If you researched a trip to Pakistan in 2024 or 2025, you probably read that the visa was free and took a couple of days. That was true. It is no longer.
On 1 January 2026 Pakistan withdrew the Visa Prior to Arrival (VPA) scheme, and it did so without a press release. The first anyone knew was that the option had disappeared from the government's visa portal. Travellers and visa-tracking services noticed the absence; no formal announcement followed.
We are writing this because a great deal of advice online — including pages published this year — still describes the old scheme as though it exists, and people are budgeting time and money against a rule that was withdrawn eight months ago.
What has changed
| Until 31 Dec 2025 | From 1 Jan 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme | Visa Prior to Arrival (VPA) | Standard e-Visa |
| Cost | Free | Paid, varies by nationality |
| Nationalities | 126 eligible | Apply through the e-Visa portal |
| Validity | 90 days, multiple entry | Varies by category |
| Processing | Days | Commonly 7–20 business days |
| Documents | Simplified | Fuller supporting file |
The VPA was introduced in August 2024 and gave citizens of 126 countries a free 90-day, multiple-entry tourist or business visa through a much-simplified online process. It was, for about sixteen months, one of the easiest visas in the region to obtain. Its withdrawal returns most travellers to the standard paid e-Visa.
Who is affected
Broadly, the nationalities that had the easiest access before. Reporting on the change consistently lists the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, European Union countries and Australia among the 126, along with many African and Asian nations. GCC states are generally described as unaffected.
We are deliberately not publishing a country list here. The eligibility tables moved once without notice and could move again, and a list on a tour operator's blog is exactly the kind of thing that goes stale and misleads someone. Check the official portal for your own passport, and treat any list you find elsewhere — including ours — as a prompt to verify rather than an answer.
What this means in practice
- Allow longer. Processing is commonly reported at 7–20 business days rather than a few days. We now advise six to eight weeks before departure as a default.
- Budget for it. The visa is no longer free, and the fee varies by nationality.
- Expect a fuller document set — the simplified VPA file is not what the standard e-Visa asks for.
- Do not buy non-refundable flights before your visa is issued. This was always our advice and it matters more now.
- Ignore pre-2026 advice, including anything that says the visa is free or near-instant.
What has not changed
The letter of invitation is still the piece worth understanding, and it is still not a formality. It is a licensed operator putting their registration behind your application, and we provide it along with the supporting documents for every traveller booked with us, exactly as before.
The No Objection Certificate for restricted areas is a separate process from the visa and is unaffected by this change. It has its own lead time and is applied for by us rather than by you. If your route needs one — and most climbing objectives and some border valleys do — it is the item that sets your booking date, not the visa.
Is Pakistan closing to tourists?
No, and it would be a mistake to read it that way. The VPA was an unusually generous scheme and its withdrawal returns Pakistan to something ordinary rather than something restrictive — a paid electronic visa applied for in advance, which is what most countries in the region ask for and what Pakistan itself asked for before August 2024.
What it does mean is that the window where you could decide on a Tuesday and fly on the Friday has closed. Plan the way you would for anywhere else that requires a visa in advance.
How we handle it
- At enquiry we ask your nationality and tell you what your passport currently faces, because the answer differs by country and changes.
- At booking we issue the letter of invitation and the supporting documents.
- We do not hold a departure against an unissued visa indefinitely, and we will tell you honestly when a date has become too tight rather than take a deposit and hope.
- If a visa is refused on a trip we have confirmed, our normal cancellation terms apply and we will tell you what has already been spent on your behalf.
Where to check
The government's e-Visa portal is the only source that is authoritative for your passport on the day you apply. This page is accurate as of the date at the top and will be updated rather than replaced. Our longer Pakistan visa guide covers the application itself — what it asks for, what gets applications sent back, and how the invitation letter fits in.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pakistan visa still free?
No. The free Visa Prior to Arrival scheme was withdrawn on 1 January 2026. Travellers who would have used it now apply for the standard paid e-Visa, with the fee varying by nationality.
What was the Visa Prior to Arrival scheme?
Introduced in August 2024, VPA gave citizens of 126 countries a free 90-day multiple-entry tourist or business visa through a simplified online process. It was withdrawn at the start of 2026 without a formal announcement — the option simply stopped appearing on the visa portal.
How long does a Pakistan e-Visa take in 2026?
Processing is commonly reported at 7 to 20 business days, rather than the few days the old VPA took. We advise applying six to eight weeks before departure, and eight to twelve if your route also needs a No Objection Certificate.
Which countries are affected by the change?
Reporting consistently lists the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, EU countries and Australia among the 126 nationalities that lost VPA access, along with many African and Asian nations. GCC states are generally described as unaffected. Check the official portal for your own passport rather than relying on any published list.
Does this affect trekking and climbing permits?
No. The No Objection Certificate for restricted areas and the permits for trekking and climbing peaks are separate processes, applied for by a licensed operator, and this change does not touch them. They have their own lead times, which are often longer than the visa's.
We provide the letter of invitation and the supporting documents for every traveller booked with us, and tell you at enquiry what your passport currently faces.
See Pakistan tour packages