# Importing a car to Pakistan: gift, personal baggage or transfer of residence

URL: https://which.pk/business/guides/car-import-pakistan/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 17 Oct 2026

## Summary

Since 15 January 2026 overseas Pakistanis can import a used car only under the gift or transfer of residence scheme; S.R.O. 61(I)/2026 ended the personal baggage route. A car can be up to three years old and other vehicles up to five. You need 850 days abroad in the last three years, and 850 days between imports. Duty and taxes are paid from foreign exchange, and the car can't be transferred for one year.

## Key facts

- Schemes left: Gift, transfer of residence
- Car age limit: 3 years
- Gap between imports: 850 days
- Resale ban: 1 year

For a car import to Pakistan in 2026, an overseas Pakistani has two routes left: **gift** (to a family member here) or **transfer of residence** (when you move back). The personal baggage route ended on **15 January 2026** under S.R.O. 61(I)/2026. A car can be **up to three years old**, you need **850 days abroad** in the last three years, and you pay the duty and taxes from **foreign exchange**.

**Personal baggage route:** Ended 15 Jan 2026 (S.R.O. 61(I)/2026, Ministry of Commerce, amending the Import Policy Order, 2022. Gift and transfer of residence remain, with tighter rules.)

## Which car import schemes are left in 2026?

The rules are in Appendix-E of the Import Policy Order, 2022, as amended by S.R.O. 61(I)/2026. As of October 2026:

| | Gift scheme | Transfer of residence |
|---|---|---|
| **Who sends the car** | A Pakistani living abroad | A Pakistani living abroad who is moving back |
| **Who it's for** | A family member normally living in Pakistan | Yourself |
| **Where the car comes from** | Not specified | The country where you live |
| **Shipping deadline** | Not specified | Bill of lading dated within 120 days of your arrival in Pakistan |
| **Motorcycle or scooter** | No | Yes, in place of a car |
| **Can't be transferred for** | 1 year from import | 1 year from import |

The federal cabinet approved the change in January 2026, ratifying an Economic Coordination Committee decision of 9 December 2025 (Profit). The Ministry of Industries and Production had wanted the gift scheme ended too, citing misuse and foreign exchange concerns.

**FBR's website is out of date:** FBR's Vehicles page still lists personal baggage and a two-year gap between imports in October 2026. The law is the Ministry of Commerce's S.R.O. 61(I)/2026, which removed personal baggage and set the gap at 850 days. Follow the SRO.

## Who can import or gift a car?

Under Appendix-E, you can import or gift a vehicle if you are a **Pakistani citizen living abroad**, including dual nationals and holders of a **Pakistan Origin Card (POC)**. Minors can't.

You are **not eligible** if you are:

- a student receiving money from Pakistan
- a non-earning family member of a Pakistani living abroad
- someone who imported, gifted or received a vehicle in the **last 850 days**, counted from the date the goods declaration for the last import was filed

You also need to have been abroad for at least **850 days in the past three years**. The old minimum was 700 days.

For the gift scheme, "family" means **parents, brothers, sisters, husband, wife and children**, married or not, but not children under 18.

## How old can the car be?

- **Cars:** no more than **three years** old.
- **Other vehicles** (buses, vans, trucks, pick-ups, 4x4s): no more than **five years** old.

Age is counted from **1 January of the year after the car was made** to the shipment date on the bill of lading. By our reading, a car made in 2023 is counted from 1 January 2024, so it must be shipped by the end of 2026.

S.R.O. 61(I)/2026 also applies the safety and environmental standards for commercial used-car imports, notified by the Ministry of Industries and Production or the Engineering Development Board, to gift and transfer of residence cars.

## How much is car import duty in Pakistan?

There is no duty-free route. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has told the National Assembly that no rule lets a car be imported without paying customs duty and taxes (Gulf News).

We couldn't find a current official duty schedule for gift and transfer of residence cars. FBR's Vehicles page has one, but the same page still lists the personal baggage scheme that ended in January 2026, so it hasn't been updated since then. Treat the figures below as what that page shows, not as today's duty.

**Out-of-date FBR page: check with Customs:** FBR's Vehicles page still shows the fixed amounts below, last checked by us on 17 October 2026. We can't confirm they apply now. Ask Pakistan Customs or a clearing agent for the current figure before you buy; Customs fixes the amount when it assesses your goods declaration.

| Engine (old and used Asian-make cars) | FBR's page still shows, all duty and taxes |
|---|---|
| Up to 800cc | US$4,800 |
| 801cc to 1000cc | US$6,000 |
| 1001cc to 1300cc | US$13,200 |
| 1301cc to 1500cc | US$18,590 |
| 1501cc to 1600cc | US$22,550 |
| 1601cc to 1800cc (not jeeps) | US$27,940 |

The same page says the duty structure is the same under each scheme, that the amount falls by **1% for each month** of the car's age, and that hybrids get **50% off** up to 1800cc and **25% off** from 1800cc to 2500cc.

**Cars above 1300cc are unresolved.** A June 2023 PakWheels report said the 2023-24 budget ended the fixed amounts above 1300cc, but FBR's page still lists them up to 1800cc. We found no current FBR notice that settles it either way.

New cars can be imported by anyone and pay duty under the normal tariff. The 2026-27 tariff sets customs duty on a new, fully built petrol car at **30% up to 850cc, rising to 50% above 1800cc**, before other duties and taxes. Our [customs duty guide](/business/guides/customs-duty-pakistan/) shows how those layers stack.

## How do I pay the duty from abroad?

The duty and taxes must be paid from **foreign exchange**, not rupees you already have in Pakistan:

- The money must be sent **from the bank account of the Pakistani sending the car** from abroad.
- It must arrive in **that person's own account** in Pakistan or, if they have none, in a family member's account.
- The bank's **encashment certificate**, showing the foreign currency was converted into rupees, is your proof.

If the rupee falls or duties go up after the money arrives but before you file the goods declaration, you can pay the shortfall from local money. For ways to send the money, see [sending money to Pakistan](/money/guides/send-money-to-pakistan/).

## How does the import work, step by step?

Documents for the **gift scheme**:

- the CNIC of the family member receiving the car
- the purchase receipt
- the bill of lading, showing the consignee's name and address
- an attested copy of your passport or POC

Documents for **transfer of residence**:

- the purchase receipt
- an attested copy of your passport or POC
- the bill of lading, dated no later than **120 days** from your arrival in Pakistan

If the overseas Pakistani dies, a transfer of residence car is released to the legal heirs.

## Can I sell an imported car straight away?

No. Cars imported under either scheme **can't be transferred for one year** from the date of import. PakWheels reported in October 2026 that during that year the excise record still shows the importer as owner, even if a buyer has paid, and an affidavit or sale agreement doesn't change that.

Once the year is up, see our guide to [vehicle transfer in Punjab](/money/guides/vehicle-transfer-punjab/).

## What about commercial used-car imports?

That is a separate route, under Appendix-C of the Import Policy Order. From 1 July 2026, S.R.O. 1065(I)/2026 charges these imports an extra **30% regulatory duty** on top of the regulatory duty under S.R.O. 1064(I)/2026. The SRO covers Appendix-C imports, not gift or transfer of residence cars.

**More guides:** [Importing construction machinery from Japan](/business/guides/import-construction-machinery-japan/) · [Import & Export](/business/import-export/) · [Customs duty in Pakistan](/business/guides/customs-duty-pakistan/) · [HS codes](/business/guides/hs-code-pakistan/) · [PSW registration](/business/guides/psw-registration/) · [Car financing](/money/guides/car-financing-pakistan/)

## Questions people ask

### Can I import a car under personal baggage in 2026?

No. S.R.O. 61(I)/2026 of 15 January 2026 removed personal baggage from the vehicle rules in the Import Policy Order. Only the gift and transfer of residence schemes remain.

### How old can an imported car be?

Up to three years for a car and five years for other vehicles such as vans and pick-ups. Age runs from 1 January after the year of manufacture to the shipment date on the bill of lading.

### Who can I gift a car to in Pakistan?

A family member normally living in Pakistan: your parents, brothers, sisters, husband or wife, or children aged 18 or over.

### Is there a duty-free car import scheme for overseas Pakistanis?

No. The finance minister told the National Assembly that no rule lets cars be imported without duty and taxes. Under the Import Policy Order, 2022, only disabled persons can import a new car of up to 1350cc duty free, on the recommendation of a health department.

### Can I sell an imported car straight away?

No. A car imported under the gift or transfer of residence scheme can't be transferred for one year from the date of import.

## Sources

- [S.R.O. 61(I)/2026 dated 15 January 2026: amendments to the Import Policy Order, 2022](https://www.commerce.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SRO-No.-61.pdf), Ministry of Commerce (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Import Policy Order, 2022 (S.R.O. 545(I)/2022), Appendix-E](https://www.commerce.gov.pk/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IPO-2022-SRO-No.-545I-2022-dt.-22.4-2022.pdf), Ministry of Commerce (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Vehicles](https://www.fbr.gov.pk/vehicles/51149/131187), FBR (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Pakistan Customs Tariff FY 2026-27](https://download1.fbr.gov.pk/Docs/20268251181330180Tariff-2026-27.pdf), FBR (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [S.R.O. 1065(I)/2026: regulatory duty on commercial import of used vehicles](https://download1.fbr.gov.pk/SROs/202663020651815SRO1065.pdf), Revenue Division / FBR (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Cabinet approves revised vehicle import policy for overseas Pakistanis](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/01/08/cabinet-approves-revised-vehicle-import-policy-for-overseas-pakistanis/), Profit (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Govt abolishes personal baggage route for used car imports, tightens gift and transfer rules](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/01/16/govt-abolishes-personal-baggage-route-for-used-car-imports-tightens-gift-and-transfer-rules/), Profit (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Explained: why Pakistan bans used-car imports under personal baggage scheme](https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/explained-why-pakistan-bans-used-car-imports-under-personal-baggage-scheme-1.500646972), Gulf News (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [FBR cuts SUV regulatory duty to 20%, adds 30% levy on used vehicle imports](https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/07/01/fbr-cuts-suv-regulatory-duty-to-20percent-adds-30percent-levy-on-used-vehicle-imports), Profit (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Pakistan car import and transfer rules in 2026 explained](https://www.pakwheels.com/blog/pakistan-car-import-and-transfer-rules-in-2026-explained/), PakWheels (accessed 17 Oct 2026)