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What it costs to import from the US to

Forwarder fees, shipping, customs duty and sales tax for a phone, compared across 6 US package forwarders. Cheapest estimated total first.

Duty
Customs duty is 20% on most goods, 15% on smartwatches and 0% on laptops, tablets and phones. Most other goods also pay additional and regulatory duty, and smartwatches pay 5.8% regulatory duty. Phones pay the PTA tax instead.
Sales tax
Sales tax 18% on the price, shipping and duties, 10% on laptops. Items other than phones also pay 5.5% income tax at import.
Duty-free limit
Parcels worth up to Rs 1,000 (about $4) are tax-free.
Batteries
Phones must be registered with the PTA or local networks block them. Used devices with lithium batteries cannot go by USPS, so expect DHL, FedEx or UPS.

Checked October 2026

Show totals in

PTA tax on your iPhone

An iPhone shipped to Pakistan by courier or forwarder is held by customs until you register it on PTA's DIRBS with your CNIC and pay this tax. It replaces customs duty on the phone. The amount follows the model's assessed value, not the price you paid, so a refurbished iPhone pays the same as a new one. The lower passport rate only applies to a phone carried in your own luggage and registered within 60 days.

Registered on

Rs 78,700 about $284, FY2026-27 estimate

Our estimate from FBR's FY2026-27 value slabs. FBR does not publish per-model amounts, and the CNIC figure can be up to about Rs 19,300 higher, depending on whether the 4% additional customs duty applies and whether sales tax is charged on the regulatory duty. Amounts are for the base storage shown; a larger storage tier can fall in a higher slab, for example about Rs 79,600 CNIC for an iPhone 14 256GB. The income tax part doubles if you are not on the Active Taxpayers' List. Courier handling fees come on top.

$600 phone to Pakistan, 0.3 kg (0.6 lb) Estimated totals include the item, US sales tax, forwarder fees, shipping, duty and sales tax and the PTA tax.
# Forwarder Courier Fees + sales tax Shipping Duty + taxes Total Link
1 MyUS Fedex Intl Connect10-20 days · From a quote Rs 0 Rs 5,188 Rs 78,700 Shipping Rs 5,188 · Fees and sales tax Rs 0 · Duty and taxes Rs 78,700 Rs 250,078$903 Visit
Florida charges 7% sales tax in Sarasota, but this address is on the state list of certified forwarding agents, so sellers that apply the list do not charge it. A seller that ignores the list will charge 7%. Premium membership is free for 30 days, then $9.99 a month. This estimate assumes the free month.
2 Forwardme Aramex8-15 days · From a quote Rs 0 Rs 8,127 Rs 78,700 Shipping Rs 8,127 · Fees and sales tax Rs 0 · Duty and taxes Rs 78,700 Rs 253,017+Rs 2,939 Visit
No sales tax in Delaware. Free membership and free package processing. Consolidation is $3.25 per package on the free plan; Premium, $9.50 a month, promises lower shipping rates.
3 Ship To Box FedEx Economy4-8 days · From a quote Rs 4,709 Rs 8,033 Rs 78,700 Shipping Rs 8,033 · Fees and sales tax Rs 4,709 · Duty and taxes Rs 78,700 Rs 257,632+Rs 7,553 Visit
No sales tax in Delaware. Free standard membership, $2 receiving fee per box, plus a $15 lithium battery fee on devices. Free consolidation.
4 Stackry DHL Worldwide Express2-5 days · From a quote Rs 4,016 Rs 13,564 Rs 78,700 Shipping Rs 13,564 · Fees and sales tax Rs 4,016 · Duty and taxes Rs 78,700 Rs 262,471+Rs 12,392 Visit
No sales tax in New Hampshire. No membership, $2 receiving fee per package, plus a $12.50 hazmat fee on phones and smartwatches. Consolidation is $3 per package.
5 Shipito DHL Express2-4 days · From a quote Rs 3,393 Rs 17,913 Rs 78,700 Shipping Rs 17,913 · Fees and sales tax Rs 3,393 · Duty and taxes Rs 78,700 Rs 266,196+Rs 16,118 Visit
No sales tax in Oregon. Oregon is the default address for Premium members; free accounts default to Torrance, CA, where sales tax applies. Premium membership, $10 a month, for the tax-free Oregon address, plus a $2.25 processing fee per package.
6 Planet Express DHL Express Worldwide1-6 days · From a quote Rs 554 Rs 20,832 Rs 78,700 Shipping Rs 20,832 · Fees and sales tax Rs 554 · Duty and taxes Rs 78,700 Rs 266,276+Rs 16,198 Visit
No sales tax in Oregon. Planet Express also has a tax-free address in Fort Pierce, FL and one in Torrance, CA, where sales tax applies. Free mailbox, $2 mail-out fee per package. Consolidation needs Premium, $10 a month.

Shipping comes from each forwarder's own calculator, quoted at 1 lb and 5 lb and interpolated in between, so it is an estimate, not a live price. Check the forwarder's calculator before you buy. Devices with lithium batteries only go by services that accept them, usually DHL, FedEx or UPS, so most postal and budget services are left out.

Buying a refurbished iPhone? Compare prices from US sellers

Before you buy a phone in the US

  • iPhone 14 and later models sold in the US have no SIM tray and work only with eSIM. Check that your carrier offers eSIM, or pick an iPhone 13 or earlier, which takes both.
  • Pick an unlocked phone. One locked to a US carrier will not work with your local SIM or eSIM.
  • Any charger in the box has a US plug. Most phone, tablet and laptop chargers accept 100 to 240 V, so a plug adapter is enough.
  • The warranty and returns are the US seller's. The return window starts when the parcel reaches your forwarder's US address, and a repair or return means paying to ship it back to the US.

How Pakistan taxes this phone

Duty and taxes for the cheapest option above, in the order customs applies them.

Charge Rate Amount
PTA tax, iPhone 15 (128GB), CNIC (courier) Rs 78,700
Total duty and taxes Rs 78,700

Importing to Pakistan: common questions

Is there a duty-free limit for parcels to Pakistan?

Only a small one. Section 19C of the Customs Act exempts parcels worth up to Rs 1,000, about $4, so almost every purchase pays duty and tax.

How much tax does a laptop pay in Pakistan?

Laptops pay no customs duty, 10% sales tax and 5.5% income tax at import, about 16% of the value plus shipping. Tablets pay 18% sales tax. Non-filers pay a higher income tax.

How is the PTA tax on an iPhone paid?

Customs holds a phone that arrives by courier. You apply on PTA's DIRBS with your CNIC, pay the slip at a bank within 7 days, and customs releases the phone. The amount depends on the model, not the price you paid.

Why could the final bill be higher than this estimate?

Income tax at import doubles if you are not on the Active Taxpayers' List, and couriers add their own handling fees. The PTA amounts are our estimates from FBR's value slabs.

Which forwarder is cheapest to Pakistan?

For a $600 phone weighing 0.3 kg (0.6 lb), MyUS comes out cheapest in our estimate at $903 delivered, using Fedex Intl Connect. The order changes with weight and item type, and shipping prices are estimates, so check the forwarder's calculator before you buy.

Can I use a forwarder to buy from Apple's online store?

No. Apple's US online store ships only to US addresses and cancels orders sent to freight forwarder addresses. Retailers such as Amazon, Back Market or eBay sellers are the usual route, and their return and warranty terms can change once a parcel leaves the US.

The same phone, shipped elsewhere

Cheapest estimated total for a $600 phone in each country we cover. Each country has its own page.

Sources

Rules checked in October 2026. Exchange rates from 1 Oct 2026, Rates By Exchange Rate API. RefurbMe has no referral deals with these forwarders; the order is always the cheapest estimated total.