By: Fahad Khawaja & Misbah Waheed

Visiting Pakistan, Apply for your Tourist visa online in 30 minutes !

The COVID-19 pandemic had brought our lives to a halt but, and life is slowly transitioning back to normal. As travel becomes easier and less restrictive, it is time to start planning vacations once more as we dive into 2021. 

Pakistan is one of the most exciting tourism destinations of 2021, with Lahore most recently in the New York Times’ list of ‘52 Places to Love in 2021’. 

Known for its great cultural diversity and history, even Sikh Yatra look to visit Pakistan for religious tourism and pilgrimages.

The country is all geared up to welcome back tourists after an abrupt hiatus due to the pandemic. We bring you up to speed on Pakistan’s Visa updates and its COVID-19 travel restrictions. 

So who can get a Pakistan Visa?

According to Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Online Visa System is open to 191 countries. With citizens of 50 countries eligible for Tourist Visa on Arrival and 95 countries eligible for Business Visa on Arrival.

When applying for a Pakistan Visa, there are 11 categories to choose from; some of the common categories are as follows:

• Tourism Visa
• Religious Tourism Visa
• Family Visit Visa
• Mountaineering & Trekking Visa
• Business Visa
• Study Visa

More excitingly, two new visa categories have been approved recently: Medical Visa and Work Visa. The Federal Cabinet approved the new changes on February 2, 2021. 

Under the Medical Visa category, people with medical emergencies can obtain temporary and long-term visas. Short-term medical visas will be valid for up to 3 months, and extended medical visas can be valid for up to one year. 

The government has also announced that under this category, visas will be issued within 48 hours of the application submission, subject to the required clearance by national security agencies. 

A Pakistan Work Visa will be issued as a single-entry visa for up to three months. Applicants can obtain the visa within 48 hours of the application submission. However, this does not require a security clearance. You can find the complete list of required documents on the Online Visa Portal.

With the revised visa policy, the entire visa process has become much easier as all irrelevant and unnecessary documents have been removed from the requirements. According to a spokesman, the government’s focus is to facilitate people and welcome them into Pakistan without unnecessary hassle. 

How do I apply for a Pakistan Visa?

The government has made considerable efforts to make visa applications easier and seamless for applicants. All visa applications need to be done so through the official Pakistan E-Visa Portal.

Previously, some Pakistan embassies abroad would manually process visa applications. However, from February 2021 onwards, this will no longer be possible. 

The Pakistan government has again encouraged online visa applications, which is the next step in ensuring a seamless visa process.

We cover the detailed step-by-step application procedure at the end of this article.

Overstay and Visa Extension for Pakistan?

If your visa has expired and you have overstayed in Pakistan, you may be worried about the potential consequences. Well, you do not need to worry, as the Pakistan Visa policy is very flexible and allows you to leave without paying any overstay surcharge for up to two weeks. 

However, overstay longer than two weeks, and you will be charged based on the overstay bracket you fall into. For the complete list of visa overstay surcharges, click here.

In the possible scenario you want to extend your visa, the government has allowed an extension period of three months on the Tourist Visa and up to six months for the Business Visa. 

The government encourages applicants to apply for the visa extension through the Pakistan E-Visa Portal. Applications for visa extension can also be submitted to the Ministry of Interior by obtaining the required application form from their respective offices.

The procedure for obtaining a visa extension through the E-Visa portal is very easy and straightforward. You only need to log in with your account and follow the on-screen instructions to get your visa extension. 

Please make sure you have all the required documents listed here before beginning your application to ensure a seamless visa extension application process.

Visa extension for less than six months takes about 7-10 working days, whereas extensions longer than six months require up to 4 weeks.

We recommend applying for a visa extension at least 2-3 weeks before your visa expires. This allows you to have more than enough time to plan out changes in your itinerary. 

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions 

The Pakistan government has performed admirably in controlling the damage caused by the pandemic. Most recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) applauded Pakistan for its exceptional COVID-19 response. 

Pakistan has also started its vaccination drive for front-line workers after receiving the first batch of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. Citizens over the age of 65 will begin receiving vaccinations in March 2021. 

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), responsible for all COVID-19 related decisions in the country, has set out comprehensive SOPs for traveling in and out of the country. 

According to the regulations, travelers entering the country must provide their contact information through the dedicated PassTrack mobile app or a web-form. They will also undergo screening by a health official and may be required to provide a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test.

Travelers from Australia, China, New Zealand, and 22 other countries are currently exempt from the mandatory COVID-19 testing. The NCOC may update the list of countries in the future.

If you are traveling from a country not on the exemption list, you will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before your travel.

The NCOC has restricted travelers from South Africa, United Kingdom, Brazil, Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands from entering the country until further decision. 

For more updates on COVID-19 travel restrictions, please visit the official COVID-19 response website.

Step-by-Step Visa Application Process

Pakistan Online Tourist Visa System is now open for the citizens of 175 Countries! Moreover, citizens from 50 Countries are eligible to apply for Visa On Arrival under Tourist Category and the citizens from 95 Countries are eligible to apply for Visa on Arrival under Business Category.

Pakistan’s new Visa policy has created a lot buzz but people may get inquisitive and question might come to mind that what actually an E-Visa is? Let us start explaining the difference between an E-visa and on-arrival Visa. Here is what you need to know.

What is an Electronic Visa or Pakistan E-Visa ?

An E-Visa is an official document issued online by the Immigration of a country that allows a foreigner to enter and travel.

It is an alternative to a paper/passport based visa issued by the embassy. Instead of applying for visa at the embassy, Pakistan has now launched an E-Visa program which enables you to apply for a visa online.

How E-Visa is different ?

E-Visa allows the management of the visa application process to take place entirely in a virtual environment. Everything is done with the help of the Internet: the visa application and supporting documents are submitted online, the payment is made online and the decision on the application is communicated online as well. 

How to get an E-Visa ?

To obtain an eVisa, applicants must submit relevant personal information and pay the required fee by credit card (MasterCard or Visa). The eVisa will be issued after the submitted information has been assessed and found to meet relevant criteria within 10 Business days.

Your application is approved, what next ?

When an eVisa application has been approved, the visa issuance system will send a notice to the applicant for a link to download and print the eVisa. You are required to present this eVisa at the immigration checkpoint for verification upon your arrival.

The Electronic Visa (e-Visa) has emerged as one of the most innovative services implemented in the area of freedom of movement and people-to-people contacts.

Turkey which is one of the most visited and toured country in the world had first adopted the eVisa services for its travelers to give them ease in reaching the country. 
Why? Simply because it saves time that you would otherwise spend on visa application.

So What is Pakistan Visa On Arrival ?

On-arrival visa is issued when you travel to a country and a visa is stamped on the airport. Currently, Pakistan on-arrival visa is allowed for 50 nationals of following countries. Please submit your intent to travel at least 48-72 hours before your planned trip to Pakistan to receive an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). You can travel and customize your trip to Pakistan if you receive a valid ETA in favor of your application.

The Three Main Steps

1. First, is the submission of visa fees, applicant’s information and documents for On arrival, Tourist or Business Visa for Pakistan is required.  
2. Second, is the processing of the application is done by Nadra.
3. The last phase is the issuance of the visa.

This article will guide you through the easy visa process for tourism in Pakistan.

The visa process is simple and straightforward and you can apply for the visa through here using the Pakistan Online Visa System (POVS). Additionally, you can either choose to apply for a single-entry visa or a multiple entry one along with the duration of the visa.

The visa application will only take about 30-40 minutes to complete.

If you need any help in applying for visa, you can visit our trusted visa processing partner, ivisa and apply for your visa using their great service..

Steps to Apply for a Pakistan Tourist Visa !

Pakistan offers on-arrival tourist visas to 50 nationalities. If you are eligible for an on-arrival tourist visa you need to submit an application 48-72hrs before travelling to receive an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

Here are the steps to apply for your Pakistan Tourist Visa…

1. Visa Fee Calculation

The E-Visa system allows you to easily calculate the exact fee required to process your visa.

You can easily calculate the Visa processing fee through here.

2. Account Registration

Head on to the Pakistan Online Visa System website and either register a new account or log in with an existing one.

Once you successfully create an account you will then be sent a confirmation email. Click on ‘Continue Registration’ to complete your registration process.

3. Required Documents

The documents needed for a Pakistan Tourist Visa are listed as follows:

• Photograph
• Passport
• Invitation Letter by the sponsor or hotel booking details in case of individual tourist.
• Voyage Planners is a registered Tour operator and can provide you with an Invitation letter, just drop us a line here and we will be in contact.
• Invitation Letter in case of group by the tour operator designated by the department of tourist services.

We also recommend having a valid National ID, the contact details of your host in Pakistan, and a valid Credit Card on hand before starting out the visa application.

For more information on the document guidelines, click here.

4. Starting the Visa Application

Log into your POVS account and start entering your details. Make sure you choose the correct visa type and provide accurate information.

Once you provide all the details you will then be asked to upload the necessary documents from Step 3.

5. Review

After providing all the necessary details and documents you will be asked to review the Visa Application one final time before submitting it. Be very careful in double-checking all of your details.

Once everything checks out, submit the application and make the payment.

6. Payment

In order to complete your visa application, you need to pay the Pakistan visa application fee using a valid Credit Card. Pakistan Visa fees is $25 and can be different for different nationalities.

After successfully making the payment you should get this confirmation message.

Finally, you can now submit your application and a confirmation email will be sent. It will take up to 10 working days for the visa application to be processed. can check the status of your application by logging into the POVS and tracking your Visa Application.

Congratulation, Your Visa Application has been approved and now you are ready to visit Pakistan !

Now that you have received your visa, Next step is to plan your customized tour or start making bookings for your hotels and rental cars.

Voyage Planners is the only registered luxury tour operator and can help you plan your perfect tour. We offer Religious, Adventure and Cultural customized Tours across Pakistan.

We are so glad you are thinking of Visiting Pakistan. At Voyage Planners, we can’t wait to Welcome you to this Beautiful land of ours and hope you have a marvelous joy filled holidays in Pakistan. !

Click here to check out our various travel packages in Pakistan.

Check out our Rent-a-Car services here

If you need any help in applying for visa. Please check our partner website at iVisa and they will be glad to apply for Pakistan visa for you !

Tags: E-Visa Pakistan, Pakistan Visa, Tourism Visa, Travel Visa Pakistan