Pakistan Imported Cars Face Tighter One-Year Checks

Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry has asked provincial authorities to strictly apply the one-year transfer ban on vehicles imported under the Gift and Transfer of Residence schemes. This is not a new import ban. It is an enforcement push aimed at stopping cars from being moved to new buyers before the legal waiting period ends.

The ministry has written to provincial chief secretaries and wants registration departments to make sure imported vehicles are entered in the name of the right beneficiary. Under the Gift Scheme, the car must stay registered to the eligible family member who received it. Under the Transfer of Residence scheme, it must remain in the name of the qualifying overseas Pakistani. In both cases, the vehicle cannot be transferred to another buyer during the first year after import.

That matters for used-car buyers who may see a car on a showroom floor and assume it is ready for immediate transfer. In practice, the car may still be legally tied to the original beneficiary. Paying a dealer does not always mean the ownership papers can be changed right away.

The federal government had already added the one-year restriction earlier in 2026 through SRO 61(I)/2026. The Personal Baggage Scheme was removed, leaving Gift and Transfer of Residence as the remaining personal import paths mentioned in the source material. The current move is about making provincial registration systems follow the rule more closely.

This split between federal import rules and provincial registration work is important. Customs and import policy are handled by the federal side, but Excise and Taxation departments deal with registration and ownership transfer. If those systems do not match up properly, a car can still find its way into the local resale market even while the one-year condition remains in force.

The ministry’s action also follows concerns that some commercial traders have been using overseas Pakistanis’ import entitlements to bring in used cars for resale. The issue had already come under discussion in the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce, which had pushed for closer coordination between federal and provincial offices.

For buyers, the safest step is to check a few things before making payment. First, confirm the import date and see whether the one-year period has already passed. Second, check the current registration certificate and the name of the registered owner. Third, ask under which scheme the vehicle entered Pakistan. If the seller cannot show that the car is legally transferable, the buyer should wait.

The bigger market impact may be on used Japanese cars brought in through personal import routes. The rule does not target all used-car imports, but dealers who rely on individual overseas entitlements may have fewer cars that can be transferred at once. That could mean slower resale and tighter document checks, though no new tax or price rise has been announced.

For readers following earlier policy changes, DrivePK had already covered Pakistan’s stricter vehicle import rules for overseas Pakistanis in 2026 in a background piece here.

For now, the message is simple: before paying for an imported car, make sure it is actually transferable. The latest directive strengthens enforcement of an existing rule. It does not reopen the door to quick resale during the first year.

For more updates, visit a source report

Explore DrivePK services

Buying or selling a vehicle? Explore DrivePK services, including car inspection, Sell It For Me and Featured Listings, and choose the option that fits your needs.

For more updates, visit DrivePK.com