Check Pakistan Visa Policy for your Country

Visa Policy for Pakistan

The Pakistan visa policy outlines the rules and regulations that determine the entry requirements for foreign nationals coming into the country.

All foregin citizens planning to travel to Pakistan are required to have a passport which is valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of arrival in Pakistan.

Depending on the traveler’s nationality , the length of the planned stay in the country and the purpose of the visit, the type of visa, application procedures and visa requirements for Pakistan will vary.

At the moment, there are under 5 countries whose citizens can travel to Pakistan visa-free for short stays: all other foregin visitors must either obtain a online visa for Pakistan through an electronic application, a visa on arrival, or a visa from a Pakistani embassy, depending on their nationality.

In most cases, applicants must apply for a Pakistani visa in their country of origin, but can apply from a third country if they are legal permanent residents of that country.

The majority of foreign citizens are able to apply for an eVisa for Pakistan through an electronic application, with the exception of a select few nationalities.

This is by far the most convenient and easy way to obtain a Pakistani visa, as it eliminates the need to wait for long border queues on arrival or submit an embassy or consulate application in person.

Find below a complete list of visa requirements for traveling to Pakistan from your country of nationality.

Tourist Visa Policy for Pakistan

While there are a few nationalities who can travel to Pakistan visa-free for purposes of tourism, the majority of foreign citizens are required to obtain a Pakistani tourist visa to visit the country for a holiday.

Depending on the traveler’s nationality, this will be either an electronic tourist visa, a tourist visa on arrival, or a Pakistani embassy visa for tourism.

Visitors from around 125 countries are eligible to apply for a Pakistani tourist eVisa online through a simple application process, removing the need to wait in immigration queues to submit a visa on arrival at the border or visit a Pakistani diplomatic mission abroad.

A tourist visa on arrival for Pakistan, which permits a stay of up to 30 days for tourism, is also available to travelers from a number of countries. However, the application process involves first registering an online form and supplying a range of supporting documentation, and then waiting in border lines to receive their approved authorization from an immigration officer.

Finally, citizens of 70 countries must apply for a tourist visa at an overseas diplomatic mission, such as an embassy or consulate, to enter Pakistan.An embassy application process must be initiated well in advance of the expected travel dates to allow for sufficient processing time.

Find further information about tourist visa requirements for your nationality to travel to Pakistan below.

eVisa for Pakistan

Travelers from around 125 countries are eligible to apply for an Pakistani eVisa online to visit the country for a number of purposes, including tourism, business, or to work or study in Pakistan.

Foreign nationals of Indian origin are also eligible to apply for an eVisa for Pakistan for religious tourism purposes.

An electronic visa for Pakistan, also known as ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) can be obtained by completing a simple online application to receive an approved eVisa sent by email, which can then be printed to present upon arrival in the country.

An eVisa may be granted for a variety of lengths of stay in the country and permitted number of entries depending on the purpose of travel:

The tourist eVisa is initially issued for a single entry stay of 30 days, but can also be extended online for a further stay of up to 6 months or more
The eVisa for business may be granted for a stay of up to 5 years and is a multiple entry visa
A Pakistani online work visa may be issued with a validity of up to 1 year and is also a multiple entry authorization
A student eVisa for Pakistan is granted for a stay of up to 2 years.

When submitting an online visa application for Pakistan, it is necessary to supply a range of supporting documents depending on the visa option selected.

For example, those applying for a tourist ETA must upload a recent photograph and a confirmed hotel reservation in Pakistan. If you are applying for a business electronic visa, you need to provide a Business Invitation Letter from Pakistan’s “E-Business Invitation Letter System”

Applicants are advised to submit a Pakistani ETA application at least 72 hours before the intended arrival in the country to allow for sufficient processing time.

Check the nationalities eligible for a Pakistani online visa below.

Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Croatia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Hungary
Iran
Ireland
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Cyprus
Romania
Russian Federation
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Suriname
Thailand
Timor Leste
Togo
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zimbabwe

Pakistan Online Visa Info

Apply Online

Visa on Arrival

Citizens of 45 countries are eligible to obtain a visa on arrival for Pakistan for purposes of tourism, valid for a stay of up to 30 days in the country.

The process of obtaining a Pakistani tourist visa on arrival involves first registering an online form and uploading a range of supporting documentation, including a copy of the passport biographical page and a recent photograph of the traveler.

It is also necessary to supply an invitation letter either from a sponsor or reserved hotel in Pakistan, in case of individuals, or from a tour operator if traveling in an organized group.

Applicants for the visa on arrival for Pakistan are advised to submit the form online at least 72 hours before the intended date of arrival to allow for ample processing time.

Once approved, the traveler may then print this document to present to immigration officers at the Pakistan border to receive an approved visa on arrival.

However, if your nationality is eligible to apply for a eVisa, we recommend you use this application method instead to avoid wasting time queuing at the border on arrival.

See below the list of nationalities who are eligible to apply for a visa on arrival for Pakistan.

Angola
Argentina
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Botswana
Brunei Darussalam
Costa Rica
Finland
Germany
Ghana
Iceland
Indonesia
Italy
Japan
Kuwait
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Monaco
Mozambique
Oman
Paraguay
Qatar
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Tunisia
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Zambia

Get Embassy Info

Pakistani Business Visa on Arrival

A number of nationalities are also able to apply for a Pakistani business visa on arrival in addition to the tourist visa option, which is also valid for a total stay of 30 days in the country.

The application process for the Pakistan visa on arrival for business is the same as the tourist visa, although applicants are required to have a local sponsor who must first obtain approval from immigration authorities at the intended port of arrival.

The required supporting documentation also differs. It is necessary to supply one of the following documents when completing the online form for a business visa on arrival:

A letter of recommendation from the Chamber of Commerce & Industries (CC&I) in their country of residence
A letter of invitation from a business organization recommended by a relevant Pakistani trade organization/association
A letter of recommendation by an Investor Consular of Board of Investment in a Pakistani foreign diplomatic mission.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required

Regardless of the purpose and duration of the intended stay, citizens from more than 70 countries around the world must obtain a visa at a Pakistani embassy or consulate before they can travel to the country.

The process of obtaining an embassy visa for Pakistan first involves making an appointment at the nearest Pakistani government diplomatic office nearest to the traveler.

Once the appointment is confirmed, it is necessary to bring a variety of supporting documentation along to the Pakistan embassy visa interview to submit alongside a completed application form.

The documents an applicant will need to supply will vary according to the motivation of the trip, whether the traveler requires a tourist visa, business visa, student visa or other visa type for Pakistan.

We recommend that you contact the relevant Pakistan embassy or consulate to verify the specific requirements before applying for a visa
It is advisable to submit an embassy visa application at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance of the intended arrival date to ensure sufficient visa processing time.

Find below a complete list of nationalities which need to apply for a Pakistani embassy visa.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Algeria
American Samoa
Anguilla
Antarctica
Armenia
Aruba
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Chad
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Cook Islands
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gibraltar
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guernsey
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Iraq
Isle of Man
Israel
Jersey
Libya
Macau
Martinique
Mauritania
Mayotte
Montserrat
New Caledonia
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Palestinian Territory
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Reunion
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sint Maarten
Somalia
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sudan
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tokelau
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States Virgin Islands
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen

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Compulsory Registration on Arrival

In addition to requiring an approved visa for Pakistan, a select few nationalities are also required to complete a mandatory registration upon arrival in Pakistan.
This requirement applies to travelers from the following countries:

Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Israel
Nigeria
Palestine
Somalia
Uganda

This registration is usually automatically performed by hotel staff when the traveler is completing the hotel accommodation process.However, if the visitor is not staying in a licensed hotel or hostel, they must visit a local police station to manually complete the registration themselves.

Visa Not Required

Passport holders from under 5 countries around the world are not required to obtain any type of visa for Pakistan and may enter the country visa-free for short stays.

Citizens of these countries are able to gain visa-exempt entry to Pakistan by simply presenting an eligible passport valid for a minimum of 6 months upon arrival at border control in Pakistan.

This visa exemption has a limit of 1 month. If travelers from these countries wish to stay for longer periods in Pakistan, they will need to apply for a visa, either through the electronic application system or from the nearest Pakistani government foreign diplomatic mission. .

Find below a complete list of countries that can travel visa-free to Pakistan.