The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has proposed mandatory identity checks for visitors who use foreign SIM cards and travel eSIMs on Pakistani mobile networks, under draft rules that would also put a time limit on international roaming.
The draft International Roaming (Inbound) Regulations, 2026 are open for written comments until November 10, 2026. They are a proposal, not law. The rules would take effect only after the authority issues them through an official Gazette notification.
What the draft would require
At present, a foreign SIM roaming in Pakistan carries no local identity record. The PTA says that gap makes fraud hard to trace, and it lists the risks it wants to close: spoofed calls, SMS phishing, extortion, e-commerce fraud and misuse of social media accounts.
Under the draft, operators would verify each inbound roamer’s identity. The details proposed include the traveller’s passport or travel document, nationality, SIM or eSIM identifiers, arrival date, expected length of stay and the name of the foreign home operator.
Verification could happen in several ways. A welcome text message could carry a link, a PTA-approved portal could collect the details, and operators could coordinate with immigration and border authorities. Travel SIM and eSIM sellers, known as aggregators, would have to register with the PTA and work inside the same system.
A 90-day line for permanent roaming
The draft also draws a line between a visit and quiet long-term use. A connection that stays active for 90 days or more within any 180-day period would count as permanent roaming, according to the draft documents.
Such connections could be suspended or blocked if the operator cannot verify a genuine temporary use. The proposal also envisages a central record of blocked inbound connections, so a user cut off by one network cannot simply reconnect through another.
Operators would keep verification records for at least 12 months after the roaming use ends, unless the PTA sets a different period. Foreign home operators would face deadlines to answer requests for subscriber information, with shorter deadlines in urgent fraud or security cases.
Who this affects in practice
For an ordinary tourist or a visiting family member, the change would be small but real. On arrival, instead of a phone that simply connects, the traveller could expect a verification step tied to a passport and an expected departure.
The bigger effect falls on people who live in Pakistan for long stretches while keeping a foreign number active, and on sellers who supply travel eSIMs to visitors. Both groups would move from an informal arrangement to a registered, time-limited one.
For Pakistanis, the direct effect is limited, since the draft covers inbound roaming on foreign connections. Its stated aim is protective: a foreign number used for a phishing text or an extortion call would, under the new system, carry a verified identity that investigators can request.
What happens next
The PTA has invited stakeholder comments by November 10. Telecom operators, travel eSIM providers and consumer groups can respond before the authority finalises the text.
Only a Gazette notification would make the rules binding. Until then, foreign SIMs continue to roam in Pakistan under the existing arrangements, and no traveller needs to complete a new verification to use one.
Frequently asked questions
Are the PTA foreign SIM rules already in force?
No. They are draft regulations open for comment until November 10, 2026. They would become binding only after an official Gazette notification.
What counts as permanent roaming under the draft?
A connection active for 90 days or more within any 180-day period. Such connections could be suspended or blocked if a genuine temporary use cannot be verified.
What details would a visitor have to provide?
Passport or travel document details, nationality, SIM or eSIM identifiers, arrival date, expected stay and the foreign operator’s name, collected by the operator through a verification link, a PTA portal or border-data coordination.
