Pakistan Visa Requirements for International Travellers: A Country-by-Country Guide

Start with your passport, not your departure airport

A Canadian citizen living in Dubai does not become a UAE citizen for Pakistan entry purposes. Likewise, a Russian passport holder with a French residence permit should enter Russian nationality and their actual country of residence in the relevant fields. Keep nationality, residence and the country issuing your travel document separate.

Begin at Pakistan’s official online visa portal. NADRA currently advertises online applications for citizens of 192 countries. That is application access, not an approval guarantee or a blanket visa exemption. If your nationality or document is unavailable in the current system, ask the relevant Pakistani mission for instructions.

1. Identify the document: ordinary national passport, Pakistani passport, valid NICOP/POC, or another travel document.
2. Identify the purpose: sightseeing, family visit, business, pilgrimage, work, study or a mountaineering expedition.
3. Check your exception: any visa waiver must cover your citizenship, passport type, purpose and intended stay.
4. Follow the current route: use the live portal and the mission responsible for your residence. Obtain the required approval before travelling.

Pakistan visa requirements by nationality

These notes concern ordinary visitors unless a different document is expressly mentioned. They do not replace the conditions of your individual approval.

Chinese passport holders

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Chinese passport holders can use the online visa facility. The Guangzhou consular guidance stresses choosing the correct category and planning travel around its processing requirements. Match the English spelling of your name and passport number exactly to your document.

If you hold a Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR passport, select the exact document/nationality option available rather than assuming that advice for an ordinary mainland Chinese passport is interchangeable. For an overland journey, confirm both Pakistan entry permission and the documents needed on the Chinese side. Our Khunjerab Pass and Pakistan–China border guide explains the route; a scenic visit to the pass and an international crossing need different planning.

Canadian passport holders

Canada’s official Pakistan entry guidance says a tourist visa is required. A regular Canadian passport must remain valid for at least six months beyond the date you expect to leave Pakistan. Calculate that date from the end of your trip, with a sensible buffer for itinerary changes.

A valid NICOP can provide a different entry route. Temporary passports, emergency documents and passports with an X gender identifier need separate checks with the authorities. Do not apply ordinary-passport advice automatically to those documents.

Australian passport holders

Australia’s Smartraveller guidance requires a visa in advance. It also advises Australian–Pakistani dual nationals to carry a valid Australian passport: an Australian citizenship certificate together with a Pakistani passport may not be sufficient for the journey back to Australia.

Check your documentation for leaving Pakistan as well as entering it. Before booking, read the current regional travel advice and confirm that insurance covers the places and activities in your itinerary.

British and other European passport holders

There is no single “European citizen” passport category. British, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swiss and other visitors should check their actual passport nationality. A Schengen visa or EU residence permit is not a Pakistan visa.

For a full British citizen passport, UK entry guidance says the expiry date must be at least six months after the date of the Pakistan visa application and that a visa should be obtained before travel. This is a different reference date from Canada’s guidance; do not use one country’s rule for every European traveller.

For applicants residing in France, the Pakistani Embassy’s Paris guidance distinguishes residents from third-country nationals merely visiting France. Confirm which mission should handle your application when you apply outside your country of citizenship.

Malaysian passport holders

The Pakistan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur says Malaysians require a visa and publishes a policy that categories other than business and work are free for Malaysian nationals. Treat this as the mission’s published fee guidance and confirm the current amount in the live application before paying.

A fee concession does not mean visa-free entry. The same mission lists invitation evidence for visitors outside the family category, with hotel booking and a confirmed return ticket as an option for tourism. Follow the supporting-document requirements shown for your current category.

Russian passport holders

The Pakistani Embassy in Moscow confirms that Russian Federation citizens can apply online. Its current guidance also says sponsor biometric verification through PakID is required and explains that applications returned for review must be resubmitted within seven days.

Check these instructions with your sponsor before submitting, and monitor your account for requests. An invitation letter alone may leave an application incomplete when verification is required. Enter the Latin-script name and number printed in the passport accurately; a future or proposed visa-facilitation agreement should not be treated as an existing exemption.

Citizens of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry guidance states that citizens of these six GCC countries do not need an electronic travel authorisation or visa for tourism or business and can stay up to 90 days. Confirm the policy and passport/airline requirements again before departure.

The exemption refers to citizenship. An expatriate resident in Dubai, Doha or Riyadh should check the rules for their own passport. Work, study and stays outside the published allowance require separate advice.

Pakistani-origin visitors, NICOP and POC

NADRA states that a valid NICOP permits visa-free entry for overseas Pakistani citizens, while a Pakistan Origin Card gives visa-free entry benefits to eligible foreign nationals of Pakistani origin.

Carry the valid card and the passport you will use. Check names, document validity and return-country requirements. Pakistani ancestry, a pending card application or a photograph of an expired card should not be treated as a substitute for valid entry documentation.

Travelling from another country?

This guide is also for visitors from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, Türkiye, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and other countries. Start with the nationality and passport options on the official portal, then read the current category requirements and the advice of the Pakistani mission responsible for your residence. Being in the same region as an eligible country does not give you the same rules.

Visitors from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and other South Asian countries should also check any bilateral exemption against the passport type and visit conditions. The Foreign Ministry’s visa-abolition list contains many diplomatic and official passport agreements. A country appearing on that list does not automatically exempt an ordinary holidaymaker.

Indian nationals and Afghan applicants

The Washington mission’s visa guidance says Indian nationals are not eligible for online visa applications. Ask the responsible Pakistani mission about the current route before making plans. Pakistan’s April 2025 announcement suspended Indian nationals’ SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme permissions, except Sikh religious pilgrims; it should not be paraphrased as an ordinary tourist visa rule or a general pilgrimage exemption.

Afghan applicants may need nationality-specific sponsorship evidence. For example, the Tokyo mission lists an invitation, the Pakistani inviter’s identity card and Japanese residence evidence for Afghan applicants there. That is a Japan-based example, not a worldwide checklist. Obtain instructions for your actual residence and route.

Refugee, emergency and other travel documents

If you travel on a refugee document, certificate of identity, emergency passport or another non-standard document, confirm acceptance and the correct application route directly with the mission. An online form accepting an upload does not establish that the document is accepted for entry.

For ordinary US passport holders, use our separate Pakistan visa requirements for US citizens checklist.

Documents and invitation letters: prepare a consistent application

Use the document list generated for your nationality and category. The following preparation checklist helps you assemble a clear file; it is not a claim that every item is compulsory for every applicant.

• Passport scan: a readable identity page, with expiry checked against your applicable rule and sufficient blank pages for travel.
• Recent photograph: follow the portal’s current format and size instructions.
• Dates and accommodation: a coherent itinerary, intended entry/exit dates and the names, addresses and contacts of your accommodation or host.
• Invitation or local support: the requested letter, inviter identity evidence and any required PakID sponsor verification.
• Residence evidence: a valid residence permit or other proof when the responsible mission requests it for applicants living abroad.
• Purpose-specific evidence: business, family, study, pilgrimage or expedition documents as required for that category.
• Children’s documents: check whether separate applications, birth certificates and parental consent evidence are required.

For a booked Crossroads journey, ask our team for the itinerary, accommodation information and supporting invitation evidence appropriate to your application. The details should reflect your real booking and planned route. Crossroads provides travel support; the government decides whether to grant permission.

For a high-mountain expedition, check the official mountaineering and trekking category and any route permits. Do not assume that a general sightseeing visa covers an expedition or restricted area. Our Pakistan hiking routes guide can help define the journey before you choose the category.

Apply online, check the fee and wait for approval

Use your own account at the official NADRA portal, with an email address you monitor. Complete the identity, residence, purpose, dates and contact fields, upload the requested evidence and review the category before submitting. Respond promptly to further-document or sponsor-verification requests.

There is no single Pakistan visa fee or reliable processing promise for every passport. Nationality, category, entries, duration and current concessions can affect the amount. Read the fee shown for your application; separate government charges from any optional agency service fee. The Malaysian mission’s published concession is one example of why a global fixed-price claim would be misleading.

Start early enough to allow for questions and changes. A quoted processing period is not a guarantee, and a request for review can restart the timeline. Keep bookings flexible until the required approval is issued.

Read the grant notice before you travel

Check the approved passport number, name, category, permitted entries, entry-validity window and authorised stay. These fields answer different questions: the last date you may enter is not necessarily the last date you may remain. A payment receipt, application number or “submitted” status is not a Visa Grant Notice.

If you renew your passport while an application or visa remains active, ask the authority which documents or fresh application are required. Do not assume that an approval issued against the old number transfers automatically.

Arrival, land crossings and departure

Carry accessible copies of your visa approval or valid exemption document, passport, accommodation contacts and journey details. Check airline transit requirements separately, especially if you collect baggage, change airports or leave the transit area.

A Pakistan visa does not guarantee that a particular land crossing is operating or open to your nationality. Confirm current border access and the permissions on both sides before an overland journey. For Khunjerab, allow for weather and route changes. Do not assume that instructions for an airport arrival cover every land route.

After arrival, check your immigration stamp and the authorised stay. Keep your departure within that allowance. If plans change, follow the current extension procedure before permission expires; merely submitting a request should not be treated as approval to overstay. Canada’s official guidance warns that overstaying can lead to legal consequences and an exit-permit requirement.

Visa permission also does not replace regional access rules, expedition permits or current safety advice. Review the travel advice from your own government and agree a realistic route with your travel team.

Questions international visitors ask