Pakistan visa and entry requirements

Who needs a visa and how to apply

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says visitors need a visa for Pakistan and must apply in advance ². It points travellers to the NADRA visa website for categories, applications and extensions ².

The Pakistan Online Visa System lists visit, business, student, official and work visas, with more categories on its full list ¹. The portal says the issue of a visa is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan, exercised through designated authorities ¹. It tells applicants to plan travel only after they receive a valid visa ¹.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Ankara says that from 1 February 2021 all visas are to be applied for online through the NADRA portal ⁹.

Visa on arrival and Visa Prior to Arrival

The portal says citizens of 50 countries can apply for a visa on arrival in the tourist category and citizens of 95 countries in the business category ¹. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Wing handles visa on arrival for business and tourist categories at designated entry points ⁵.

The FIA page gives different figures. It lists visa on arrival for 30 days for business people from 96 Business Visa List countries, visit visas for nationals of 190 List-A countries and visa on arrival for nationals of 50 countries ⁵. The FIA page is undated. The portal figures were read on 24 October 2026 ¹.

The Consulate General of Pakistan in Frankfurt describes a Visa Prior to Arrival category for business visitors, tourists and Sikh pilgrims ⁶. It says this visa is free for citizens of 126 countries, including German passport holders ⁶.

The 2024 visa fee waiver

Dawn reported on 25 July 2024 that the federal cabinet waived the visa fee for citizens of 126 countries ³. Under the online system, citizens of these countries would get business and tourist visas within 24 hours ³. The cabinet approved a separate visa on arrival sub-category for Sikh pilgrims who hold third-country passports ³. The interior ministry and the Foreign Office were named to carry out the decision ³.

Daily Pakistan reported that Information Minister Atta Tarar announced the formal launch of the policy at a press conference on 13 August 2024 ⁴. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports says other visa fees follow the reciprocal basis of the applicant's country ⁸. Check the fee for your nationality on the official portal before you pay ¹.

Passport, entry stamp and health rules

• Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your visa application ².
• You will be refused entry without a valid travel document, or with a passport reported lost or stolen ².
• Make sure your passport is stamped on entry. The FCDO says leaving is difficult without an entry stamp ².
• Journalist visas often carry extra travel limits, and breaking them can lead to fines or detention ².
• A polio vaccine certificate may be needed in some cases, and a yellow fever certificate if you arrive from a listed risk country ².
• Importing alcohol or pork is illegal, and goods that may be taxed or banned must be declared ².

Overseas Pakistanis and Indian nationals

Pakistani citizens who live abroad and hold a valid NICOP or SNICOP are recognised as citizens and can enter without a visa ². The FIA says overseas Pakistanis with an expired or lost NICOP or POC can get a free landing permit valid for 72 hours ⁵.

On 24 April 2025 Pakistan suspended all visas issued to Indian nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, except for Sikh religious pilgrims ⁷. Indian nationals then in Pakistan under the scheme were told to leave within 48 hours ⁷. The same decision closed the Wagah Border Post ⁷. The FCDO says the Wagah crossing is still closed ².

Extensions and expired visas

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, under the Ministry of Interior, grants and extends machine readable visas through its headquarters and zonal offices in Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi ⁸.

If your visa has expired, the FCDO says to apply online for an exit permit from inside Pakistan before you try to leave ². It says illegal entry is a serious offence that can lead to detention or deportation ².