Visas, Phones & Money · Travel
How to get a Pakistan visa online: the official portal, fees for US, UK and Canadian citizens, 7-10 day processing, visa on arrival and who needs no visa.
AI Summary
You apply for a Pakistan visa online, only at visa.nadra.gov.pk. As of August 2026 the standard tourist visa is single entry for up to 3 months and takes 7-10 working days. The immigration directorate's fee table lists US$60 for US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens. The free 24-hour Visa Prior to Arrival from August 2024 no longer appears on the portal and seems withdrawn, though we found no official notice, so check the fee the portal shows. GCC citizens, NICOP holders and POC holders need no visa.
You get a Pakistan visa online, only at visa.nadra.gov.pk. As of August 2026 the standard tourist visa is single entry for up to 3 months and takes 7-10 working days. The fee depends on your nationality: a government fee table, last modified in October 2023, lists US$60 for US, UK, Canadian and Australian citizens, and nothing for Chinese or Japanese citizens. Citizens of the six Gulf (GCC) states, and NICOP or POC holders of Pakistani origin, need no visa.
Standard tourist e-visa
Single entry, up to 3 months, 7-10 working days
Pakistan Online Visa System, tourist visa page as of 28 Aug 2026.
It appears not. The portal no longer shows it, though we found no official notice ending it. From August 2024 Pakistan offered a free Visa Prior to Arrival to citizens of 126 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, China and Australia. It was processed within 24 hours and gave 90 days, multiple entry; the six GCC states on that list didn’t need to apply at all.
Here is what the official sources show, in date order:
We found no official notice that ended the free visa. The home page of the Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (DGI&P) still says, as of October 2026, that 120 countries can apply for a Visa Prior to Arrival, but that text looks out of date. We follow the NADRA portal, because that is where you actually apply.
The DGI&P says the visa fee “is always charged on a reciprocal basis”, so it depends on your passport. The fee table on the Directorate General of Immigration & Passports site (page last modified 4 October 2023, checked October 2026) lists these visit/tourist fees, in US dollars:
| Passport | Single entry | Multiple, up to 1 year | Multiple, over 1 year |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 60 | 90 | 120 |
| UK | 60 | 90 | 120 |
| Canada, Australia | 60 | 90 | 120 |
| Germany | 50 | 75 | 100 |
| France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland | 35 | 52.5 | 70 |
| China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia | Free | Free | Free |
The page says all fees are charged in US dollars. It also shows the US single-entry fee cut from 160 to 60. The table is three years old, so confirm the amount in the portal.
The final fee is set by the portal’s fee calculator (visa.nadra.gov.pk/fee-structure/), which we couldn’t read. You pay inside the application by Mastercard or Visa card. Pakistan’s US missions say visa fees are non-refundable, and that a visa can be refused or its length changed without a reason.
The portal asks for three things for a tourist entry visa:
Pakistan’s consulates in Houston and Los Angeles also accept a signed invitation letter from a host in Pakistan, with a copy of the host’s CNIC (national identity card), address and phone number. Los Angeles also asks for an employment verification or introduction letter. Children under 18 need a birth certificate, the parents’ Pakistani IDs and a notarised parental consent form (Houston).
If you apply from a country that is not your own, you must upload proof of legal residence there. The portal’s FAQ says only nationals living in their own country can apply online, and you may be called for an interview at the Pakistan mission there.
Passport validity: the UK, US and Canada each word it differently. The strictest reading is to have at least 6 months left after your planned departure from Pakistan, with 2 blank pages (the US asks for the blank pages).
Trekkers and climbers need more. Los Angeles asks for an invitation from a Pakistani tour operator, the operator’s registration letter and a trekking or expedition permit from the Gilgit-Baltistan Council.
All visa applications go through the Pakistan Online Visa System, run by NADRA for the Ministry of Interior, since 1 January 2021. Pakistan’s US missions stopped manual visas from 1 Feb 2021.
The portal also says all foreigners can apply for a Digital Disembarkation Card through the PakID mobile app.
The portal’s official times (tourist page as of August 2026, Family Visit page as of December 2024):
| Application | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Tourist entry visa (individual, up to 3 months) | 7-10 working days |
| Tourist visa extension | Two weeks (working days) |
| Family Visit Visa | 7-10 working days |
| Afghanistan and Somalia passport holders | 4 weeks (working days) |
Allow longer if your application may be sent back for review, because the clock restarts. The portal adds that issuing a visa is “the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan”.
Use the portal’s verification page (visa.nadra.gov.pk/tracking/). It asks for your Visa Reference Number, passport number and passport country, and confirms either a Visa Grant Notice or an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). For help, the US embassy lists NADRA’s visa helpline: +92 51 9207290.
We couldn’t confirm whether tourist visa on arrival is open to individual tourists in 2026. Plan on the standard e-visa.
Here is what the sources show. Pakistan’s visa on arrival is not a walk-up visa: the DGI&P renamed it “Visa in Your Inbox”. You apply online and get an Electronic Travel Authorization; the portal says an ETA “is NOT the Visa”, and you get the visa itself at the FIA visa-on-arrival counter.
Very few ordinary passports. As of October 2026:
The portal’s visa abolition list has 50 countries, but almost all entries cover only diplomatic, official or service passports. US, UK, EU and Chinese ordinary passports are not visa-free under it.
Not if you hold a valid NICOP (National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis) or a POC (Pakistan Origin Card).
The US State Department warns that entering on a NICOP or POC means you are treated as a Pakistani citizen, which may limit help from the US embassy if you are arrested.
A tourist visa can be extended at a Regional Passport Office up to six months in total, including the first visa period. Canada notes you can’t change your visa status while in Pakistan. Overstay charges for foreign nationals, from the DGI&P:
| Overstay | Charge |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 weeks | None |
| Over 2 weeks to 1 month | US$50 |
| Over 1 to 3 months | US$200 |
| Over 3 months to 1 year | US$400 per year |
To leave, you need an unexpired visa. If yours has expired, GOV.UK says to apply online for an exit permit before you travel. The US State Department warns that overstaying can lead to detention, fines or prison.
Check your government’s advice the week you travel:
If you are heading north, see Hunza or Skardu for UK advice on the Karakoram Highway and the 2026 road closures. For a cold-weather trip, see places to visit in winter.
More guides: travel insurance for Pakistanis, using Wise in Pakistan, all Visas, Phones & Money guides.
From August 2024 a free 24-hour Visa Prior to Arrival covered 126 countries, including the US and UK, and Pakistan's Washington embassy still described it in December 2025. By August 2026 the official portal listed only the six GCC states on that page and showed only the standard 7-10 working day tourist visa, so it appears to have been withdrawn. We found no official notice ending it, so check the fee the portal shows before you pay.
The fee table on the Directorate General of Immigration & Passports site (page last modified 4 October 2023, checked October 2026) lists US$60 for a single-entry visit or tourist visa, US$90 for multiple entry up to one year and US$120 for over one year, and says all fees are charged in US dollars. UK, Canadian and Australian citizens are listed at the same amounts. The portal's fee calculator sets the final fee, and fees are non-refundable.
The official portal states 7-10 working days for a tourist entry visa of up to 3 months, two weeks for an extension, and 4 weeks for Afghan and Somali passport holders. If your application is sent back for review, the clock restarts when you resubmit, and you must resubmit within 7 days or it is cancelled.
Pakistan's tourist visa on arrival works through an Electronic Travel Authorization: you apply online first, then get the visa at the FIA counter when you land. We couldn't confirm whether it is open to individual tourists in 2026, so plan on the standard e-visa.
No. GOV.UK and the Canadian government say a valid NICOP lets you enter Pakistan without a visa. NADRA says a Pakistan Origin Card gives multiple visa-free entries and indefinite stay.
Photo: Pakieditor / CC BY 4.0
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