How to Port SIM to Another Network in Pakistan [2026]
Your number is your identity: it signs you into your bank, your WhatsApp and your CNIC record. So when a network disappoints, do not take a new number; you learn how to port sim and carry the number across. Porting is a four-day process of one SMS and one counter visit, guarded by three separate 60-day rules most guides merge into one.
Quick answer: how to port sim
- Text MNP to 667, forward the reply to the new network’s code, then biometric at its counter.
- Your SIM must be in your own name and 60 days old on its current network.
- Balance and bundles die at the switch; the number and its CNIC record carry over.
- Zong port-in is free (published); Jazz prints two different prices (conflict below).
Before You Port: Eligibility
Start with ownership. The SIM must be registered in your own name: a name mismatch draws R05A, a CNIC mismatch R05B, a SIM number mismatch R05C. On someone else’s CNIC? Transfer the ownership first (our transfer guide).
Then the three 60-day rules, as three separate statements. Rule one: a number must complete its Minimum Subscription Period of 60 days on its current network before porting (PTA guidelines; younger draws R07A). Rule two: after a successful port, the 60-day wait restarts. Rule three: 60 days must pass after activation or a change of ownership (Jazz’s own help centre). Postpaid dues cleared to the day the request lands, or it is R06A. One honest gap: whether the 365-day ownership lock also restricts porting is unverified; no source settles it.
The Port, Step by Step
From the number itself, text MNP to 667. The 667 reply shows the record both networks check: subscriber name, CNIC, SIM number and connection type (explained in our 667 guide). A wrong name or CNIC in it means a mismatch rejection later. Use it within 10 calendar days; after that the donor can reject with R09A and you start again.
Forward the reply to the receiving network’s code: Jazz 76300 and Ufone 76333, confirmed on the networks’ own pages; Zong 76313 and Telenor 76345, confirmed via PTA’s published list. Then the counter: visit the new network with your original CNIC (a photocopy is not enough) for the face match, thumb impression against NADRA, and your CNIC-matching signature on the port-in form. The new SIM is issued inactive; keep using the old one. PTA’s normal porting time is 4 days, excluding donor holds. At the switch moment, the old SIM dies; the new one takes the number.
What Porting Costs
| Network | Port-in charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zong | Free | FOC on Zong’s own price page (confirmed) |
| Jazz | Rs 300 prepaid | Jazz’s help centre; its FAQ prints Rs 550 (conflict: confirm at the counter); postpaid pays the security deposit only |
| Ufone | No fee published | Older reports: free with Rs 50 welcome balance (reported) |
| Telenor | Rs 60 with Rs 50 balance | Reported (guide consensus) |
PTA fixes no retail porting fee; its Rs 250 is an inter-operator charge the customer never pays. The SMS steps are not free either: on Jazz, both the MNP to 667 SMS and the forwarding SMS cost Rs 2 plus tax each (Jazz’s own page). A guide claiming Jazz porting is free is contradicted by Jazz itself, twice.
Rejections: Read the Code
A refusal arrives as a code; every code names its fix. R05A / R05B: the name or CNIC record is not yours; fix the ownership first. R05C: the SIM number does not match the record. R06A: an outstanding bill or balance; clear it. R07A: the number is under 60 days old; wait. R08B: an ownership change is pending; let it finish. R09A: the 667 reply expired; text MNP to 667 again. R04A: the number or SIM is blocked; the operator lifts blocks (our block guide).
A hold is not a rejection: the donor may pause the clock over unpaid bills or a running contract, and held days do not count toward the 4 days. Changed your mind? Cancel before the switch completes; any fee already paid is not refunded. A donor stalling without a code: our PTA complaint guide.
Special Cases: SCOM, eSIM, Foreigners
SCOM, the AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan operator, is listed as participating in MNP (reported); no SCOM forwarding code is published, so none is invented here: its ports use the same 667 step at a service centre. eSIM: no separate process exists; the receiving network issues its own eSIM at the counter instead of plastic (reported). Foreign nationals port in person with a passport carrying a valid visa, or a Proof of Registration (PoR) card (reported). Company numbers need the authorized signatory’s documents (reported). Data-only SIMs: no published rule settles whether they can port; ask the receiving network first.
ONIC gets a pointer, not a procedure: porting into it runs into a separate PTA halt order; read our ONIC guide first. Whether a port-in today would be processed is unverified; no claim either way.
FAQs
How long does MNP take in Pakistan?
PTA’s normal porting time is 4 days (operators quote 4 working days); donor hold days do not count.
Will I lose my balance when I port my number?
Yes. Unused prepaid balance is not refunded and does not move; bundles and loyalty points stay too. Spend it down first.
Can I port a SIM that is not in my name?
No: a name or CNIC mismatch is rejection R05A / R05B. Transfer the ownership into your name first, then wait 60 days.
Can I port my number again after switching?
Yes, but the 60-day wait restarts at each port and must complete before the next move.
How much does it cost?
Zong: free (its own price page). Jazz: Rs 300 (help centre) vs Rs 550 (FAQ); confirm at the counter. Telenor: Rs 60 reported. Ufone: none published.
Can I port my number completely online?
No: the 667 SMS only starts it; biometric verification is in person, with your original CNIC.
Can I port back to my old network?
Yes: a normal port in reverse, once the 60-day wait completes.
What if I change my mind?
Yes: cancel before the switch completes. A fee already paid is not refunded.
Does my number prefix change after porting?
No: the number and prefix stay the same, and afterwards the prefix proves nothing about the network.
Sim port karne ka tarika kya hai?
Number se MNP likh kar 667 par bhejein; jawab naye network ke code par forward karein (Jazz 76300, Zong 76313, Ufone 76333, Telenor 76345); phir asal CNIC ke sath counter par biometric karwayein. SIM apne naam par aur network par 60 din purani ho; balance aur bundles switch par khatam ho jate hain.
Conclusion
Porting is one SMS to 667, one forward, one counter visit and four days. Everything else is preparation: the SIM in your own name, the three 60-day clocks respected, the balance spent down before it dies. Read the reply with our 667 guide; a code or stalling donor: our PTA complaint guide.
