Earlier this month the ministry of telecommunication brought back the mandatory IMEI registration as an attempt to keep dealers from smuggling mobile phones into the country without paying any customs duty. In principle, buyers are not required to do anything when buying a legal phone from the local market, but they will of course have to pay the due tax when getting a phone from abroad.
Before this new mechanism became effective, the ministry asked people to insert a SIM card in their old devices in order for the cellular networks to recognize them as “legal” devices in the future. I imagine the majority did it, but some people who use dual SIM phone might have missed to insert a card into their second SIM slot (I know I did!) since each slot has a different IMEI number that should be registered with one of the available networks.
My friend who uses a supposedly legal Sony XZ1 recently tried using a second line in his second SIM slot and received the below SMS from MoT.
Funnily enough, when he contacted 111 to ask about the issue they literally answered “el SIM mish mjamrak” instead of explaining to him that he should have inserted a card into that second slot prior to the first of September. The guy also went to LibanPost to inquire about the fees he should pay in order for his phone to work properly and they had absolutely no idea what should be done in his case!
So in brief, in case you have a dual SIM phone and also forgot about that second slot you have in you device, then you should know it will only function for 90 days when you need it.
Hi,
You should not pay, with dual SIM phones connected before the new process and if one IMEI is not registered you only have to visit your operator POS and they will white list the second IMEI. It’s the 111 agent mistake didn’t guide you correctly, I advise you to call back or visit any POS, have similar case and fixed.
Cheers,
Fouad
C’est ou le pos de l’opérateur
Hello if i wanted to get a xiaomi phone from canada(redmi note 8)
Do i have to the “Jomrok” ? And if yes how much approximately?
how to register / activate an imported mobile for personal use
Hey, I love your blog. Do you happen to know the name of the law that mandates SIM registration? Thanks!
Hi, I go t a phone from the UK with me 2 days ago and when i arrived i directly got a similar message. I tried contacting liban post they said they didnt start implementing the law 0.0
Anw, any idea how much is the customs for a phone in lebanon?
i got the same problem, any luck finding out what to do. Liban post couldn’t help.
I think it Can be 10% of NEW phone value..
It is crime.F*ck.. And btw it is not only in Lebanon 🙁
Now what would happen if I am actually living aboard but I visit Lebanon frequently? My phone is new and was never registered in Lebanon before the law.
I visited Lebanon last week and got this message, so now if I visit again after 90 days my phone will not work?
“To keep smugglers from smuggling phones” in, my a—. It’s just another way this #%^* dawleh is trying to squeeze more money out of us to fill their pockets. Yuck.
Hello, anyone knows the procedure to be followed in order to register a phone I have bought for my family from abroad?
i just bought a new iphone 8, but when i unlocked it, i recieved sms from MoT:
this iphone was already used on another mobile number!!!!
It is 20% of the new phone value
Mandatory IMEI Registration is a stupid rule that is affecting us more than smugglers! This rule should be removed!!!
Typical Lebanese shabshaleh and putting the cart in front of the horse! I went to LibanPost to pay this extortion money. Liban Post personnel have no knowledge of it.
Are they really applying the rule because I need to know if I buy my phone from the US or what!!
Hi got the same message. What do I do now? Got the phone in Dubai. And need the dual sim to keep working. Anyone have an idea?
Appreciate your help guys, I have a dual sim phone and received the same message, can you please let me know who should I contact, my phone is not even new, and I did not insert any card in my other slot- what are the next steps?
Hello! Need help: I want to get the new Google phone from abroad how can I know how much the tax is going to be?? Libanpost didn’t know the answer and the mpt.gov.lb doesn’t even function!! Help!
I received to day the message and contacted Libanpost, bottom line is that it’s fucking expensive.
299,999 LBP for an iPhone XS Max 64Gb
Unifil’s military and civilian personnel also received this type of message. All this is absolutely absurd. These people are in Lebanese territory following an agreement signed by the government of Lebanon and the UN council. Certainly they are neither tourists nor smugglers.
I sincerely hope that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible avoiding these people to remain isolated because the telephone keeps them tied to family affections in other parts of the world.
Obviously I’m one of them ….
We make sure that this communication reaches the institutions and that they wake up early.
Greetings to all ….. Shukran
iPhone 7 32 gb fees are 195000L.L, “cheers Jamal jarrah” rez allah 3a iyemak ya bassil, will be using my old phone, will never pay this amount for this filthy government, same scenario with the new car plates they say go get a new one replaced pay 65 000 plus vat plus plastic holders for 15 each put 10000 in the guy pocket you end up paying 100000 LL…couple of month later they change the law now all this is for only 15000 LL oh and they replace your good metal plate with a filth material and plastic that cracks on sun exposure they just can’t stamp the id or serial nb or whatever on your old plate huh ! plus they still don'[t have the technologies for these kind of plate they were waiting for mouna2asa to implement by the time you were waiting in lines at OMTs for hours then the new trainee reply there’s a system error come back tomorrow and tomorrow same shit happen until now or you could try omt tripoli while you live in saida :), this thread is not about car plates, but its the same scenario happening over and over
Had the same problem with dual sim phone, checked the http://www.mpt.gov.lb website and it seems that one IMEI is GSMA approved and the other isn’t. Contacted 111 and they said that the phone supplier declared that this phone has one sim and payed only for one IMEI (Tax Evasion). Now i will have to pay for next one and it’s around 20% of the phone cost, or i will not be able to use the second sim.
One more time authorities are applying the laws on victims instead of the criminals.
i got an iphone 11 pro and libanpost doesn’t have a single clue about the “tis3ira” or the price that i should pay. any ideas about that , also i still have 30 days before blocking my phone
Any details about the tax to unlock iPhone 11 pro?
Hi there.. I have question.. may I know if a foreigner stay there for more than 6 months, do they need to pay the Mobile phone custom fees? If yes, how much do they need to pay? Thanks you in advance for your feedback.
Hey
If anyone can help on this. My phone is one sim but liban post said it was dual and i haven’t been able to register it. I only have one imei code and I’m worried my phone will stop working. It’s an lg g8 thinq.