Pakistan E-Visa for Foreigners: How to Apply Online, Fee and Wait

A foreign visitor applies for a Pakistan tourist visa on the government's Pakistan Online Visa System at visa.nadra.gov.pk, run for the Ministry of Interior. An individual tourist entry visa needs three things: a photograph, a passport and hotel booking details. The portal gives 7 to 10 working days for the decision.

That is the short version. The rest of this page covers who can use the portal, which visa to pick, what it costs and what happens at the airport. If you are a Pakistani host helping a friend or relative abroad, you are the one most likely to read this, so it is written for you too.

We read the portal's own pages on 7 October 2026, plus the visa policy and fee pages of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (DGIP). The portal refuses plain requests from our server, so we read it through a text reader. We did not log in or submit an application.

Foreigners apply online for a Pakistan visa and get a Visa Grant Notice

The portal says an approved application produces a Visa Grant Notice, which is the visa itself. Some categories also get an Electronic Authorization to Travel, or ETA. The portal is clear that an ETA is not a visa. It only lets you travel and ask for a visa at the counter.

The portal says 191 or 192 countries can use it, and DGIP lists 190 for tourist visas. The numbers differ, so check your own passport country on the eligible list first. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are listed separately as not needing to apply for the visit categories.

The FAQ adds one rule many people miss. Only nationals of the listed countries who live in the same country can apply through the portal. An interview at a Pakistan mission can be called if needed.

Pick the right visa category before you start

The portal lists eleven categories, from tourist and family visit to business, work, study, religious tourism, medical, NGO and official visas. A tourist should pick Tourist/Visit, sub-category Individual, less than 3 months. The wrong category means the wrong document list.

Work visas are a separate process with an employer behind them. We cover that route in how a foreign national gets a work visa in Pakistan.

How to apply for a Pakistan tourist e-visa step by step

Create an account on the portal, choose the category, fill in the form, upload the documents, pay by card and submit. The portal lists a photograph up to 350 KB and a valid credit or debit card as the things to have ready.

1. Check that your passport country is on the eligible list and read the tourist visa page.
2. Take a photograph that follows the portal's photograph guide, under 350 KB.
3. Click Apply Now and create a new account.
4. Choose Tourist/Visit, then Individual, less than 3 months.
5. Upload your passport page and your hotel booking details.
6. Pay the fee with a Visa or Mastercard card. The portal has a fee calculator.
7. Submit, then watch your email for the decision or a request for changes.

Each person needs their own application. The portal says details of accompanying members are not a visa application for them. One application is allowed per passport at a time.

If the portal sends your application back for review, the processing clock restarts when you resubmit. The application is cancelled if you do not resubmit within 7 days.

Processing time, validity and fees

For an individual tourist entry visa the portal states 7 to 10 working days. An extension takes two weeks. Passport holders of Afghanistan and Somalia are given four weeks. All visas are valid for entry for 6 months from the date of issue, and an unused visa lapses after that.

The portal's own fee page is a calculator that did not load for us, so we could not read a fee there. DGIP's visa fee page does print a table. Its columns are single entry, multiple entry up to one year, and multiple entry beyond one year. It prints no currency on the new fees. We read them as US dollars, and we mark that as reported.

Fees depend on your nationality, so use the calculator for your own figure. The work and business rate on the same list is 100 for a single entry for most countries.

Visa on arrival, the ETA and what happens at the airport

DGIP lists 50 countries for visa on arrival, and the policy now calls it "Visa in your Inbox". You apply online from home, get an electronic authorization and show it at immigration for the passport stamp. DGIP says the application should go in 48 to 72 hours before travel.

The list includes Angola, Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Botswana, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman and Qatar. Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the UAE get 30 days with multiple entries. Read the full list of 50 on DGIP's visa policy page before you fly, because the list can change.

Extensions, overstay and registration after you arrive

A tourist visa runs for three months with double entry under the DGIP policy. Regional passport offices can extend it to six months in total. The portal's extension needs a valid visa, a hotel booking, a sponsor letter, the sponsor's CNIC, the entry stamp page and the last visa page.

Overstay costs money after two weeks. DGIP lists no surcharge for up to 2 weeks, US$ 50 for 2 weeks to 1 month, and US$ 200 for 1 to 3 months. Do not treat the first two weeks as a plan, because it only covers the surcharge.

Most foreigners need no police registration. The exceptions are nationals of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Israel, Nigeria, Somalia and the PLO, and anyone stamped by immigration. A visitor going north to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should also fill in the KP tourism form for foreign tourists. In Gilgit-Baltistan, the Tourist Police take complaints, as set out in how to report a tourist complaint in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Visitors who bring a phone or laptop should read the customs allowance and 60-day PTA rule. Save the emergency helpline numbers in the phone before landing.

Common questions

Is there a Pakistan e-visa for foreigners?

Yes. The Pakistan Online Visa System at visa.nadra.gov.pk takes applications from citizens of the countries on its eligible list, who live in those countries.

How long does a Pakistan tourist e-visa take?

The portal gives 7 to 10 working days for an individual entry visa and two weeks for an extension. Afghanistan and Somalia passport holders are given four weeks.

How long is a Pakistan visa valid?

The portal says every visa is valid for entry for 6 months from issue. A tourist entry visa allows up to 3 months in Pakistan.

Can I get a visa on arrival in Pakistan?

Only if your country is on DGIP's list of 50 and you apply for the ETA first. DGIP asks for 48 to 72 hours of notice.

What is the penalty for overstaying a Pakistan visa?

None up to 2 weeks. After that, DGIP lists US$ 50 for up to a month and US$ 200 for one to three months.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 7 October 2026. The eligible countries page, the home page and FAQ, the tourist visa page with documents, processing times and the 7 day resubmission rule, the 350 KB photograph limit and the 6 month validity were read on visa.nadra.gov.pk through a text reader, because the portal refuses direct requests. The portal's fee page is a calculator that did not display, so no portal fee is quoted. Visa categories, tourist visa terms, visa on arrival, group tourism, overstay surcharges, police registration and the fee table were read on DGIP's visa policy page, last modified 14 September 2026, and its fee page. DGIP prints no currency on the new fees, so the figures are reported as US dollars. The country counts of 190, 191 and 192 differ between pages. We did not log in or submit an application.