How to Check if an iPhone Is PTA Approved

Find the IMEI

Dial *#06# and the IMEI appears; on dual-SIM iPhones there are two, and both should be checked. You can also find it in Settings → General → About, scrolled down, or printed on the SIM tray on many models. Our PTA IMEI check tool validates the number before you send it.

Method 1: SMS to 8484

Send the 15-digit IMEI, nothing else, by SMS to 8484 from any Pakistani SIM. The reply arrives within a minute and states whether the device is compliant, non-compliant or blocked. Standard SMS charges apply. This is PTA’s official channel and the fastest way to check a phone in someone else’s hands, because the reply goes to your phone, not theirs.

Method 2: DIRBS website

Open PTA’s DIRBS site at dirbs.pta.gov.pk, enter the IMEI, and read the status. Useful when you do not have a Pakistani SIM to hand or want to check several IMEIs. The same site hosts the Device Registration System where a non-compliant phone is registered against a CNIC or passport.

What the statuses mean for an iPhone

Compliant: approved; the phone works on every network indefinitely. Non-compliant: not registered; PTA allows a limited grace period after the phone is first used on a Pakistani network, after which it is blocked. Blocked: no calls, SMS or mobile data on any Pakistani SIM until it is registered and the tax paid; Wi-Fi still works. A “PTA approved” claim from a seller means nothing until you see the SMS reply on your own phone.

Buying a used iPhone: the checklist

1. Send both IMEIs to 8484 from your phone, before paying.
2. Make sure the IMEI on the *#06# screen matches the one in Settings and on the box or tray. Mismatches suggest a swapped board or a tampered IMEI.
3. Insert your own SIM and make a call. A “patched” phone may show compliant at the moment but fail after the next iOS update.
4. Check Settings → General → About → Parts and Service History for undisclosed repairs.
5. If in doubt, bring the phone to us in Gulberg III. Checking PTA status and identifying the exact model is part of the free diagnosis, and we will tell you honestly what the phone is.

Registration and tax, briefly

Registration is done on DIRBS with a CNIC (or a passport, within a window after arrival in Pakistan, at a lower rate). PTA issues a PSID, the tax is paid through a bank or mobile wallet, and the status changes to compliant. The amount depends on the phone’s value and the document used. Nobody can legitimately “bypass” this; offers to do so end with a blocked phone. APEX Repairing Lab does not sell registration or bypass services; we repair phones and give straight answers.