What if I don't update the IMEI after a repair?

The new IMEI has no registration history of its own, so it can be treated as non-compliant and eventually blocked, even though you already paid tax on the original unit.

Can I submit the IMEI change myself without the service center?

You need the manufacturer's official job sheet listing old and new IMEI, so this has to go through an authorized service center that performed the repair.

How-to

Got a Warranty Replacement Phone? How to Update Your PTA/IMEI Registration

A motherboard swap under warranty changes your phone's IMEI. Here is how to carry your paid status over without a fresh PTA tax charge.

3 min read

Reviewed by Salman Ahmed·Updated 27 August 2026

Why the IMEI changes after a repair

If your phone's motherboard or logic board is replaced under manufacturer warranty, the replacement part carries a new IMEI. Your old, already-registered IMEI no longer matches the physical phone in your hand, which can look like an unregistered device to DIRBS.

You do not pay PTA tax again

This is a registration update, not a new import. Since you already paid tax on the original device, DIRBS' IMEI Change Request process, via the DRS module, is meant to carry your existing compliant status over to the new IMEI, not to charge a fresh PSID.

What you need from the service center

Ask the authorized service center for a job sheet or job order that clearly states both the old IMEI and the new IMEI for the repair. This document is the proof DIRBS needs to link the two.

How to submit the change

Log in to dirbs.pta.gov.pk, go to the DRS (Device Registration/Change) section, and submit an IMEI change request with the job sheet attached. Do this promptly after the repair rather than waiting until the device is flagged non-compliant.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Submitting the IMEI change request with your service center's job sheet is meant to transfer your existing paid/compliant status to the new IMEI, not trigger a new tax.