E-commerce & IT Export · Business & Trade
Is PayPal available in Pakistan? Not as of October 2026. What the 2024 freelancer scheme was, what Xoom covers, and the alternatives for getting paid.
AI Summary
PayPal is not available in Pakistan: as of 16 October 2026, Pakistan is not on PayPal's list of countries, and PayPal's US terms require US residence for a US account. A 2024 government scheme let freelancers receive PayPal payments through a third-party wallet, and talks with payment companies were still going on in November 2025. Xoom, PayPal's remittance service, sends personal transfers to Pakistan only. Freelancers get paid through Upwork's Direct to Local Bank, Payoneer, or Wise transfers in rupees.
PayPal is not available in Pakistan. As of 16 October 2026, Pakistan is not on PayPal’s list of supported countries, so you can’t open a PayPal account as a Pakistan resident. Government announcements since 2024 have not led to a PayPal Pakistan launch. To get paid from abroad, use Upwork’s Direct to Local Bank ($0.99 per withdrawal), Payoneer, or a client sending rupees through Wise.
PayPal in Pakistan
Not available
Pakistan is missing from PayPal's list of 201 countries and regions, checked 16 Oct 2026
No. PayPal publishes a list of 201 countries and regions where it works. On 16 October 2026 the list went from Palau and Panama straight to Papua New Guinea, with no Pakistan.
That means two things for you:
PayPal’s own terms say no. Its US user agreement says an individual must be a resident of the United States or its territories to open a US account, and a business must be organised or operating there.
On 2 March 2024, the caretaker IT minister Umar Saif announced that freelancers could receive PayPal payments from foreign clients without opening a PayPal account, Arab News reported. It was a “tri-party arrangement”:
The announcement did not name the third-party wallet company. We couldn’t confirm how many freelancers used it or whether it still runs, so treat it as an announcement, not a working option you can sign up for.
No date has been announced. In November 2025, Arab News quoted an unnamed IT ministry official saying the government was in talks with at least three major global payment companies. No outcome had been reported as of October 2026, and SBP did not answer Arab News’s questions.
Freelancers quoted in the same report said that without PayPal or a similar service, they lose part of their income to fees and margins.
Only for family money. Xoom is a PayPal service, and a sender abroad can log in to it with their PayPal account. As of October 2026, Xoom sends money to Pakistan as:
Xoom’s user agreement (effective 11 May 2026) says the service is for personal reasons only. If Xoom suspects a payment is for a business or for services, it can cancel the transfer and close the sender’s or recipient’s account. So a client should not use Xoom to pay your invoice.
What each provider published, checked in October 2026:
| Route | Who it suits | Where money lands | Fee (as published) | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upwork Direct to Local Bank | Upwork freelancers | Your Pakistani bank, in rupees | $0.99 per withdrawal | Options vary by country |
| Payoneer | Fiverr and Upwork sellers | Payoneer balance, then your bank | 1.2% to 4% to a bank (global range) | Fees vary by country; check your account |
| Fiverr via Payoneer | Fiverr sellers | Your bank or Payoneer balance | $3 to a Payoneer account | $20 minimum to a bank, $10 to Payoneer |
| Wise (client sends) | Clients who have Wise | Your personal bank account, in rupees | See our Wise guide | Not to business accounts |
| Xoom | Family abroad | Bank, wallet or cash pickup | Shown before sending | Personal transfers only |
Upwork: Pakistani rupees are on Upwork’s Direct to Local Bank list. At $0.99 per withdrawal, it costs far less than Upwork’s $50 US dollar wire.
Payoneer: Payoneer’s fee page (last updated 1 January 2026) puts bank withdrawals at 1.2% to 4%, with a minimum fee of up to $20 in some countries. Fees depend on country, method and currency, so check your own account. Our Payoneer guide covers the details.
Wise: a client abroad with a Wise account can send rupees to your personal account using your name and IBAN; once converted, it usually arrives the same day (conversion can take up to 2 working days). Wise does not give USD account details to people with a Pakistani address, and it can’t pay business accounts in Pakistan. See Wise in Pakistan.
For a full comparison by platform, see freelancer payment methods in Pakistan. If you sell online and need a card checkout, read Stripe in Pakistan.
Open a freelancer account at a Pakistani bank. Under measures SBP announced on 23 October 2023, freelancers get a rupee account and a dollar account (ESFCA) opened together, online or at a branch, with minimum documents.
You can keep 50% of export proceeds or $5,000 a month, whichever is higher, in dollars and pay from it without SBP or bank approval. More on dollar accounts: dollar account in Pakistan.
Banks deduct tax when export income for IT services arrives: 0.25% if you are registered with PSEB (Pakistan Software Export Board), 1% if not (FBR rate card, tax year 2027). See freelancer tax in Pakistan and PSEB registration.
More guides: E-commerce & IT Export, software export from Pakistan, selling on Etsy from Pakistan.
No. As of 16 October 2026, Pakistan is not on PayPal's list of countries and regions, so you can't open a PayPal account as a Pakistan resident.
There is none. In March 2024 the caretaker IT minister announced a way for freelancers to receive PayPal payments through a third-party wallet, without a PayPal account. In November 2025 an IT ministry official said talks with at least three global payment companies were still going on.
A relative abroad can use Xoom, PayPal's remittance service, to send money to a Pakistani bank account, mobile wallet or cash pickup point. Xoom's terms allow personal transfers only, so clients can't use it to pay you for work.
No. PayPal's US terms say an individual must be a resident of the United States or its territories to open a US account. Using a relative's address abroad goes against that rule.
For freelancers, the main routes are Upwork's Direct to Local Bank ($0.99 per withdrawal), Payoneer (1.2% to 4% to a bank), and a client sending rupees to your personal account through Wise. Which is cheapest depends on the platform and the amount.
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