Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Drop Visas for Official Passports, Not Green Ones
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a visa waiver for diplomatic and official passports only. Green passport holders still need a visa. Here is what applies now.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed an agreement that lets holders of diplomatic and official passports travel between the two countries without a visa for short stays. It does not cover the ordinary green passport that almost every Pakistani carries. If you are going for Umrah, work or a family visit, nothing has changed for you.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan signed it in New York, during the high-level week of the 81st UN General Assembly. We read the Saudi Press Agency's official report of the signing. We also checked Pakistan's Foreign Office press releases, which had not published a statement on it when we looked on 27 September 2026.
The agreement covers diplomatic and official passports only
The agreement removes short-stay visas only for people holding diplomatic passports and official or special passports. In Pakistan, the official passport is the blue one. Ordinary passport holders are not included, so Saudi visa rules for the public stay the same.
The Saudi Press Agency report, dated 22 September 2026, says the two ministers met "yesterday" in New York. At the end of the meeting they signed "a mutual exemption agreement from short-stay visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and special passports". It says the aim is to make procedures easier and to improve coordination.
Saudi Arabia calls the second category a "special" passport. Pakistan calls it "official". Reports in Pakistan give the agreement's full name as the Agreement on the abolition of visa requirements for holders of Diplomatic and Official/Special Passports, which joins the two terms. We could not read that title in an official Pakistani document.
The date differs by a day in the reports. The Saudi report points to 21 September, New York time. Pakistani reports say 22 September. New York is nine hours behind Pakistan, which may explain the gap.
Ordinary green passport holders still need a Saudi visa
If you hold an ordinary green passport, you still need a Saudi visa before you fly. That is true for Umrah, a visit, business or work. The new agreement changes nothing for ordinary travellers.
| Passport | Who holds it | Visa for a short stay in Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Diplomatic | Diplomats and senior state office holders | Not needed once the agreement takes effect |
| Official (blue) | People travelling on state duty | Not needed once the agreement takes effect |
| Ordinary (green) | Every other citizen | Still needed, no change |
| Official passport on private travel | Blue passport holders on a personal trip | Not clear, the text is not published |
That last row matters. We do not know whether the waiver covers a blue passport holder on a private trip, because neither government has published the text.
Pakistan's official passports come with the job
You cannot apply for a Pakistani official or diplomatic passport. Both come with a state post and go when the post ends. So the waiver helps ministers, diplomats, lawmakers and officials on state business, not the general public.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports lists four passport types: ordinary, official, diplomatic and the emergency travel document. The official passport is issued under Schedule III of the Passport Rules 2021 and the diplomatic one under Schedule IV. Eligibility for a blue passport in Pakistan follows active service and official duty.
Saudi Arabia has been signing the same kind of deal with other countries. The Saudi Press Agency reported similar agreements for diplomatic passports with Poland in January 2026, Serbia on 3 September 2026 and Paraguay on 23 September 2026, the last one also in New York. This is a standard diplomatic step, not a special Pakistan scheme.
The start date and length of stay are not public yet
Neither side has said when the waiver starts or how many days a short stay allows. Neither report says it is already in force. Until an official start date appears, official passport holders should keep applying for visas.
We found no start date in the Saudi report. Pakistan's Foreign Office had no press release on the agreement on the first two pages of its press list on 27 September. Its curtain raiser for the trip confirms that Mr Dar was in New York from 21 to 25 September for the UN session and planned bilateral meetings there.
We will update this when either foreign ministry publishes the start date or the text.
What ordinary travellers to Saudi Arabia need now
An ordinary traveller still needs the right Saudi visa, a valid passport and, for Umrah from some airports, a vaccination record. None of this is affected by the new agreement. Check every visa on the Saudi foreign ministry's own platform before you pay anyone.
- Choose the right visa. Umrah, family visit, personal visit, business and work visas are all separate.
- For a visit, your host in Saudi Arabia usually starts the request on visa.mofa.gov.sa. The steps to apply for a Saudi visa from Pakistan start there.
- Check the issued visa on the same platform with its application or visa number.
- For Umrah from Karachi, get the NADRA vaccination card. Enforcement there is reported to start on 10 October 2026, and Peshawar on 15 October.
- Make sure your passport is valid for the whole trip before you book.
Be careful with messages saying "Saudi visa now free for Pakistanis". They mix up this agreement with the ordinary passport. It is not true for the green passport.
Common questions
Is the Saudi visa now free for Pakistanis?
No. The agreement covers only diplomatic and official passports. Ordinary green passport holders still need a Saudi visa.
Who signed the Pakistan Saudi visa waiver agreement?
Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in New York during the 81st UN General Assembly.
When does the visa waiver start?
No start date has been announced. Official passport holders should keep applying for visas until one is published.
Does it cover Umrah on an ordinary passport?
No. Umrah pilgrims on ordinary passports still need an Umrah visa and must follow the vaccination rules.
Can I apply for an official passport to use this?
No. Official and diplomatic passports come with a state post. There is no public application for them.
Last checked and sources
Last checked on 27 September 2026. The signing, the ministers, the place and the scope of "diplomatic and special passports" for short stays are from the Saudi Press Agency report of 22 September 2026. The similar Saudi agreements with Poland, Serbia and Paraguay are from Saudi Press Agency reports. Mr Dar's 21 to 25 September programme is from the Foreign Office curtain raiser. We found no Pakistani Foreign Office statement on the agreement. The full agreement name and the statement that ordinary passports are excluded are as reported in Pakistan. Passport types are from the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports. The vaccination card dates are reported, as explained in the linked article.
About the author
Author
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
