The regime that applies
A visa is required for almost every nationality. An online system operates and has substantially simplified the process: application, documents uploaded, and approval issued electronically. Categories include tourist, family visit and business, and the supporting documents differ — a family visit application requires an invitation from the host and proof of their status.
Use the official government portal. Passport validity of six months beyond arrival is required.
Registration and internal permits
Some visa categories require registration with the police after arrival, and certain areas — parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan border zones — require a separate no-objection certificate to visit. These requirements change; verify them close to the date rather than months ahead.
Health
Polio vaccination proof may be required on exit for travellers staying beyond a certain period — an unusual requirement worth checking. Hepatitis A, typhoid and routine boosters are advised. Malaria is present in parts of the country. Food and water precautions are the practical priority.
Regional travel advice
Advice varies sharply by province and changes. Several regions are subject to restrictive or adverse advisories, which affects insurance cover and consular assistance. Check your own foreign ministry's current position for the specific area, not for the country as a whole — the difference between Lahore and a border district is total.
Three rules that hold for every destination
- Use the official portal. Sites that "facilitate", "expedite" or "check" a visa charge for a service the state does not require, and collect your identity documents on the way. The official site is always cheaper and usually faster.
- A visa is not a right of entry. It is permission to present yourself at the border; the officer there decides. Carry the return ticket, the address of your stay and evidence of funds.
- Read your own foreign ministry's travel advice before booking, not after. It conditions your insurance and your consulate's ability to help.
The passport comes first
The commonest reason for being refused boarding is not the visa but the passport: insufficient validity beyond the return date, no free pages, a damaged document. Check it the day you decide to travel, not the week you leave — a renewal takes weeks.