Buying a phone in Dubai to use in Bangladesh: what to check

1. How many phones you can bring without paying duty

Under Bangladesh's baggage rules as amended in July 2025, a passenger may bring one new mobile phone a year without duty. A Bangladeshi working abroad who holds a BMET card and has been abroad for at least six months may bring two new phones a year without duty. Phones beyond that are charged duty at the airport.

2. Register it with NEIR, or it can be blocked

Bangladesh now checks every phone's IMEI number against BTRC's National Equipment Identity Register (NEIR). A phone that is not registered can be cut off from the mobile networks. A phone you bring from abroad for your own use is registered on the NEIR portal, neir.btrc.gov.bd, under the option for a handset brought from abroad.

• Have your passport's photo page and the stamp showing your latest entry into Bangladesh ready; the portal asks for them.
• Do it soon after you arrive. Guides disagree on how long a new phone keeps working before it must be registered, quoted at 30 or 60 days, so do not leave it.
• Dial *#06# on the phone to see its IMEI, and check that it matches the number printed on the box.

3. Warranty

Many phone warranties are honoured only in the region where the phone was sold. A phone bought in the UAE may therefore have no warranty service in Bangladesh, and a repair there would be paid for. Ask the shop, in writing, whether the warranty is international, and keep the receipt.

4. FaceTime on iPhones sold in the UAE

Apple says FaceTime may not be available on iPhones bought in the UAE. Owners report different things about whether it can be switched on once the phone is used in another country, and it can depend on the model. If you use FaceTime to call family, check with Apple or the shop for the exact model before buying.

5. Where to buy, and how to avoid a fake

• Brand stores and the big electronics chains cost more than small shops, but sell sealed, genuine stock with a proper receipt.
• In small shops and markets, check the box is factory-sealed, the IMEI on the box matches the phone, and the phone has not been activated before.
• A price far below everywhere else usually means a refurbished, imported or fake phone.
• Visitors to the UAE may be able to reclaim the 5% VAT at the airport. UAE residents, which most Bangladeshis working there are, cannot.

Is it still worth it?

Often, yes, if it is within your duty-free allowance, you register it with NEIR, and you accept that the warranty may not travel. Compare the UAE price with the official price in Bangladesh for the same model, and remember an official Bangladeshi phone comes with local warranty and is already registered. You can put the two in a comparison and ask which makes sense for you.