Pakistan airport entry and departure checklist

Before you leave Pakistan

• Carry your passport and photocopies of it. The FIA guide says to keep a cancelled or expired passport with the new one for at least two years, along with your CNIC ¹.
• Visit visa travellers should hold a passport valid for at least six months from the date of travel ¹.
• Carry enough foreign exchange in cash or cards, or other proof of how your costs will be met ¹.
• Check entry dates, expiry dates and the number of entries on your visa. A visa obtained through an agent should be checked with the destination country's mission ¹.
• Government officials need ex-Pakistan leave or a departmental NOC from the authority concerned ¹.
• The FCDO says you need an unexpired visa, a Pakistani national identity card or a Pakistani passport to leave Pakistan ².
• If your visa has expired, apply online for an exit permit from inside Pakistan before you travel ².

Workers going abroad: Protector of Emigrants

The FIA guide advises that an employment visa be protected by the Protector of Emigrants ¹. The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment says every intending emigrant is legally bound to have the foreign service agreement protected by the relevant Protectorate of Emigrants office ⁴.

For direct registration, the Bureau lists a visa, a valid passport, a valid CNIC, a signed employment contract, fee receipts and a State Life insurance certificate ³. Some countries need a police character certificate or a medical fitness report from an approved centre ³. After checks and a briefing, a Protector sticker is placed on the passport and the Protector of Emigrants signs it with an embossed seal ³.

The Bureau page lists registration, welfare fund and emigration promotion fees but gives no amounts or dates ³. Ask the Protectorate office for the current amounts before you pay ³.

Offloading and minors

The FIA guide says immigration staff are not authorised to offload or stop a passenger whose documents are genuine and valid, with no false declaration apparent ¹. It says the Shift In-Charge must personally explain any offloading ¹.

Children under 12 travelling without their parents need a power of attorney from their legal guardian. Otherwise they travel as an unaccompanied minor with the airline ¹. The FIA guide notes that a visa for a foreign country does not guarantee entry there ¹.

When you arrive in Pakistan

• Pakistani nationals show evidence of citizenship. A Pakistani passport, valid or expired, is to be shown ¹.
• Dual nationals may enter on a Pakistani passport, a foreign passport with a valid visa, or a NICOP ¹.
• Overseas Pakistanis with an expired or lost NICOP or POC can get a free landing permit valid for 72 hours ⁵. The FIA guide says an extension of an emergency landing permit needs a visa from the nearest passport office ¹.
• Ask the immigration officer to stamp your passport on arrival and departure ¹. The FCDO says leaving is difficult without an entry stamp ².
• Declare goods that may be banned, taxed or subject to duty. Importing alcohol or pork is illegal ².

Which airports and who to contact

The FIA lists 14 airports where its Integrated Border Management System is deployed, including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan ⁶. It lists Sukkur for Hajj operations only ⁶.

ARY News reported on 22 November 2025 that complaints about airline operations, delays or onboard service go to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority as regulator ⁸. Complaints about airport facilities and passenger handling go to the Pakistan Airports Authority ⁸.

Profit reported on 23 April 2026 that the government plans one-window clearance with joint counters and biometric e-gates, starting at Islamabad International Airport ⁷. This is a plan, not an operating service, as of that report ⁷.