Entry/Exit Requirements

The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all non-essential travel to Pakistan. U.S. citizens must have a valid passport and valid Pakistani visa to enter and exit Pakistan for any purpose. U.S. citizens must obtain visas at a Pakistani Embassy or Consulate in the country of their usual residence prior to entering Pakistan. U.S. citizens often face difficulties obtaining a Pakistani visa from Pakistani embassies and consulates outside of the United States. Those arriving without a valid passport and a valid visa are subject to fine, arrest, incarceration, and/or deportation. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan are unable to assist with Pakistan visa issues or when U.S. citizens arrive without proper documentation.

Persons holding dual U.S. and Pakistani nationalities may have different visa requirements for Pakistan, and may not require a Pakistani visa. Requirements may also differ by age or parentage, and in some cases, Pakistan may require renunciation of foreign citizenship. For more information on these requirements, see the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s information regarding National Identity Cards for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) and Pakistan Origin Cards (POC).

All people traveling to Pakistan, regardless of nationality, are subject to the laws of Pakistan. U.S. citizens that travel to Pakistan using NICOP or POC cards are subject to all the obligations of Pakistan citizenship while in Pakistan, and are considered citizens of Pakistan should they be arrested - which may limit the amount of assistance and communication the U.S. Embassy or Consulates can provide in case of arrest or emergency services. For more information on dual national immigration issues in Pakistan, review the available information from the Government of Pakistan Directorate General of Immigration and Passports.

There are no required vaccinations for entry into Pakistan from the United States. However, in June, 2014, the Government of Pakistan instituted a new polio vaccination exit requirement in response to a series of recommendations from the World Health Organization. Officially, in order to exit Pakistan, all travelers who have spent more than four weeks in the country must have received a dose of either the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) or Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) between 4 weeks and 12 months prior to international travel, regardless of nationality or vaccination status. It is important to keep in mind that the Government of Pakistan may change their requirements for traveler polio vaccination at any time. For the most current information on this requirement, please contact the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination, telephone: 0092-(0)51-9202566, email: contact@dra.gov.pk.

U.S. citizens are urged to review the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for recommended vaccinations and health tips for travel to Pakistan.

Effective August 1, 2015, the Government of Pakistan has increased the airport embarkation taxes and fees. The Embarkation fee for first class and business class increased 1000 PKR to 3000PKR and for economy class the fee increased 500 PKR to 1500 PKR. The infrastructure fee increased 20 PKR to 1030 PKR and the security charges increased 424 PKR to 1030 PKR. If these taxes and fees were not included in the original purchase price of the airline ticket, international travelers will be asked to pay them at the airport prior to departure. To avoid any difficulties departing Pakistan, the U.S. Embassy recommends that all travelers carry sufficient funds with them to cover these taxes. While most airlines will accept a credit card for payment, processing a credit card transaction can lead to a significant delay in check-in.

U.S. citizens in Pakistan are responsible for monitoring their visa restrictions and abiding by the terms of their visas to ensure they are in compliance with Pakistani immigration regulations. The U.S. Mission in Pakistan is unable to intervene with the Government of Pakistan to help U.S. citizens with any violation of their visa terms. U.S. citizens are advised to respect visa annotations that prohibit travel to cantonment areas. These often exist within major cities and can be difficult to discern. Persons violating the terms of their visa may be detained, arrested, fined, imprisoned, or any combination of these. For more information regarding extensions of stay in Pakistan, please see the Ministry of Interior website or call +92-51-920-7290.

U.S. citizens can apply for extensions of stay with the Ministry of Interior in the following cities:

• Islamabad
• Lahore
• Peshawar
• Quetta
• Karachi 

U.S. citizens who overstay their visa, or otherwise violate Pakistani visa regulations might require a clearance from the Ministry of Interior to leave the country. Such travelers generally must pay a fine, and in some cases might be jailed until their deportation can be arranged. If a traveler loses the U.S. passport on which he or she entered Pakistan, the traveler, in addition to obtaining a new U.S. passport, may have to obtain an exit visa from the Ministry of Interior to leave the country. Travelers are urged to keep copies of their passport photo page, visa page, and the page containing the entry stamp in a separate, safe place as it can facilitate the process of applying for an exit visa if necessary.

Additional information on visas can be obtained from the Embassy of Pakistan at 3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel. 202-243-6500. The Embassy of Pakistan can also be contacted via email.

Travelers may also contact one of the Consulates General of Pakistan in:

• Boston: 1032 Main St., Suite 5, Millis, MA 02054; telephone: (617) 267-9000; fax: (617) 266-6666; Email: pakistan@tiac.net
• Chicago:  333 North Michigan Ave., Suite 728, Chicago, IL, 60601; telephone: (312) 781-1831; fax: (312) 781-1838 or (312) 781-1839; Email: info@cgpkchicago.org
• Houston:  11850 Jones Road, Houston, TX, 77070; telephone: (281) 894-6606; fax: (281) 890-1433; Email: parephouston@sbcglobal.net
• Los Angeles:  10850 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1250, Los Angeles, CA 90024; telephone: (310) 441-5114; fax: (310) 441-9256; Email: info@pakconsulatela.org
• New York:  12 East 65th St., New York, NY 10021; telephone: (212) 879-5800; fax: (212) 517-6987; Email: info@pakistanconsulateny.org  

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for U.S. citizens traveling to Pakistan.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

All U.S. citizen travelers are encouraged to enroll with the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and to provide a detailed copy of their itinerary to family or friends in the United States.