Visiting Pakistan from the US or UK: advisories, visas and where to stay

What the US and UK currently advise

United States (issued 16 June 2026): Level 3, “Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and kidnapping.” Do not travel to Balochistan; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including the former FATA; or the immediate vicinity of the Line of Control.

United Kingdom (updated 13 October 2026) advises against all travel to, among other areas:

• within 10 miles of the Afghanistan border, and 21 named districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar and Swat;
• the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas;
• the N45 to Chitral, including the Kalash valleys;
• all of Balochistan, and within 10 miles of the Line of Control.

It also advises against all but essential travel to further districts, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, northern Sindh and within 5 miles of the India border. The UK notes that “Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice”.

This is a summary. Read the full UK advice and US advisory before you go; both change.

Visas and documents

• British and US passport holders need a visa, applied for in advance on Pakistan’s official online visa portal.
• The tourist visa page (August 2026) describes a single entry for up to 3 months, processing of “7-10 days (Working Days)”, and asks for a photograph, your passport and hotel booking details.
• An Electronic Travel Authorization is not a visa; the portal says it only lets you travel and seek a visa on arrival.
• Holders of a NICOP or POC (cards for overseas Pakistanis) can enter without a visa, according to the UK advice. Citizens of Gulf (GCC) countries do not need a visa, according to the portal; this is about nationality, not residence.
• Passport validity: the UK advice says at least 6 months after your visa application date; the US page says six months beyond arrival. Meet the stricter of the two.
• Fees: use the official fee calculator.

Rules that catch visitors out

• Polio: the US advisory says anyone leaving Pakistan must show proof of a polio vaccination “taken within the past year”.
• Dual nationals: the US advisory says Pakistani law considers them “exclusively citizens of Pakistan”, which limits consular help.
• Protests and posts: the US advisory warns that citizens have been detained for joining protests or for social media posts critical of the government or military.
• Permits: the UK advice says you need advance permission to travel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and parts of Azad Kashmir, and all foreign nationals must register with local authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
• Dress: the UK advice asks men and women to cover shoulders and legs in public, and women to cover their heads in mosques and holy places.
• SIM cards: the US advisory says tourists can’t buy one at Islamabad airport; go to an official operator store.

Where visitors usually stay

The US advisory notes “greater security resources and infrastructure in the major cities”. Our area guides explain the main neighbourhoods: where to stay in Lahore and where to stay in Islamabad.

• Hotels in Islamabad387 listed
• Hotels in Lahore325 listed
• Hotels in Karachi219 listed

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