website once a notification is posted.

How we verified this

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

Last checked 11 October 2026. The document lists, registration fees and transfer fees come from the Motor Vehicle Registration page of the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department, Government of the Punjab, at excise.punjab.gov.pk, which we opened on 11 October 2026. The one year transfer rule is reported from press coverage dated 30 September 2026. We checked the department's registration page, news list and announcements list and did not find a notification, so it is marked reported throughout. The registration example is our own arithmetic. Vehicle registration is a provincial subject. Nothing here is legal advice.