The Pakistan e-visa, explained

Almost everything written about Pakistani visas online is out of date, including some of it published by people who should know better. This page states the position as of the date at the bottom, and every step of it points you at the official portal rather than at us. Apply only through [visa.nadra.gov.pk](https://visa.nadra.gov.pk). No third-party site is official, whatever it charges you.

What changed in January 2026

Pakistan suspended both Visa on Arrival and the free Visa Prior to Arrival programme for 126 nationalities with effect from 1 January 2026. If you read a blog post telling you that you can land in Islamabad and buy a visa, that post is from before that date.

In practice this means every tourist now applies for a paid e-visa in advance.

What it costs and how long it takes

• Typically USD 35 to 60, though US, UK and Canadian applicants are generally charged more
• Seven to twenty business days is the realistic range. We have seen five days and we have seen five weeks
• Apply at least six weeks before you fly. Not two

What you need

• A passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, with two blank pages
• A digital passport photograph on a white background
• A scan of your passport's photo page
• Proof of onward or return travel
• A hotel booking or an invitation letter from a licensed tour operator
• Proof of funds, usually a recent bank statement

What we provide

The last item on that list is the one most travellers get stuck on, and it is the one we exist to solve. Once your trip is confirmed we send you:

• A formal invitation letter on company letterhead, quoting our tourism licence and company registration
• Confirmed hotel bookings for every night of your itinerary
• The full day-by-day itinerary in the format the application expects
• A named contact in Pakistan, with a telephone number that is answered

These are issued after your deposit, because they name real hotel reservations that we pay to hold.

If you are refused

It happens, and it is not always for a reason anyone explains. If your visa is refused and you send us the rejection letter, we refund 90% of your deposit. We would rather carry that risk than have you carry it, and it is written into our booking terms rather than offered as a favour.

What we will not do

We will not tell you that you will definitely get a visa. Nobody can. We will not advise you to enter on a business visa when you are travelling as a tourist. And we will not fill in the application for you — it is a legal declaration and it has to be yours.

If something on the portal is unclear, send us a screenshot and we will tell you what we think it means, with the caveat that the High Commission's answer is the one that counts.