Own-CNIC checks only · Reviewed 29 September 2026 · Every network’s eSIM terms, with the source
An eSIM in Pakistan is a SIM with no plastic card, and each network issues it at the outlets and retailers it names, after checking your CNIC and matching your fingerprints against NADRA’s record. Jazz, Zong and Ufone each charge Rs 1,500, the most PTA has allowed since 17 August 2026, and the eight-SIM ceiling on each CNIC carries no eSIM exception. Below: how each of the five networks issues one, what a conversion does to the old card, which phones take an eSIM, the IMEI step that follows activation and each network’s new-phone rules, all sourced at the end.
What an eSIM is in Pakistan: a SIM profile on a chip inside the phone
Is eSIM a physical SIM?
No. An eSIM is a chip built into the phone when it is made, onto which the network downloads a SIM profile, so a mobile number works without inserting a card (Zong’s price-list page). Zong describes its counter step as mapping your mobile number and the SIM’s ICCID to that profile.
eSIM vs physical SIM: what changes day to day
Three things change when the line lives on a profile instead of a card, as the networks’ own pages describe them.
| Question | eSIM | Physical SIM |
|---|---|---|
| How the line gets onto the phone | The network’s code is scanned, or its activation code entered, in the phone’s settings | The card is inserted |
| Switching between numbers | Chosen in the phone’s settings, with no card swap (Ufone) | Physically removed and replaced (Ufone) |
| The card slot | Stays free for another number on a card after a conversion (Jazz, SCO) | Holds this number’s card |
eSIM price in Pakistan: the Rs 1,500 cap and each network’s charge
Since 17 August 2026 no network may charge more than Rs 1,500 for a new eSIM or for converting a physical SIM to one, anywhere in Pakistan, AJ&K or GB, and the first ten moves of an eSIM profile to another device are free (PTA, 7 August 2026).
| Network | Published eSIM charge | What the network’s page adds |
|---|---|---|
| Jazz | Rs 1,500 | Excludes standard number charges |
| Zong | Rs 1,500 | Charged at Zong Customer Service Centres; the same figure is on Zong’s SIM price list |
| Ufone | Rs 1,500, for new customers and for customers switching a physical Ufone 4G SIM to eSIM | Its FAQ and terms still carry an older line (see If a counter asks for more than Rs 1,500, below) |
| Telenor | None printed | The eSIM page gives steps and phones only |
| SCO (SCOM) | None printed | The eSIM page gives steps, phones and FAQs only |
What the Rs 1,500 cap leaves open
PTA’s release sets a ceiling and stops there: it names no price for any network, says nothing about an eleventh move and does not mention number charges (the table shows how Jazz treats them). Where the cap sits among the year’s other changes is on the eSIM cap on the 2026 PTA rules timeline.
If a counter asks for more than Rs 1,500
Before the ceiling the fee was Rs 2,000, the figure PTA’s chairman gave the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, as ProPakistani reported on 16 July 2026, and Ufone’s FAQ and terms still print that older amount. Neither is the price now: a higher charge for issuing or converting an eSIM can be reported to PTA on 0800-55055 or at complaint.pta.gov.pk.
Which networks issue an eSIM in Pakistan, and how each hands it over
Does Pakistan have eSIM?
Yes. Jazz, Zong, Telenor, Ufone and SCO each publish an eSIM service, each with its own outlets and its own way of handing over the code, as set out below. The exception is Onic, barred from new sales by PTA’s order of 11 September 2026, as Onic after PTA’s order explains.
Jazz eSIM
Jazz registers eSIMs at its Experience Centers, franchises and eligible retailers and, after registration, hands the QR code over on a voucher. It announced an eSIM platform with Gemalto in May 2019 (PhoneWorld, 29 May 2019).
Is Zong eSIM available in Pakistan?
Yes. Zong issues eSIMs at its Customer Service Centres and franchises, including on numbers reserved under Zong’s Book Your Number terms, and hands over a physical voucher that carries the QR code.
Is Telenor eSIM available in Pakistan?
Yes. Telenor has offered eSIMs to prepaid and postpaid customers since August 2024, at its franchises and retailers. Besides the QR code scanned at the counter, it emails the code with an activation code, which an iPhone takes with the address Telenor sends and an Android phone as pasted text. Telenor now operates as part of PTML, as set out in Telenor after the PTML merger.
Ufone eSIM
Ufone issues eSIMs at its service centres, franchises and joint shops, and also lists self-service booths open 24/7; its QR code comes on an eSIM jacket. Ufone launched its first eSIMs with Giesecke+Devrient in February 2021 (ProPakistani, 16 February 2021).
SCO eSIM in AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan
SCO, set up in 1976 to run telecom services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, issues eSIMs for SCOM numbers at its franchises, customer service centres and SPaisa shops and hands over a voucher with a QR code. The rest of what a SCOM line involves is in SCOM SIM owner details.
Getting an eSIM: a new number or a conversion of your SIM
Jazz, Zong, Ufone and SCO each offer two ways in, a new eSIM number or a conversion of a number you already hold, and all four say a converted number keeps its services and tariffs; Jazz and SCO add that the plastic SIM of that number is switched off once the eSIM is active.
- Check that the phone takes an eSIM (see Phones).
- Take your CNIC to one of the outlets that network names under Networks; finding a genuine outlet has its own guide.
- Give the sales agent your Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number and your fingerprints on the biometric scanner, so the agent can verify them against NADRA’s record; every network says the eSIM is not activated before this biometric verification. More on what the fingerprint check at the counter involves.
- Take the code the network issues; its form differs by network, as each network’s section shows.
- Connect the phone to the internet, open Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan on an iPhone or Settings > SIM card manager > eSIM > Add mobile plan on Android, and scan the code; Zong and Ufone give 0000 as the default PIN if one is asked for.
- Wait for the line: Jazz and SCO say it is active within five minutes.
- Finish the IMEI step that Jazz, Zong and Ufone ask for after activation.
Can data SIM be converted to eSIM?
No network’s eSIM page says. The four networks that describe a conversion speak only of an existing number and list no exception, but none mentions a data SIM by name, so ask at the counter before you pay for the conversion.
Going back to a plastic SIM
Jazz and SCO both let an eSIM be swapped back for a plastic SIM at their standard SIM change charge, Jazz at the same outlets that issue it; Jazz’s figure is in Jazz’s counter prices.
eSIM limits per CNIC and per phone
PTA’s limit of eight SIMs per CNIC, five voice and three data, names no SIM type and makes no exception for eSIMs.
Does an eSIM show in the 668 count?
The 668 reply and cnic.sims.pk give a total for each network with no field for the type of SIM, so neither marks which line is an eSIM, and PTA’s pages on the count say nothing about eSIMs. The steps and the reply are covered in checking the SIMs on your CNIC by 668 or cnic.sims.pk.
Jazz, Ufone and SCO each say an unlocked iPhone can hold several of their eSIM numbers with only one active at a time; Apple says supported iPhones can keep two eSIMs active at once and store eight or more.
Phones that support eSIM in Pakistan
iPhones from the XS, XS Max and XR onward take an eSIM (Apple), and the networks’ own lists add the Samsung, Google, Huawei and Oppo models in the table below; the five lists differ, so the one that counts is your network’s.
| Brand | What the networks list | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Jazz: XR, XS, XS Max, the 11, 12 and 13 series, SE (2020), and the 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air; Zong: XR to 13 Pro Max; Ufone: XR to 14 Pro Max; SCO: XR to iPhone 14; Telenor: XR to 15 Pro Max, SE 2 and SE 3, and six iPad models | Apple: in mainland China only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17e and iPhone Air take an eSIM, and certain Hong Kong and Macao models use two nano-SIM cards instead |
| Samsung Galaxy | Jazz, Zong and Ufone: Fold, Z Fold2 5G, Z Fold3 5G, Z Flip, Z Flip 5G, the S20 and S21 series, Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra 5G; SCO: S20 series, S21+ 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, S22 series, Z Flip, Z Fold2 5G; Telenor: the S20 to S24 series, S23 FE, Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra 5G, Fold to Z Fold6, Z Flip to Z Flip6, A54 and A55 5G | Telenor: S23 FE units from China or Hong Kong do not take an eSIM; SCO marks its S20 entries “Single SIM Nano-SIM and/or eSIM models” |
| Google Pixel | Jazz, Zong and Ufone: Pixel 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 5 and 6 Pro; SCO: Pixel 3 and 3 XL (limited support), 4, 4a and 5; Telenor: from the Pixel 2 to the Pixel 8 Pro, and the Pixel Fold | Telenor: the Pixel 2 only if bought with Google Fi service; Pixel 3 units from Australia, Japan or Taiwan and Pixel 3a units from Southeast Asia do not take an eSIM |
| Huawei | Jazz, Zong and Ufone: P40, P40 Pro, P50 Pro, Mate 40 Pro; SCO: P40, P40 Pro; Telenor: P40, P40 Pro, Mate 40 Pro, Pura 70 Pro | Telenor says the P40 Pro+ and P50 Pro are not compatible with eSIM, while Jazz, Zong and Ufone list the P50 Pro: ask your network before paying |
| Oppo | Jazz, Zong and Telenor: Find X3 Pro, Reno 5A, Reno 6 Pro 5G; Ufone: Find X3 Pro, Reno 5A, Reno 6 Pro 5G+; Telenor adds Find X3, Find X5, Find X5 Pro, Find N2 Flip, Find N3, Find N3 Flip, Reno 9A and A55s 5G | Telenor: the OPPO Lite line has no eSIM |
Ufone adds that its eSIM does not work on an Apple Watch.
Can SIM locked iPhone use eSIM?
Not a Ufone eSIM: Ufone says its eSIM does not support carrier-locked handsets and the phone must be unlocked first, and the other networks’ pages do not say. On an iPhone, Settings > General > About shows No SIM Restrictions next to Carrier Lock when the phone is unlocked (Apple).
Apple lists no Pakistani carrier under eSIM Quick Transfer or carrier activation; the networks’ own route onto an iPhone is the QR code or activation code, as in Getting one.
eSIM and PTA’s device check: the IMEI step after activation
Can I use an eSIM on a phone that is not PTA approved?
Only on the networks’ terms: an eSIM switches on the phone’s eSIM IMEI, so Jazz, Zong and Ufone tell eSIM users to send both IMEIs to 8484 and to email screenshots of IMEI 1 and IMEI 2 to [email protected] for whitelisting, to avoid a DIRBS block; Zong and Ufone add that an unpaid phone tax must be paid first to keep using the eSIM.
For reading each IMEI, the meaning of every 8484 reply and the time allowed to register an imported phone, see the IMEI check and DIRBS registration windows.
Changing phones, resetting or losing an eSIM, and keeping the code safe
Each network runs a change of phone its own way, as the table below sets out, while the charge side is PTA’s free moves under Price and the cap; PTA has also been directed to build a secure way to move eSIMs remotely (PhoneWorld, 7 August 2026).
| Network | Changing phones | Factory reset or deleted profile | Lost phone or lost code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jazz | The same code works once the profile is properly removed from the old phone | A factory reset erases the eSIM: a new visit and a new code | A code lost before scanning: call 111 or visit an Experience Center to cancel it |
| Zong | Re-scan the same code | Re-scan the same code after the old profile is deleted | Not stated on Zong’s page |
| Telenor | Not stated; the emailed copy of the code is sent “for future use” | Not stated on Telenor’s page | Not stated on Telenor’s page |
| Ufone | Not stated on Ufone’s page | Not stated on Ufone’s page | A lost or stolen phone: a new code from a service centre or franchise |
| SCO (SCOM) | A new code is needed | Not stated on SCO’s page | Not stated on SCO’s page |
A lost phone or a lost QR code
How to stop a lost or stolen phone’s line being used is covered in blocking a lost or stolen SIM; the last column of the table above shows what each network publishes for a lost phone or code.
Keeping the QR code and the email safe
Jazz, SCO, Ufone and Zong give the same security instruction about the code: share it with no one; Jazz adds that someone else could scan a code that has not been used. Telenor’s emailed copy opens with a password made of the last four digits of your CNIC, so keep access to that email account to yourself. Calls or messages asking for the code are covered in SIM-swap and counter scams.
More questions about eSIMs in Pakistan
How do I find the number of my eSIM?
It is an ordinary mobile number, the one the eSIM activates (see What an eSIM is). The dial code each network publishes for reading your own number is listed under every network’s own-number code, and the menu route is under finding your number in the phone’s settings.
Who is the owner of an eSIM?
The person it was issued to at the counter, against that person’s CNIC (see Getting an eSIM). For a line of your own, the registered name comes back from the 667 name check; for anyone else’s number, no website or app can show the owner, eSIM or card.
Where the facts on this page come from
The eSIM price cap, the ten free moves and the 17 August 2026 start: PTA release signed by Zaib Un Nisa, Director (Communications), 7 August 2026 · The fee before the cap, from the PTA chairman’s Senate committee briefing: ProPakistani, 16 July 2026 · Direction to build remote eSIM transfers: PhoneWorld, 7 August 2026 · Each network’s eSIM terms, charges, handset lists and IMEI instructions: each operator’s eSIM page, Jazz, Zong, Ufone, Telenor and SCO · Zong’s definition and price list: Zong SIM price list · SCO’s service area: sco.gov.pk · Telenor’s 2024 launch: press release on PhoneWorld, 20 August 2024 · Jazz’s 2019 platform: PhoneWorld, 29 May 2019 · Ufone’s 2021 launch: ProPakistani, 16 February 2021 · The Onic order: Dawn, 15 September 2026 · The 8-SIM limit and the 668 and cnic.sims.pk routes: PTA FAQs (SIM limit, SIM count) · The CNIC and fingerprint steps: PTA, Biometric Verification page · iPhone models, two active eSIMs, the carrier-lock line and regional models: Apple Support (eSIM on iPhone, active eSIMs and carrier lock, Hong Kong and Macao models), 17 September 2026 · Apple’s carrier list: Apple Support, 15 September 2026 · PTA helpline and complaint portal: PTA. Reviewed by Muhammad Zayan on 29 September 2026.
Where to go next
The rest of the year’s rule changes are gathered in every PTA SIM rule that changed in 2026, and the total on your own card is under how many SIMs are on my CNIC. For owner checks network by network, see Jazz SIM owner details, Zong SIM owner details, Telenor SIM owner details and Ufone SIM owner details.
SIM owner details in Pakistan: the official checks, from the top