Your Guide to Verifying Your Phone’s IMEI with PTA

In this Post
–What is an IMEI number? 
–How to Check Your Phone’s IMEI Number
–How to Verify Your Phone’s IMEI Number
–PTA Mobile Verification
–PTA IMEI Check Via SMS
–PTA IMEI Check Via Website
–PTA IMEI Check Via App
–PTA Mobile Registration Check
–Import Duties on Phones

Whether you are buying a new or an old mobile device, you should be sure that it is recognised and approved by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Non-PTA approved mobile devices usually get blocked after a certain period of time. This means you may not be able to use them with any of the cellular networks within Pakistan. So, if you want to be sure that your phone’s compliant with PTA, you can verify it’s IMEI number in a number of ways discussed below. 

Before we discuss any of the processes regarding the verification of your mobile device with PTA, we need to know more about the IMEI number.

What is an IMEI Number?

The full form of IMEI is International Mobile Equipment Identity. It is a number that is used for the identification of your mobile device. It is 15 digits long and the serial number is unique for every device. 

How to Check Your Phone’s IMEI Number

Whether you are using an android phone or an iPhone, you can easily find the IMEI number of your phone if you look around. For instance, in the case of an iPhone, the IMEI number is written on the back of the phone. 

On the other hand, for android devices that come with a removable back cover, you can easily find an IMEI underneath the battery of your phone beside the sim card tray or memory card jack. IMEI numbers are also printed on the boxes of your mobile devices

How to Verify Your Phone’s IMEI Number

If you are wondering how to verify your phone’s IMEI number, you need to follow a few simple steps. 

• First of all open the dialer of your phone
• Now dial the code: *#06#
• As soon as you press the ‘#’ key, your screen will be prompted with your device’s IMEI number.
• In case you have a dual SIM phone, you’ll see two IMEI numbers on your screen. Each sim arrangement on your mobile device has its own IMEI.

Note: The above process is for both Android and iPhone user. It is also a very important step in the process of PTA IMEI verification.

PTA Mobile Verification

To facilitate mobile phone users, PTA has introduced a number of ways to verify mobile devices. It is known as the Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS) or PTA Device Verification System (DVS). Now we’ll discuss one by one the means you can use for the verification of your mobile device with PTA.

PTA IMEI Check Via SMS

Here are some useful tips on how to verify your mobile phone with PTA using SMS.

• The official 4-digit PTA number to verify your mobile’s IMEI number is 8484
• Fetch your mobile’s IMEI number using the procedures discussed above.
• Text the IMEI number to 8484 and wait for a reply.
• It will only take a few seconds for you to receive a reply from PTA.
• It will tell you whether your mobile device is compliant with PTA or not.
• You will receive a message both in English and Urdu as shown in the picture above.
• All of these steps play a very important role in the process of PTA IMEI verification via SMS.

Quick Fact: The Device Identification, Registration, and Blocking System (DIRBS) is offered in multiple mediums to facilitate the general audience.

PTA IMEI Check Via Website

If you want to know how to verify your mobile phone with PTA, using a desktop, then there’s a dedicated webpage for it. Here is a step by step process to check whether you are using a PTA approved mobile device or not.

• Log on to the PTA Mobile Verification website.
• Scroll down a bit to see the bar shown in the screenshot above.
• Enter your 15-digit mobile IMEI number.
• Click on the ‘Check’ button and you’ll get your results regarding your PTA mobile registration then and there.

Note: For proper results, try accessing the PTA mobile verification website from your desktop devices only. For mobile devices, you can always use the app.

PTA IMEI Check Via PTA Mobile Verification App

Have you just bought a new phone? Want to find out whether you are using a PTA approved mobile device or not? Here’s how to do it using the PTA mobile verification app.

• Begin with downloading the PTA Device Verification System (DVS) app on your mobile device. 
• You can download it for free from all the leading app store.
• In the device verification section of your app, you’ll see a bar similar to the one you have seen on the website. It is where you enter your 15-digit mobile IMEI number. 
• If you don’t want to type, you can also scan the IMEI number using the option in the app.
• As a result, it will tell either your mobile device is compliant, non-compliant, or blocked.

PTA Mobile Registration Check: Things to Know

Here are a few important things you need to keep in mind when verifying your device with PTA and working on the process of mobile registration through DRIBS:

• There are only three ways to verify your mobile phone with PTA
• Don’t go after the shady dealers who claim to register mobile phone devices. They may not be authorised to do so. This means you will only waste your time and money. Even if they somehow unlock your mobile device, it can get blocked again any time.
• You may have a few weeks’ window to get your device registered with PTA after you import it from abroad.

List of Import Duties on Phones

It is a regular practice of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority that they send out multiple warning messages before blocking devices. In case if you have missed out reading those messages or want to import a mobile device in Pakistan, then here is a list of import duties on phones. 

Note: Whether you are a local, expatriate, or a tourist, you will always have to pay duties and taxes on your devices in Pakistani Rupees.

For more information in this regard and mobile registration through DRIBS, read our comprehensive guide on PTA mobile registration. 

We hope after reading this blog you can easily verify your mobile device with PTA. If you need any further information in this regard, feel free to contact us at blog@zameen.com. We’ll try to get back to you as soon as possible.

On a side note, you may also want to take a look at our detailed blogs on topics like how to import a smartphone in Pakistan and PTA guidelines to block a stolen smartphone.

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