Travel info for international visitors

Most visitors need a visa to enter Pakistan. Pakistan runs an online e-visa system that nationals of many countries can apply through before they travel.

Check whether your nationality is eligible, which visa type fits your trip, the fee and the documents asked for on the official government portal, and apply there. Prices and rules shown on other websites may be out of date.

• Apply through the official portal, not through an unofficial agent that charges to fill in the same form.
• Keep a printed and a digital copy of your visa grant; airlines, immigration, hotels and checkpoints may ask for it.
• Make sure your passport meets the validity the portal asks for, for the whole of your stay.

Most international visitors arrive by air at Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi. Have your passport, your visa grant and the address of your first stay ready for immigration.

Some visitors must register with the police or another authority after arrival, depending on their nationality, their visa type or where they stay. Your visa grant and the official portal say whether this applies to you.

Hotels and hosts record the passport and visa details of foreign guests, as the authorities ask of them. A host on Phiro may ask you for these details before check-in.

Some areas need a permit or a no-objection certificate (NOC) for foreign visitors, and some are closed to them. This applies especially near the borders and the Line of Control, in parts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to mountaineering and some treks in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Which areas are affected changes over time. Check with the official authority and with your tour operator before you plan a route, and again before you set off.

• A licensed local tour operator can tell you what a route needs and arrange permits where they are required.
• Carry several copies of your passport and visa: checkpoints on mountain roads often record foreign visitors.
• Each destination guide on Phiro carries a "Permits and access" note where we know one applies; treat it as a prompt to check, not as the rule itself.

The currency is the Pakistani rupee (PKR). Cash is used for most everyday spending, more so outside the big cities. ATMs in cities accept many international cards; in mountain valleys they are few and can run out, so carry enough cash before you head north.

Phiro accepts international cards and charges in PKR. If you choose another currency in the header, prices also show an approximate amount in it, at rates we set by hand; you are charged in PKR and your bank sets the final rate and any fee of its own.

• Change money at banks or licensed exchange companies and keep the receipts.
• Rules on how much cash you may carry into or out of the country are set by Pakistan Customs; check them before you travel.
• Tell your bank you are travelling, so a card payment from Pakistan is not blocked.

Local SIM cards are sold by the mobile operators at their own shops and franchises. You need your passport, and the sale is usually verified with your fingerprints.

A phone brought from abroad may need to be registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to keep working on local networks beyond a limited period. Check the PTA for the current rules and charges.

Mobile data is good in the cities and patchy or absent in many mountain valleys. Download offline maps and keep your booking details offline.

The north (Gilgit-Baltistan and the mountain valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) is visited from spring to autumn. High roads and passes open only in summer, and snow closes many of them in winter.

The plains of Punjab and Sindh are most comfortable from October to March and very hot from May to August. The monsoon, usually July and August, brings heavy rain that can cause floods and landslides.

Mountain flights to Gilgit, Skardu and Chitral depend on the weather and are often delayed or cancelled. Keep spare days in a northern itinerary.

• Each destination guide on Phiro lists the months most visitors go.
• Check road conditions locally before driving a mountain road, especially after rain or snow.

Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country with strong traditions of hospitality. Dressing modestly is respectful everywhere: loose clothes that cover the shoulders and knees.

• Remove your shoes in mosques and at shrines; women usually cover their hair there.
• During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours.
• Ask before you photograph people, especially women, and do not photograph military or security sites.
• Use your right hand to eat and to give or receive things.
• Alcohol is restricted by law; do not drink in public.
• In the Kalash valleys and other close communities you are a guest in people’s home places: ask before you photograph anyone.

Many women travel in Pakistan, alone and in groups. Modest dress and a scarf help you blend in and are expected at religious sites.

• Some buses, trains and restaurants have women-only or family sections; you are welcome to use them.
• In remote areas, travelling with a reputable tour operator or a trusted local guide makes logistics easier.
• Choose stays with verified hosts and read their reviews; you can message a host before you book.
• Share your plans and your stays with someone at home.

Conditions differ from region to region and change over time, and some governments advise against travel to parts of the country. Read your own government’s travel advice before you book, and again before you go: it may also affect your travel insurance.

In an emergency, call the police on 15 or the Rescue 1122 service (ambulance, fire and rescue).

• Register with your embassy if it offers a registration service for travellers.
• Keep copies of your passport, visa and insurance apart from the originals.