For embassies, consulates, high commissions and diplomatic staff
Diplomatic Customs Clearance in Pakistan
Edge of Wheels clears diplomatic consignments through Pakistan Customs and delivers them to your embassy, consulate or residence. We handle vehicles, furniture, household goods, personal effects, office equipment and other mission cargo. Our Diplomat Duty Calculator works out the duty due when a diplomatic vehicle is sold in Pakistan.
- Vehicles
- Furniture
- Household goods
- Personal effects
- Office equipment
- Delivery to embassies & consulates
Last reviewed: 13 November 2026
Our diplomatic customs clearance service
One team from arrival to delivery: we file the clearance with your mission’s exemption documents, follow it through Customs and the port, and transport the goods to your door.
Diplomatic vehicles
Clearance of official and personal vehicles imported under diplomatic privileges, and duty estimates when a vehicle is later sold in Pakistan.
Furniture
Residence and chancery furniture, cleared and delivered.
Household goods
Household effects for arriving diplomats and staff, from container to residence.
Personal effects
Personal belongings and unaccompanied baggage shipped as cargo.
Office equipment
IT, office equipment and supplies for embassies, consulates and high commissions.
Transport & delivery
Onward transport to the embassy, consulate or residence anywhere in Pakistan, including Islamabad.
We clear at Karachi Port and Port Qasim. If your consignment arrives elsewhere, tell us where and we will let you know how we can help.
Diplomat Duty Calculator
Work out the duty and taxes due when a diplomat’s first vehicle is sold in Pakistan. Choose the country, enter the Goods Declaration date and the date of the application for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ permission, then pick the vehicle from our catalog or enter its original assessed value. The result is an estimate. Customs makes the final assessment.
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How diplomatic clearance works
- Exemption from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Goods imported by diplomats, embassies and consulates under the Diplomatic and Consular Privileges Act, 1972 fall under heading 9902 of the Pakistan Customs Tariff at 0% customs duty, provided the import is certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The mission obtains this certification (the exemption certificate) for the consignment.
- Documents to us. Send us the shipping documents and the exemption paperwork, ideally before the vessel arrives, so the goods are not held at the port waiting for paperwork.
- Goods Declaration. We file the declaration claiming the heading 9902 exemption against the Ministry’s certification.
- Customs and port. We handle Customs assessment, any examination, and the shipping-line and terminal formalities through to release.
- Delivery. We transport the goods to the embassy, consulate, high commission or residence.
Documents we usually ask for
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs exemption certificate for the consignment
- Bill of lading or airway bill
- Packing list or inventory, and the invoice for new goods
- An authority letter from the mission
- For personal shipments: a copy of the diplomat’s passport and diplomatic card
Customs can ask for more depending on the goods. Send us what you have and we will tell you if anything else is needed.
Selling a diplomatic vehicle in Pakistan
A vehicle imported duty-free by a diplomat or mission can only be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of in Pakistan with the prior permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The duty and taxes payable on that sale are set by SRO 577(I)/2006, which FBR lists as in force with its amendments, the latest being SRO 923(I)/2023.
- Duty and taxes are worked out at today’s exchange rate and rates, on the value fixed in foreign currency when the vehicle was imported.
- The share payable depends on the category of the diplomat’s country, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets on the basis of reciprocity, and on how long the vehicle has been in Pakistan.
- A vehicle that was used when imported gets a further reduction: 50% if it was 5 years old at import, 75% if it was over 10 years old.
| Country category | When the vehicle is sold | Duty and taxes payable |
|---|---|---|
| Category I | Before 5 years from import | 100% |
| After 5 years | 50% | |
| Category II | After 3 years | 45% |
| After 5 years | 35% | |
| After 10 years | 25% | |
| Category III | Before 3 years | 100% |
| After 3 years | None | |
| Special Category (SRO 923(I)/2023) | Before 2 years | 100% |
| After 2 years | None |
The schedule has no band for a Category II vehicle sold within 3 years of import. Our calculator charges 100% for that period, and Customs makes the final assessment.
Why missions choose Edge of Wheels
- Customs Authorised Clearance Agency based in Karachi, Pakistan’s main seaport.
- One contact from port to door: documents, Customs, terminal and delivery.
- Vehicle duty worked out in advance with our own Diplomat Duty Calculator, built on the SRO 577(I)/2006 schedule.
- Discreet handling of mission and personal consignments.
Frequently asked questions
What does your diplomatic customs clearance service cover?
Customs clearance of vehicles, furniture, household goods, personal effects, office equipment and other consignments imported by embassies, consulates, high commissions and diplomatic staff, followed by transport and delivery to the embassy, consulate or residence anywhere in Pakistan.
Are diplomatic imports duty-free in Pakistan?
Goods imported by diplomats, embassies and consulates under the Diplomatic and Consular Privileges Act, 1972 fall under heading 9902 of the Pakistan Customs Tariff at 0% customs duty, provided the import is certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs exemption certificate?
It is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs certification of a mission's or diplomat's consignment. Heading 9902 only applies to goods certified by the Ministry, so Customs clears the goods against it. Arrange it before the cargo arrives, so the goods are not held at the port waiting for paperwork.
Which documents do you need to clear a diplomatic shipment?
Usually the exemption certificate, the bill of lading or airway bill, a packing list or inventory (and the invoice for new goods), an authority letter from the mission and, for personal shipments, a copy of the diplomat's passport and diplomatic card. Customs can ask for more depending on the goods.
Can a diplomat sell their car in Pakistan?
Yes, but only with the prior permission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under SRO 577(I)/2006 as amended. Duty and taxes are then payable according to the category of the diplomat's country and how long the vehicle has been in Pakistan. The share is 100%, 50%, 45%, 35%, 25% or nothing, depending on the category and the period.
How is duty calculated when a diplomatic vehicle is sold?
The value fixed in foreign currency at import is converted at today's exchange rate, and today's duty and tax rates are applied. The schedule's share for the country category and the period since import is then charged. A vehicle that was 5 years old at import gets a further 50% reduction, and one over 10 years old a 75% reduction. Our Diplomat Duty Calculator does this for a diplomat's first vehicle.
Which category is my country in?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides each country's category on the basis of reciprocity, with the Foreign Secretary's approval. Our calculator suggests a category for each country, but the Ministry's sale permission is what counts.
What changed with SRO 923(I)/2023?
It added a Special Category to the SRO 577(I)/2006 schedule: 100% of duty and taxes if the vehicle is sold within two years of import, and no duty or taxes after two years.
Do you deliver to embassies in Islamabad?
Yes. After clearance we transport the goods to the embassy, consulate, high commission or residence anywhere in Pakistan, including Islamabad.
How long does diplomatic clearance take?
It depends mainly on when the exemption documents are ready, on any examination, and on the port and terminal. Send us the documents before arrival and we can file as soon as the cargo lands.
Official sources
- Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan Customs Tariff 2026-27: heading 9902.
- Federal Board of Revenue, SRO 577(I)/2006 (as amended by SRO 342(I)/2007).
- Federal Board of Revenue, SRO 923(I)/2023: Special Category.
- Federal Board of Revenue, Active customs SROs: SRO 577(I)/2006 and its amending SROs.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Exemptions depend on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ certification and on Customs.
Request diplomatic clearance
Send us these details and we will reply with what the shipment needs and a quote:
- mission name and contact person
- what is being shipped (vehicle, furniture, household goods, personal effects, office equipment…)
- bill of lading or airway bill, and expected arrival
- delivery address (embassy, consulate or residence)