Before you start

Passport with a valid Pakistani visa, or CNIC/NICOP/POC
A visit to an operator's own service centre
An unlocked handset
A Lahore address for fixed broadband

Step-by-step

1
Go to an operator's flagship service centre
Foreign passport registration uses a different NADRA verification path from the CNIC route, and small franchise outlets are often not enabled for it. Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone all run proper service centres in Gulberg and on the Mall.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Expect biometric capture at the counter
Fingerprints are taken and matched against NADRA before activation. This applies to foreign passport holders through NADRA's foreigner verification system. There is no anonymous prepaid market anywhere in Pakistan.
In personWho: You
3
Confirm how many SIMs you are permitted
PTA's framework allows Pakistani CNIC holders a substantial number of SIMs across operators; foreign nationals are limited far more tightly, commonly reported at around two in total. Do not assume you can hold separate work, personal and data lines. Ask at the counter.
In personWho: You
4
Buy data generously — it costs very little
Pakistani mobile data pricing is among the lowest anywhere. Coverage in Lahore is good and the city's 4G is generally reliable; for many residents the phone is the primary internet connection and the fallback when fibre fails.
Mobile appWho: You
5
Ask which fibre provider has actually wired the building
Nayatel, StormFiber, PTCL and Transworld all have Lahore footprints and none of them covers the whole city. Availability is building-by-building. Get the provider's name from the landlord, then confirm with the provider directly before signing.
OnlineWho: YouBefore signing a lease
6
Fit a UPS or battery-backed router
Load shedding varies by feeder and by season. A battery-backed router and a charged phone hotspot are standard home-office equipment in Lahore rather than a contingency plan.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa, or CNIC/NICOP/POC
Proof of Lahore address, for fixed broadband
Fingerprints, taken at the counter

Things most newcomers don’t know

Foreign nationals get a fraction of a citizen's SIM allowance.

PTA's subscriber registration framework treats foreign passport holders separately from CNIC holders, with a much lower ceiling — commonly reported at around two SIMs in total against a substantially higher figure for citizens. Anyone planning separate lines for work, personal use and a data device runs into it immediately. PTA revises these regulations, so confirm the current number at an operator's service centre rather than relying on a published figure.

Source: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority

Lahore has better fibre coverage than Karachi, and it is still building-by-building.

Nayatel in particular has built out substantial fibre-to-the-home coverage in parts of Lahore, and the city's average residential connection is better than Karachi's. That does not make it an area-level guarantee: two towers on the same road can have entirely different options because footprints were built out block by block. Get the specific provider name and confirm there is a free port before signing a lease if your income depends on the connection.

Source: community-reported

There is no anonymous prepaid SIM in Pakistan.

Every SIM is biometrically bound at activation to an identity document, matched against NADRA in real time. Buying a pre-activated SIM from a stall — normal practice elsewhere in the region — means using a number registered to a stranger, which is unlawful and a real problem if anything happens on that line. The five-minute biometric at a service centre is the only correct route.

Source: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority

Winter smog degrades fixed wireless and satellite links, which catches people using them as backup.

Households that rely on a fixed-wireless or satellite connection as their fallback discover that heavy particulate haze and the associated weather conditions degrade those links precisely during the weeks when they most need working from home. A wired fibre primary with a mobile-data secondary is the more resilient pairing in Lahore, and it is worth arranging that way before December rather than after.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying a pre-activated SIM registered to someone else.
Attempting foreign passport registration at a small franchise outlet.
Assuming the SIM allowance a Pakistani colleague has.
Signing a lease on 'internet is available' without a named provider.
Running a home office with no battery backup through a Lahore load-shedding schedule.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.