The rules around imported cars in Pakistan changed in 2026. Personal Baggage has been removed from the relevant vehicle-import provisions, the eligibility period moved from 700 to 850 days, and vehicles brought in under Gift or Transfer of Residence now carry a one-year non-transferability condition.
That last one is the change most likely to cost someone money, so it gets proper attention below.
| Route | Status | Transfer |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Baggage | Removed | — |
| Gift Scheme | Available | Locked 1 year |
| Transfer of Residence | Available | Locked 1 year |
| Commercial import | Separate rules | Normal |
Per SRO 61(I)/2026. Confirm current provisions before relying on any summary.
The One-Year Transfer Restriction
If a vehicle came in under Gift or Transfer of Residence, it cannot be transferred to a new owner for one year.
Here is what that means in practice, and it is the part people get wrong. You can hand over money and take the keys — but the car stays registered in someone else's name. You are not the legal owner.
An affidavit or open letter is not ownership. It is a piece of paper between you and the seller. The registration record is what matters if the car is stopped, impounded, involved in a claim, or if the registered owner has a dispute with anyone.
Before buying any recently imported car, ask under which scheme it came and when. If it is inside the one-year window, you are buying a car you cannot register — and the exact start point of that period is worth confirming in writing, because it decides when you can.
Personal Baggage Has Gone
Personal Baggage has been removed from the relevant vehicle-import provisions, and the eligibility period changed from 700 to 850 days. The text is in SRO 61(I)/2026.
For overseas Pakistanis, that narrows the personal routes to Gift and Transfer of Residence both now carrying the transfer restriction. Check the current position on the latest vehicle import SROs before planning anything, since this area changes by notification rather than by announcement.
Car Import Tax Pakistan: What Buyers Need to Know
You will not find duty figures in this article, and that is deliberate. Car import tax in Pakistan is not a single number it is customs duty plus other levies, and the rates change with budgets and notifications.
What is worth understanding is how the import duty on cars in Pakistan is structured:
Engine capacity drives everything. Rates rise steeply with engine size, which is why small-engine imports dominate.
Depreciation applies to used vehicles, so age affects the assessed value.
Several charges stack, and the final landed cost is usually well above the headline duty. For current rates, use FBR vehicle import requirements and a clearing agent — never a figure from a blog, including this one.
Commercial Imports Are a Different System
Commercial used-vehicle imports run under their own regulatory, safety and inspection framework, including pre-shipment inspection and verification on arrival. We covered that in detail in our guide to the new safety and inspection rules for imported used cars. If you are buying from a commercial importer rather than an individual, those requirements work in your favour — ask to see the paperwork.
Checks Before You Buy an Imported Car
| Registered owner | Does it match the seller? |
| Chassis and engine | Match the documents physically |
| Import scheme and date | Is it inside the one-year lock? |
| Token tax and challans | Outstanding dues follow the car |
| Auction sheet | For Japanese imports, grade and history |
The transfer procedure and documentation are set out by the registering authority for the capital, see the official vehicle ownership transfer procedure. Requirements differ by province, so check your own.
Why the Rules Tightened
The personal schemes exist for overseas Pakistanis bringing their own vehicles home. In practice they have often functioned as a commercial import channel, with vehicles sold on immediately after clearing.
A one-year transfer restriction makes that considerably harder, which appears to be the intention. It sits alongside the broader Pakistan Auto Policy 2026-31 discussion about how imports and local assembly are balanced.
What It Means for the Market
Fewer freshly imported cars reaching the open market quickly, and more scrutiny of those that do. Meanwhile the new-car side keeps expanding — see our coverage of new cars in Pakistan 2026 and recovering Pakistan car sales in 2026. For many buyers the gap between an imported used car and a new locally available one has narrowed more than they expect.
Before You Commit Money
This article is a summary of the car import policy in Pakistan as it currently stands, not legal or clearing advice. Rules here change by SRO, often without much notice, and the details decide everything. Verify the current position with official sources and a clearing agent before paying anyone — for an import, or for a car already in the country.
Final Thoughts
For imported cars in Pakistan, the 2026 position is: Personal Baggage gone, 850-day eligibility, and a one-year transfer lock on Gift and Transfer of Residence vehicles. If you are buying a recently imported car, the single most important question is which scheme it came under and when — because an affidavit is not ownership, and a car you cannot register is not really yours.
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