What Is DIRBS? How PTA Registration Works

DIRBS, the Device Identification Registration and Blocking System, is the PTA system that checks the IMEI of every phone used on a Pakistani mobile network. A phone whose IMEI is not compliant is blocked.

That rule is why a phone brought from abroad can work for a while and then lose its service.

What DIRBS looks at

DIRBS identifies a phone by its IMEI, a 15-digit number. A dual-SIM phone carries two IMEIs, and each one is checked on its own. Dialling *#06# on the phone shows them.

Think of the IMEI as the phone's identity card. Two phones look identical on a shop shelf, but each genuine phone has its own number. DIRBS compares that number with the PTA's records and gives the phone a status, and the status decides whether mobile networks keep serving it.

The five device statuses

The PTA's DIRBS FAQ lists five statuses. Only one of them means the phone is registered and approved.

How to check a phone

An IMEI is checked in one of four ways. Send the 15-digit number as an SMS to 8484. Enter it at dvs.pta.gov.pk or on the DIRBS site. Or use the DIRBS DVS app on Android or iOS. A phone with two IMEIs needs two checks.

The SMS route works on any phone and needs no app.

Who has to register

Registration applies to three groups. The first is a traveller who brings a phone and plans to use it in Pakistan beyond 60 days. The second is anyone who receives a phone as a gift from a friend or relative abroad. The third is anyone who owns a phone with a valid but unregistered IMEI. A compliant phone needs no registration.

The classic case is a relative abroad who sends or brings a phone as a present. A visitor who only roams on a foreign SIM is in a different position. That person does not need to register, unless a Pakistani SIM goes in. Each person registers up to 5 phones in a calendar year.

How registration works

A phone is registered on the DIRBS registration portal, with the USSD code *8484#, or at a mobile operator's franchise or customer service centre. A local applicant needs a CNIC, the number of a SIM issued on that CNIC and the IMEI. A traveller uses a passport number in place of the CNIC where needed.

The request is validated through WeBOC and produces a payment slip ID (PSID), which is valid for 7 days. The fee is paid at any commercial bank in Pakistan. Once payment is confirmed, the IMEI is whitelisted and the status changes from Pending to Approved.

The tax is the part that surprises people, because it isn't the PTA that sets it. FBR sets and collects the amount. The PTA's FAQ says no discount applies for filers, students or government employees. FBR withdrew the free baggage exemption on 30 June 2019. For the background, see PTA: FBR, not PTA, collects phone tax and FBR allows phone tax in instalments.

Temporary registration for visitors

Overseas Pakistanis and foreign visitors register a phone temporarily for 120 days from the date of arrival. Applying later shortens the period: a request made 30 days after arrival leaves 90 days.

The facility covers one phone, which must leave Pakistan with its owner. The IMEI is paired with the Pakistani mobile number given in the application, and the number must be issued in the applicant's name. Put another SIM in and the connection is blocked, so keep the registered one in.

What happens to a phone that is not registered

A non-compliant phone is blocked after its first day on a network. A GSMA valid phone that is not registered within 60 days of first use is blocked too. A phone first seen on a Pakistani network after 15 January 2019 must be registered through the PTA website.

A phone with a duplicate or cloned IMEI is not simply unblocked. Such an IMEI is paired with up to 5 mobile numbers after verification. So the safe habit is short: check first, then pay. These rules come from the PTA's own pages. The DIRBS FAQ is the place to confirm them, so check there before you rely on a figure.