Kartarpur Corridor Still Suspended From India Side, Foreign Office Says Before Guru Nanak's 557th Birth Anniversary
Is the Kartarpur Corridor open? The Foreign Office said on 6 November 2026 that India still suspends pilgrims. No reopening date exists. Read what you can do.
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The Kartarpur Corridor is still shut to pilgrims from India. At his briefing on 6 November 2026, the Foreign Office spokesperson said India "continues to suspend pilgrim movement through the Corridor" and that Pakistan is ready to receive pilgrims as soon as restrictions lift. No reopening date exists on any official page we read.
A state radio item on 6 November used the word "reopening", ahead of Guru Nanak's 557th birth anniversary. That reflects Pakistan's position that its side is open. It does not mean pilgrims can cross.
We read the Foreign Office transcript and India's own corridor portal on 7 November 2026. Here is what each side says, and what a pilgrim can do instead.
Pakistan says its side is ready, and India's portal says suspended
The two governments' own pages agree on the practical result: nobody is crossing. India's Ministry of Home Affairs portal carries this notice: "the services of Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is suspended till further directions." It gives no date for restarting registration.
Pakistan's spokesperson, Ambassador Sajjad Haider Khan, said on 6 November that Pakistan "remains ready to welcome and facilitate pilgrims as soon as the restrictions are lifted". He said whether Indian Sikhs may visit Kartarpur is "for India to decide".
| Question | What the official page says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Can pilgrims from India cross now? | No, suspended until further directions | India's corridor portal |
| Is Pakistan willing to receive them? | Yes, once restrictions are lifted | Foreign Office, 6 November |
| Since when? | 7 May 2025, the date raised at the briefing | Foreign Office, 6 November |
| Reopening date | None published | Neither page gives one |
The word "reopening" is what confused people
A state radio report on 6 November said Pakistan had reopened the corridor and dated the announcement to 17 September. We checked. The Foreign Office transcript of 17 September says Pakistan will welcome pilgrims "as and when India allows them", and that the corridor "has been closed by India and not by Pakistan".
So that transcript contains a statement of readiness, not a new opening date. The 6 November briefing, one day ago, repeats the same position. If you are planning travel, go by the two official pages above, not by a headline or a forwarded message.
The same report said the Punjab Assembly in India passed a resolution on 27 October asking for the corridor to reopen. We did not read that resolution, so we mark it as reported. Pakistan's holiday list treats the anniversary as an optional holiday, so most offices stay open on 24 November.
Sikh pilgrims can still reach Nankana Sahib through Wagah on a visa
The route that is working is the Wagah border with a Pakistani visa, under the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. The Foreign Office says Pakistan issued 9,318 visas to pilgrims from India in 2025, of which 9,070 went to Sikhs and 248 to Hindus.
A further 4,002 visas went to Sikh pilgrims in the first half of 2026. The spokesperson said he saw no reason for allowing 9,000 Sikhs to cross at Wagah while not allowing daily visits to Kartarpur.
| Period | Visas to pilgrims from India |
|---|---|
| 2025, all pilgrims | 9,318 |
| 2025, Sikh pilgrims | 9,070 |
| 2025, Hindu pilgrims | 248 |
| First half of 2026, Sikh pilgrims | 4,002 |
For this month's anniversary, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has said pilgrims are due at Wagah on 22 November, with the main ceremony at Nankana Sahib on 24 November. Our page on Guru Nanak's birthday in 2026 has those dates and the arrangements.
The corridor was built for 5,000 visa-free pilgrims a day
The corridor exists under a 2019 agreement between the two countries. It lets pilgrims from India reach Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, in Narowal district, without a visa, and go back the same day. The Foreign Office says the site is about five kilometres inside Pakistan.
The ETPB's page also says 5,000 pilgrims a day are allowed to enter from the Indian side. Guru Nanak spent his last 18 years at Kartarpur and died there in 1539, which is why this site matters so much around his birth anniversary.
India's portal says that when the service runs, registration is open to people with a valid Indian passport and to Overseas Citizens of India with their card and passport. Its help section says there is no fee for online registration. A charge of US$20 per pilgrim on the Pakistani side is reported, but we did not read it on an official page, so do not take that figure as confirmed.
What to do if you planned a Kartarpur visit this month
If you hold an Indian passport, you cannot use the corridor until India lifts its suspension. Foreign Sikhs and Pakistanis follow different rules, so check before you travel. Do not pay any agent who promises a corridor permit for November.
- Check India's corridor portal for the suspension notice before making any plan.
- If the notice is still there, treat the corridor as closed, whatever a message says.
- For Nankana Sahib from India, the 1974 arrangement works on a list of names India shares with Pakistan's mission. A foreign Sikh should read our religious visa guide.
- If you are in Pakistan and want to visit the gurdwara, call the ETPB head office on 042-99211030-1 and ask about entry that day.
We did not find an official page that sets out entry rules, timings or tickets for Pakistani visitors at Kartarpur. That is why we suggest calling first.
Common questions
Is the Kartarpur Corridor open now?
Not for pilgrims from India. India's portal says the service is suspended until further directions, and Pakistan's Foreign Office confirmed on 6 November that the suspension continues.
Has Pakistan reopened Kartarpur for the 557th birth anniversary?
Pakistan says it is ready to welcome pilgrims once restrictions are lifted. We found no official reopening date and no notice from India changing the suspension.
When was the corridor closed?
The date raised at the 6 November briefing is 7 May 2025. The Foreign Office says the closure is from the Indian side.
When is Guru Nanak's 557th birth anniversary?
The main ceremony in Pakistan is at Nankana Sahib on Tuesday 24 November 2026, according to the ETPB.
Do Indian pilgrims need a visa for Kartarpur?
Under the 2019 agreement, the corridor is visa free. For Nankana Sahib through Wagah, a Pakistani visa is required, issued under the 1974 protocol.
How many visas did Pakistan give Sikh pilgrims?
The Foreign Office says 9,070 in 2025, and a further 4,002 in the first half of 2026.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 7 November 2026. We read the Foreign Office transcript of 6 November, the transcript of 17 September, India's Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor portal and the ETPB's Kartarpur Corridor page. India's notice has no date on it. We will update this page if either government publishes a reopening date.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
