Use a Foreign SIM or Travel eSIM in Pakistan: What Works Without PTA Registration
A foreign SIM or travel eSIM works in Pakistan without PTA phone registration. A Pakistani SIM in a foreign phone needs the free 120-day one. Check your option.
A foreign SIM or travel eSIM works in Pakistan on roaming without registering your phone with PTA, according to PTA's own FAQ. If you put a Pakistani SIM in a phone bought abroad, you need PTA's free temporary registration, valid up to 120 days from arrival. PTA's draft rules of 9 October 2026 may later limit foreign SIM roaming to 90 days in any 180.
Every winter, overseas Pakistanis land in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi with the same question. Keep the UK or Dubai number running, buy a travel eSIM before the flight, or get a Jazz or Zong SIM at the airport? The answer depends on how long you stay and which phone you carry.
We read the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority's (PTA) FAQ on temporary phone registration, its 9 October 2026 draft roaming rules and Jazz's SIM purchase rules on 10 October 2026. Here is what works today and what may change.
A foreign SIM works on roaming without PTA phone registration
Your home SIM or a travel eSIM connects to a Pakistani network as a roamer. PTA's FAQ says that under the DIRBS regulations, a person with an international SIM "is allowed to avail the service as a roamer in Pakistan without registration". DIRBS is PTA's system that blocks phones not registered or taxed in Pakistan.
So a phone bought abroad keeps working on its foreign SIM for your whole stay. There is no Pakistani identity check on roaming today, and no time limit. PTA's 9 October consultation paper says this directly: inbound roaming "may be used in Pakistan without any time limit or expiry".
The cost is set by your home network or eSIM seller, not by anyone in Pakistan. Check their Pakistan rates before you fly. Roaming data from some home networks costs far more than a local bundle.
A Pakistani SIM in a foreign phone needs the free 120-day registration
The moment a Pakistani SIM goes into a phone bought abroad, DIRBS applies. Overseas Pakistanis and foreign visitors can register one phone free of tax for up to 120 days from the arrival date that the FIA confirms from their passport. Apply late and you lose days: apply 30 days after arrival and you get the remaining 90.
PTA's FAQ lists what you need:
- Passport number, plus your CNIC or NICOP number if you are Pakistani.
- A Pakistani mobile number issued in your own name.
- The phone's IMEI number. Dial *#06# to see it.
- An email address, your arrival date and your planned departure date.
- Buy a Pakistani SIM in your own name, using your NICOP, CNIC or passport.
- Sign up for an account at dirbs.pta.gov.pk/drs.
- Choose temporary registration for overseas Pakistanis or foreigners.
- Enter your passport, SIM number, IMEI, arrival and departure dates.
- Submit, then use only the SIM you registered with that phone.
Two limits catch people out. The registration covers one phone per person, and the phone is paired with the SIM you named, so another SIM will not work in it. And the phone cannot be re-registered under someone else's passport later. Fuller detail is in registering a foreign phone for 120 days without tax.
Visitors can buy a Pakistani SIM with a passport or NICOP
Jazz's help page lists three sets of papers. A Pakistani citizen needs an original CNIC and a fingerprint check. An overseas Pakistani needs an original NICOP and a fingerprint check. A foreigner needs to be present with an original passport and a valid visa. A new prepaid Jazz SIM starts from Rs 350.
Buy from an operator's own franchise or customer service centre rather than a street stall. PTA's biometric page warns that fingerprints given to strangers can be used to issue SIMs in your name without your knowledge.
Local data is cheap by most countries' standards. On PTA's price list of 30 September 2026, a 7-day bundle with about 100 GB costs Rs 630 to Rs 750 on all four networks. The full ranking is in Pakistan's cheapest packages per GB.
Foreign SIM, travel eSIM or local SIM: compare the three
For a short trip, the foreign SIM or travel eSIM is simplest, because nothing needs registering. For a long stay, or for OTPs from Pakistani banks and apps, a local SIM is better.
| Option | PTA phone registration | Time limit today | Under PTA's draft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home SIM on roaming | Not needed | None | 90 days in any 180 |
| Travel eSIM | Not needed | None | 90 days; seller must register with PTA |
| Pakistani SIM, foreign phone | Free for 120 days | 120 days from arrival | Not changed by the draft |
| Pakistani SIM, PTA-approved phone | Already done | None | Not changed by the draft |
Many visitors use both: the foreign SIM stays in for WhatsApp and bank OTPs from abroad, while a Pakistani eSIM or SIM handles local calls and data. On a dual-SIM phone bought abroad, the Pakistani SIM still needs the 120-day registration. If your phone takes an eSIM, PTA capped the charge for a Pakistani eSIM at Rs 1,500 in August 2026, as set out in the eSIM fee cap and free transfers.
PTA's draft could limit long stays on a foreign SIM
On 9 October 2026 PTA published draft rules that would treat 90 days of roaming, added up within 180 days, as "permanent roaming". Networks could then suspend the SIM if the home network does not confirm you are a genuine traveller. Visitors would also give passport details for a KYC check, and travel eSIM sellers would need PTA registration.
This is a draft open for comment until 10 November 2026, not a rule in force. The details are in PTA's proposed 90-day limit on foreign SIMs. If you spend four months or more a year in Pakistan, a local SIM in your name is the safer plan either way.
Common questions
Do I need to register my phone with PTA to use my foreign SIM?
No. PTA's FAQ says a person with an international SIM can use it as a roamer in Pakistan without registration.
How long can I use a foreign phone with a Pakistani SIM?
Up to 120 days from your arrival date, through PTA's free temporary registration. After that, the phone needs full registration with duty and taxes paid.
Can a foreigner buy a SIM in Pakistan?
Yes. Jazz lists an original passport and a valid visa, with the buyer present. Overseas Pakistanis use their NICOP and a fingerprint check.
Will travel eSIMs stop working in Pakistan?
Not now. PTA's draft would require travel eSIM sellers to register and would limit roaming to 90 days in 180, but it is still open for comment.
Can I use my temporarily registered phone with a friend's SIM?
No. PTA pairs the phone with the SIM numbers you registered in your own name. Another SIM will not get service in that phone.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We checked on 10 October 2026. The roaming exemption, the 120-day rules and the documents list are from PTA's "FAQs regarding SOP for Temporary Registration of Mobile Device for Overseas Pakistanis and Foreigners", linked from PTA's temporary registration page. The draft limits are from PTA's consultation paper on the International Roaming (Inbound) Regulations, 2026, uploaded 9 October 2026. SIM documents and the Rs 350 price are from Jazz's help FAQ. Bundle prices are from PTA's tariff files updated 30 September 2026. We did not check Zong, Ufone or Telenor SIM rules for foreigners; ask at their centres.
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.
