A large share of the visitors to this site are Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK and elsewhere, often looking to buy a car for family at home. Until a few years ago that meant sending the full price or relying on a relative to take a loan. Since 2021 there has been a dedicated route: car financing through a Roshan Digital Account, known as Roshan Apni Car. This guide explains how it works and what to check before you apply.
What Roshan Apni Car is
The Roshan Digital Account (RDA) is a State Bank of Pakistan initiative that lets non-resident Pakistanis open a bank account in Pakistan online, without visiting a branch. Banks that offer RDAs also offer products linked to them, and Roshan Apni Car is the car financing product. You apply from abroad, the bank finances a locally assembled car in Pakistan, and the installments are paid from your RDA, usually funded by remittances from your salary abroad. Both conventional and Islamic versions are available, depending on the bank.
Who can apply
You need to be a non-resident Pakistani, or a person of Pakistani origin holding a valid NICOP or POC, with an active Roshan Digital Account at a bank that offers the product. Banks look at your foreign income and employment in much the same way they assess salaried applicants in Pakistan, and they check your credit record. The car is typically for use in Pakistan by you or your family, and the bank will explain whose name it can be registered in and who may drive it.
Which rules apply
Roshan Apni Car is car finance in Pakistani rupees for a car in Pakistan, so the State Bank’s general limits for auto finance shape it: a minimum down payment, limits on the amount financed and the tenure, and no financing of imported cars. Under the general rules that means at least 30% down, no more than PKR 3,000,000 financed per person across all banks, and a tenure of up to five years for cars up to 1000cc and three years above. Our guide to SBP financing rules covers these in full. Some RDA products have had features that differ from standard car loans, such as specific pricing, so confirm the current terms with the bank.
Rates and installments
Roshan Apni Car is priced off KIBOR like other car finance, and banks have at times offered competitive rates to attract RDA customers. Because your income is in foreign currency and the installment is in rupees, a weaker rupee makes the installment cheaper for you over time and a stronger rupee makes it more expensive. To estimate the monthly amount for a particular car, use the installment plan calculator; the bank’s own quote will be in the same range. If you prefer an Islamic structure, our Islamic versus conventional guide explains the difference.
Documents
Expect to provide your NICOP or POC, passport with valid visa or residence permit, proof of overseas employment and salary such as an employment contract, salary certificate and recent payslips, and bank statements, alongside the RDA itself. The car side needs a proforma invoice from an authorised dealer in Pakistan. Most of the process can be done digitally, but a family member in Pakistan often handles the dealer, registration and delivery on your behalf, so a clear authority letter helps.
Costs to plan for
As with any car in Pakistan, budget for withholding tax and registration at purchase, the bank’s processing fee, insurance or takaful for the whole term, and a tracker. These are usually paid from the RDA as well. Our guide to the real on-road cost of a car goes through each item.
Alternatives
If Roshan Apni Car does not suit you, the other options are paying in full through remittance, or a family member in Pakistan taking a standard car loan in their own name, which depends on their income and eligibility rather than yours. Compare the cost of each, and remember that a loan in a relative’s name is legally their liability. The bank comparison table lists each bank’s rates if you go the standard route.
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