Duty on a Second Laptop, Camera or Drone at a Pakistani Airport
The short version: one of each kind
The Baggage Rules give you a short list of electronics. Think of it as "one of each kind". Here is what the Rules say for a Pakistani national who is not coming back for good.
| Item | Duty-free when? | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| One laptop (with accessories) that you are using | Any trip, even if you stayed abroad less than 7 days | Rule 3A, proviso |
| One desktop or laptop computer in personal use | First visit of the calendar year | Rule 3B(vii) |
| One still camera and one video camera | First visit of the calendar year | Rule 3B(iii) |
| Other goods worth up to US$500 in total | First visit of the calendar year | Rule 3B(viii) |
| A drone | Not listed anywhere in the duty-free allowances | - |
The first-visit items only apply if you stayed abroad more than 7 days (Rule 3A and Rule 15). The year runs from January to December (Rule 18).
Try it: our baggage allowance checker shows your full allowance for your trip in under a minute.
What about a second laptop or camera?
The Rules do not give a second camera of the same kind or a third computer for free. You have three outcomes:
- It fits in your US$500 extra allowance. On your first visit of the year, the officer may count it in the US$500 "further allowances" (Rule 3B(viii)). This only works if its value, plus anything else you claim, stays within US$500.
- You pay duty and taxes on it. Rule 14 says dutiable baggage is charged at the rates notified for the Rules.
- It looks like trade. If you carry several of the same item, Customs can treat it as commercial quantity. Then you pay duty and taxes at full statutory rates plus a redemption fine (Rule 17), and you lose the baggage allowances (Rule 15).
Which one applies is the customs officer's decision. Keep receipts and declare the item at the red channel.
How the duty is worked out
- Date: the rate is the one in force on the day you make your baggage declaration (Customs Act section 140).
- Customs duty column: in the Pakistan Customs Tariff 2026-27, laptops (8471.3010), digital cameras (8525.8940), video camera recorders (8525.8950) and drones (heading 88.06) show 0% customs duty.
- Other taxes: a 0% customs duty does not mean the item is tax-free. Sales tax and other levies can still apply. We have not confirmed the exact rates for baggage, so we do not quote them here. The officer will tell you the amount.
- Value: the officer assesses the value. A receipt helps.
Don't walk through the green channel with dutiable goods. Section 139 of the Customs Act makes a false or missing baggage declaration an offence. The Lahore High Court has said that walking through the green channel is itself a declaration that you have nothing dutiable (Customs Reference 22234 of 2024).
Drones: check before you pack
This is where most people get stuck. Here is what we could confirm, and what we could not.
| Question | What we found | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Is a drone duty-free baggage? | No. Drones are not in Rules 3A or 3B. | Confirmed |
| Does Customs ask for a Ministry of Defence NOC? | In a 2023 Lahore airport case, Customs released 10 drones only "subject to NOC from the Ministry of Defence", a 20% redemption fine, and duty and taxes. That case involved undeclared goods (Lahore High Court, Customs Reference 22234 of 2024, decided 24 July 2025). | Confirmed for that case |
| Is there a final national drone rule? | Draft "Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024" were reported by Dawn in June 2024. They proposed CAA registration and Ministry of Defence clearance for drones over 10 kg. We could not confirm they were approved. | Not confirmed |
| Does PTA need to approve a drone? | We found no official PTA text on drones in personal baggage. | Not confirmed |
So the safe plan is simple:
- Ask Pakistan Customs (FBR helpline) and the Civil Aviation Authority before you fly.
- If you bring one, declare it at the red channel.
- If it is not allowed in, ask Customs to hold it and give it back when you leave. Section 142 lets the officer detain declared baggage for return on departure, if you were not bringing it in for use in Pakistan.
Live in Pakistan and travel with your own camera?
Get it written down when you leave. Rule 12 says goods taken out of Pakistan with an export certificate or a passport endorsement from customs come back duty-free. The record must describe the item and its marks, such as the serial number.
Shipping it instead?
A courier parcel follows different rules. See online parcel duty in Pakistan. Phones are separate too: see phones and PTA tax.
Related: Pakistan baggage rules 2026 · Cash limits at the airport · Gold from Dubai and Saudi
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring two laptops to Pakistan duty-free?
Possibly, on your first visit of the year. The Rules allow one laptop in use on any trip, and one desktop or laptop in personal use on the first visit of the calendar year. A further laptop is taxed or counted in the US$500 allowance. The officer decides.
Is a second camera duty-free?
The first-visit allowance is one still camera and one video camera. A second camera of the same kind is not listed. It may fit in your US$500 allowance on the first visit, or you pay duty and taxes.
Can I bring a drone in my luggage?
It is not duty-free, and Customs has asked for a Ministry of Defence NOC before releasing drones. Check with Pakistan Customs and the Civil Aviation Authority first, and always declare it at the red channel.
What if Customs will not release my drone?
If you declared it, you can ask Customs to keep it and return it when you leave Pakistan. Section 142 of the Customs Act allows this for declared baggage not meant for use in Pakistan.
My trip was only 5 days. Do I get any allowance?
Only personal-use items. A laptop you are using is still allowed even if you stayed abroad less than 7 days. The first-visit items need a stay of more than 7 days.
Sources
- Baggage Rules, 2006 — S.R.O. 666(I)/2006, amended consolidated copy (CustomsNews.pk) Rule 3A proviso (laptop), 3B(iii), (vii), (viii), Rules 12, 14, 15, 17, 18
- Baggage Rules, 2006 — S.R.O. 666(I)/2006 (FBR copy) Original notified text, 28 June 2006 Official
- Customs Act, 1969 — FBR consolidated copy (to June 2025) Sections 139 (declaration), 140 (rate date), 141, 142 (temporary detention) Official
- Pakistan Customs Tariff 2026-27 (FBR) PCT 8471.3010, 8525.8940, 8525.8950, heading 88.06: customs duty 0% Official
- Lahore High Court — Customs Reference No. 22234 of 2024 (2025 LHC 5283) Decided 24 July 2025; drones released subject to MoD NOC, 20% redemption fine, duty and taxes
- Dawn — Will new drone registration rules fly or not? Draft Civil Unmanned Aircraft Rules, 2024; 24 June 2024
Estimate and information only, not legal or tax advice. Customs and FBR make the final decision. Spotted a rule change? Tell us.