Visa policy of Pakistan
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 Pakistan portal |
Visitors to Pakistan typically must obtain a visa online or in certain cases from one of the Pakistani diplomatic missions.[1]
Visa policy map
[edit]
Visa exemption
[edit]Ordinary passports
[edit]Citizens from the following countries who hold ordinary passports do not require a visa for Pakistan for up to 90 days (unless otherwise noted).[1][2]
| Date of visa changes |
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Cancelled: |
- In addition, holders of an United Nations Passport do not require a visa for up to 90 days.
- In addition, holders of an Interpol Passport do not require a visa for up to 90 days.
Non-ordinary passports
[edit]
Under reciprocal agreements, holders of diplomatic or various types of passports (official and service) of the following countries and territories may enter and remain in Pakistan without a visa for the following period:[7]
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3 months
2 months
1 month
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D - Diplomatic passports
O - Official passports
S - Service passports
Pakistan signed a visa exemption agreement with Tajikistan which extends the exemption to official passport holders and it is yet to be ratified.[8]
A visa exemption agreement was signed with Belize in September 2024 and it is yet to be ratified.[9]
Free eVisa
[edit]As of 14 August 2024, the Government of Pakistan has implemented a reform of the visa policy announced in late July 2024. Under this new policy, business and tourist visas are issued online free of charge within 24 hours to citizens of 126 countries. Holders of these eVisas can also use eGates to enter the country at nine airports and at Gwadar port. The eVisa is valid for a single entry for 90 days.[10][11][12]
Eligible countries:[13]
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1 — also visa exempt.[14]
Online Visa
[edit]Citizens of all countries except the following are eligible to apply for an online visa:[15][16][17]
Mandatory registration
[edit]Visitors from the following countries are obliged to register with the police upon arrival to Pakistan:[18]
Police registration is typically performed by hotel staff as part of the check-in process. In person visits to police stations are only required of visitors who choose not to stay in licensed hotels or hostels.
Special categories
[edit]Overseas Pakistani citizens and Persons of Pakistani Origin
[edit]Visas are not required for holders of a Pakistan Origin Card (POC, a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistani (NICOP), or any passport bearing a "Visa exempt" stamp by Pakistani authorities.
Substitute visas
[edit]Nationals of Turkey holding a valid visa for the Schengen Area, United Kingdom or the United States, can obtain a visa on arrival.[19]
Indian passport holders
[edit]Applications from Indian passport holders must be cleared directly from the Ministry of Interior,[18] though they are not barred from visiting Pakistan despite being subject to additional regulations, including mandatory police registration,[18] regardless of visa type.[18]
Foreigners of Indian origin were subject to this regulation as well. On 25 January 2019, the policy was revised for Indian Origin United Kingdom and United States Nationals.[18]
Indian nationals are also restricted in the availability of ports of entry to Pakistan, and instead must enter and leave the country via designated points, including the Wagah border, as well as through airports in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.[18]
Indian nationals are typically required to enter and exit Pakistan through the same post, unless permission is sought in advance.[18]
Indian passport holders are not granted tourist visas, and are only permitted to apply for visas to visit family and friends, business visas, transit visas, and visas for religious pilgrimage.[18]
6 month business visas are granted to Indian passport holders, with multiple entries permitted.[18]
Indian passport holders are also ineligible for any visa extensions,[18] though passport holders who stay longer than the time permitted by the visa are subject to a fee of 40 Rupees per day of overstay.
Indian residents applying for a tourism, visit or student Pakistani visa may especially face issues pertaining to their religious backgrounds. Many visa applicants have also expressed concerns for the extended process that allegedly takes almost twice as much time as other such visas as well as the on and off government imposed bans upon inter-country travels between India and Pakistan.[20]
Armenian passport holders
[edit]Pakistan is the only country in the world that does not recognize Armenia. However it does not specifically bar Armenian citizens from traveling to Pakistan. Though Pakistan has no diplomatic mission in Armenia, applicants for Pakistani visas can apply in a third country if they are legal permanent residents in that country.[18]
Armenian passport holders face similar restrictions to Israeli Passport holders except the mandatory police registration which Armenians are vaguely exempt from.
Visitor statistics
[edit]Most visitors arriving in Pakistan on a short-term basis were from the following countries:[21]
| Rank | Country | 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China
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565,212 |
| 2 |  United Kingdom
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540,709 |
| 3 |  India
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212,370 |
| 4 |  United States
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209,633 |
| 5 |  Saudi Arabia
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150,102 |
| 6 |  Turkey
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150,009 |
| 7 |  Afghanistan
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72,000 |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Visa Categories".
- ^ [1]
- ^ Was applied from 1975-1976
- ^ "Pakistan suspends 'visa free entry' agreement with Zambia". Archived from the original on 2017-05-08. Retrieved 2017-07-21.
- ^ "Visa abolition scan". 24 April 2017. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
- ^ "Entry into Pakistan without Visa".
- ^ Pakistan, Tajikistan 'exempt official passports from visa requirements'
- ^ [2]
- ^ Pakistan waives visa fee for 126 countries
- ^ PM optimistic about positive outcome of visa reforms
- ^ [3]
- ^ Pakistan: free visa for citizens of 126 countries
- ^ [4]
- ^ "Tourist Visa". Ministry of Interior. Pakistan.
- ^ "Countries eligible for Pakistan Online Visa".
- ^ "Countries eligible for Pakistan Online Visa".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Directorate General of Immigration & Passports, Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan".
- ^ "Archived copy". www.timaticweb.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Directorate General of Immigration & Passports, Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan". www.dgip.gov.pk.
- ^ "Tourism in Pakistan". nation.com.pk. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
External links
[edit]
- Pakistan Visa Online, (Government of Pakistan) Online Visa Portal
- Bureau of Immigration