How to apply for a Pakistan Visa Online – and can you use an eVisa at Wagah Border? 

Applying for a Tourist Visa online for Pakistan is now a fairly easy process.  

You might be wondering why you would even need an online guide to talk you through it.  But speaking from experience; there are quite a few unknowns that caused me a real headache waiting without answer as I submitted my application for a Tourist Visa online for Pakistan…

• Types of Tourist Visa
• Applying for your Tourist Visa online for Pakistan
• Is there a Visa on Arrival option? 
• Receiving your visa (what to do)
• Visa End Date 
• Pakistan land borders

If you’re headed to Pakistan, make sure to check out our guide to travel in Pakistan with all the info you need!

Tourist e-Visa, “Visa In Your Inbox” or Online Tourist Visa?

There are all kinds of different names for a visa for Pakistan when you first start looking into it online.  So first things first you need to know what type of visa you are applying for to visit Pakistan. 

As on the website Pakistan currently offers two types of tourist visa:

• Tourist Visa (e-Visa)
• Tourist Visa in Your Inbox

These are the terms used on Pakistan’s official visa portal so I am going to use these terms. This guide will walk you through applying for a ‘Tourist Visa’ online for Pakistan. 

But wait. Does Pakistan have a Visa on Arrival option? 

Sort of.  There is technically the option to get a ‘Visa on Arrival’ (VOA) for some nationalities.   But this is actually what they have called “Visa in Your Inbox”.   

It is not technically a VOA as you still must apply for it online before you travel.  

You need to head over to the Pakistan Official Visa Portal and apply to be eligible to travel to Pakistan. (This method grants you Electronic Travel Authorisation to board your flight to Pakistan and arrange the visa when you land). 

You can’t just jump on the plane and land in Pakistan and apply for it on arrival (hence I assume the name change from VOA to ‘Tourist Visa In Your Inbox’!). 

Applying for the online Tourist Visa for Pakistan

Right.  Now to get ready and apply for the online tourist visa for Pakistan and find out the answers to some of your questions below. (No doubt you want to know how long does it take to get approval for an online tourist visa for Pakistan!).  See below for that and otherwise start right here…

Step 1: Choosing your visa for Pakistan 

Follow the guide and options on the Ministry of Interior website to make sure you understand which visa option is the one you require.  They have listed 11 types of visa categories here.

Step 2: Get your documents ready

Each type of visa has different documents required so definitely read the requirements thoroughly.  To apply for the online tourist visa for Pakistan you will need: 

• Passport photograph up to 350KB
• Valid credit card/debit card for online payment for you application fee
• Complete set of supporting documents (as required for the specific visa). 

Step 3: The online application 

Once you are sure you have all the required documents you are ready for the online application.

• Click Apply Now and launch the online visa system
• Create a New Account
• Login to your account 
• Complete the application 
• Make your credit card payment 
• Submit the application 

(And do make sure to have everything included as you cannot add/edit the information once it is submitted!).  

Step 4: Receiving your Tourist Visa online for Pakistan 

After completing the above steps I received three emails from the Pakistan visa portal:

1. Pak-Visa Portal Successful Account Registration
2. Pak-Visa Successful Application Submission
3. Application Fee Submission

The first email of account registration came through immediately. And the second email confirming my visa application submission arrived a few minutes are pressing submit online.

Note none of these are actually your visa but rather confirmation you have successfully applied for your visa. Below is the Successful Application Submission email I received:

Dear Sarah,   VISA APPLICATION SUBMISSION   Thank you for submitting your application for visa.

Your Application Details: Visa Tracking ID: ________ Applicant Name: Sarah Steiner

Application status: You can check the status of the application by logging in the registered account in Online Visa system. Information claims: Please note that if the information provided in your Application is not correct, then this may result in your application being refused. More information is available at https://visa.nadra.gov.pk/ Please note that this is an auto generated email. Please do not reply to this email. Regards, Pak-Visa Team

This is all you need to do at this stage as you cannot edit the online application form now. 

Step 5: The waiting game (waiting for approval of your Tourist Visa online for Pakistan)

This step is officially the dreaded waiting game.  You are waiting for an email Notification of Visa Approval.  

“How long does it take to process a Tourist Visa online for Pakistan?” I so badly wanted the answer!

For us it took 6 working days (with much anxiety and trawling forums googling in the meantime to confirm how long others were waiting for the same type of visa!).  I don’t want you to have to go through that; so hence this guide to getting an online tourist visa for Pakistan!  

Below is the subsequent Notification of Visa Approval I received.  [And note that although I actually submitted the online tourist visa application for Pakistan for the kids the day after I did mine; they all came through to my email at the same time.  (This was great news to open up my inbox and find!)].

Dear Sarah,   SUBJECT: NOTIFICATION OF VISA APPROVAL   This letter refers to your online visa application with visa application ID #### which was lodged through Pakistan Online Visa System on ####.  A decision has been made on this application and visa has been granted on ____ to the applicant stated in the Notice.  You need to have Visa Grant Notice while travelling to Pakistan, which you can download from Pak-Visa Application. APPLICATION DETAILS Tracking ID  Applicant Name  VISA GRANT DETAILS Visa Type: Tourist/visit  Visa reference Number  Visa Grant Date  Travel Document Number  Travel Document Country  Stay Period: 30 Day(s)  Travel Facility: Single Entry  Note: This is an auto generated email. Please do not reply to this email. Regards, Pak-Visa Team

Visa confirmation! (And obviously with all the details included). Now you need to head back to the Online Visa Portal and find your visa in PDF format and print it off to carry with you.

How long is a Pakistani Tourist Visa valid for? 

Currently Pakistan visas are valid for entry into Pakistan for 6 months from the date of issue.  If the visa is not used during this time, it becomes invalid. 

What is the ‘Visa End Date’ stated? And why is this important? 

The stated “Visa End Date” on your approved online tourist visa for Pakistan is the last day you can be in Pakistan.  

You can enter within the 6 months prior and stay for your approved 30/90 days but the stated end date is the last day you can be in the country. 

Can you apply for a Tourist Visa online for Pakistan while you’re in India?

No.  Well, not in theory… The visa portal is blocking online visa applications from India.  

However, even if you aren’t a super techno whiz its not complicated to get around this.  Either complete the application before reaching India; have someone overseas access the site for you or purchase a VPN to use. 

Can you use the e-Visa at the overland Wagah Border crossing? 

Yes. Don’t panic any longer worrying about this.

I scoured the internet reading forums and trying to find information about this. I searched everywhere googling whether you can use an eVisa at Pakistan land borders. And you can. [Proof of this as we crossed the Wagah Border in 2022 and 2024].

• Read our guide to crossing the Wagah Border here.

It originally sounded like you could use the ‘VOA’ at the land border but then I understood it isn’t technically a straightforward on-arrival visa.

Rather, the best option is to apply online (as above) for the Tourist Visa for Pakistan and receive the electronic copy of your visa ahead of time.  Then print it out and carry it with you to the overland Wagah Border crossing.  

How long does it take at immigration using your online Tourist Visa for Pakistan? 

Actually not too long!  We crossed the overland border from Amritsar, India to Lahore, Pakistan (the Wagah Border) and the process was pretty straightforward.  

We were called up to the immigration officer dealing with foreign passports (there weren’t many on the day we entered) and from there it took about 20 minutes to process (for all four of us).  

The verdict?  Was it tricky to apply for a tourist visa online for Pakistan?

It wasn’t actually! Just be sure to check all your details online before you submit your application.  And use the guides and guidelines on the website to make sure you are applying for the correct visa to begin with.  (This is just our experience of applying for the tourist visa online for Pakistan so do be sure to check details for your own requirements!). 

And from there we had a great time in Pakistan – and I know you will too.  Pakistan Zindabad! 

Where we stayed before and after arriving in Pakistan

These are the hotels where we stayed in India and Pakistan and can recommend for your Pakistan itinerary.

• Delhi: Taurus Sarovar Portico Hotel (mid-range); Smyle Inn (budget); Hotel Hari Piorko (budget).

• Amritsar: Hotel Regency Amritsar (mid-range); Hotel Sapphire (budget).

• Lahore: Rose Palace Hotel (budget); Grand Millennium Hotel (mid-range)

• Islamabad: Regalia Hotel Islamabad (mid-range); Grand Peace House II (basic); Shelton Mellton (basic).

More about travel planning for Pakistan and beyond…

These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel. 

• Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. 
• Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.  
• GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
• SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country. 
• World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance for your trip to Pakistan!

Read more from travel in South Asia

• Taking an overnight train in Pakistan from Islamabad to Karachi. 
• How to apply for a Pakistan e-Visa: And can you use it at the Wagah Border?
• Crossing the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan. 
• Pakistan with kids: A complete guide to travel in Pakistan. 
• Money in India: Using ATM’s, withdrawing and carrying your money safely.
• How to use a squat toilet: Everything you didn’t want to ask…
• Our complete packing list for travel in India.