Import & Export · Business & Trade

How to start an import/export business in Pakistan: the checklist

NTN, sales tax registration, PSW (Rs 500, NADRA biometrics), Customs trader registration and a bank profile. What you need to start importing or exporting.

By Ahtisham Imtiaz · Updated · 3 min read

PSW fee
Rs 500
PSW validity
2 years
General licence
Not needed
Sales tax (importers)
Required
Summarize it for me

AI Summary

To start importing or exporting in Pakistan you need a registered business with an NTN, sales tax registration (compulsory for importers), and a Pakistan Single Window (PSW) subscription, which costs Rs 500 every two years and needs NADRA biometric verification. You then register with Customs as a trader through PSW and link your bank account so your bank can send your trade profile and payment records. There is no general import or export licence; banned and restricted goods are listed in the 2022 policy orders.

To start importing or exporting you need an NTN, sales tax registration (compulsory for importers), and a Pakistan Single Window (PSW) subscription, which costs Rs 500 and needs NADRA biometric verification. You then register with Customs as a trader on PSW and link your bank account. There’s no general import or export licence: most goods can be traded once you’re set up, apart from banned and restricted items.

From business to first shipment
  1. FBR NTN and sales tax registration Sales tax is compulsory for importers
  2. PSW Subscribe for Rs 500 NADRA biometrics, valid 2 years
  3. Customs Register as a trader Through PSW
  4. Your bank Link your trade profile Bank sends LC, advance or contract to PSW
  5. You File declarations Single Declaration on PSW

What’s the checklist?

  1. Set up the business. Choose a structure and get an NTN. A company registered with SECP gets its NTN automatically. See business structures compared.
  2. Register for sales tax. FBR lists all importers, and exporters who want sales tax refunds, among those who must register. See what an STRN is.
  3. Subscribe to PSW. Pay Rs 500 and complete NADRA biometrics. See PSW registration.
  4. Register with Customs as a trader through PSW, choosing Commercial or Non-Commercial and uploading your documents.
  5. Link your bank. In PSW, add your bank account (IBAN) so your bank can verify and send your trade profile.
  6. Check your goods against the banned and restricted lists, find the right tariff code and work out the duty.

What do I need for PSW?

  • an NTN, FTN or STRN
  • your CNIC, verified by biometrics at a NADRA e-Sahulat centre
  • a SIM registered in your own name, plus an email and mobile number
  • for a company, its SECP registration number

The subscription costs Rs 500, non-refundable, paid through a PSID. Your user ID lasts two years; renewal costs another Rs 500 with fresh biometrics. Companies with several directors or partners also need an authority letter when registering with Customs.

What happened to EIF and EEF?

Is WeBOC still used?

Yes. WeBOC is still Customs’ core system and is linked into PSW. Everything traders could do in WeBOC is available in PSW. Where a regulator’s permit or certificate is needed, you must file through PSW’s Single Declaration; otherwise you can use either.

Do I need a licence?

Not a general one. Under the Import Policy Order 2022, goods can be imported from anywhere unless they’re banned, prohibited or restricted; restricted goods (Appendix B) come with conditions. The Export Policy Order 2022 allows all exports except those in its Schedule I, with conditions on Schedule II. Goods from or to India are banned (except some medicines regulated by DRAP), and imports from Israel are banned.

Imported goods must also meet the same national quality standards as local goods. Exporters to trade-agreement countries get certificates of origin through TDAP’s electronic system, which is linked to PSW.

More guides: Import & Export.

Questions people ask

What do I need to start an import/export business in Pakistan?

An NTN, sales tax registration if you import commercially, a PSW subscription (Rs 500 with NADRA biometrics, renewed every two years), registration with Customs as a trader through PSW, and a bank account linked to your PSW profile.

Do I need an import or export licence?

Not for most goods. Anything not banned or restricted in the Import Policy Order 2022 or Export Policy Order 2022 can be traded once you're registered on PSW. Restricted items need specific permits.

What is the PSW registration fee?

Rs 500, non-refundable, paid through a PSID. The subscription is valid for two years; renewing costs another Rs 500 and fresh biometrics.

Do I still need EIF and EEF forms?

No. PSW replaced the Electronic Import Form and Electronic Form-E with a trade profile your bank keeps and sends to PSW, along with your letters of credit, advance payments and contracts.

Do importers have to register for sales tax?

Yes. FBR lists all importers among the persons who must register for sales tax.

Sources

  1. PSW Renewal Subscription, Pakistan Single Window (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  2. PSW Subscription, Pakistan Single Window (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  3. User Manual: PSW Subscription and Registration with Customs, Pakistan Single Window (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  4. Elimination of EIF and EFE, Pakistan Single Window (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  5. WeBOC to PSW, Pakistan Single Window (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  6. Register (Sales Tax): who is required to register, FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  7. Customs Tariff, FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  8. Import Policy Order, 2022 (S.R.O. 545(I)/2022), Ministry of Commerce (copy hosted by ICCI) (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  9. Export Policy Order, 2022 (S.R.O. 544(I)/2022), Ministry of Commerce (copy hosted by TDAP) (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  10. Commissioning of the Electronic Certificate of Origin (E-CO) system, TDAP (accessed 7 Oct 2026)

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