ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: Pakistani authorities announced upcoming changes to their visa policies, including a significant waiver of visa fees for visitors from 126 countries, including Bangladesh, to travel to Pakistan without a visa fee, to enhance diplomatic and people-to-people ties.
According to Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, "this easing of the visa regime will help make Pakistan an attractive destination for investments and tourism".
During a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, Federal Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, unveiled this new visa policy aimed at simplifying procedures for citizens of many countries, "which will significantly reduce the bureaucracy and delays that have previously hindered tourist arrivals".
He stated that starting tomorrow, August 14, 2024, the electronic visa (e-Visa) fees for visitors from 126 countries will be abolished, and the application process will be significantly streamlined. Indeed, for these nationalities, the visa will be issued free of charge for either tourism or business purposes, and a 90-day visa will be granted within 24 hours.
The minister also announced a new online visa application form that now contains only 30 questions, compared to nearly a hundred previously.
Finally, citizens of the Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar) will be able to obtain a visa upon arrival in Pakistan by simply presenting a passport.
The 126 countries affected by Pakistan's new visa policy
To benefit from this new measure of free tourist or business visas and express delivery, citizens of eligible countries must select the "Visa Prior to Arrival" option.
According to VisasNews, here is the list of 126 countries and territories that will be able to obtain a free visa, within 24 hours, to travel to Pakistan after applying online on the official Nadra portal: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Croatia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. —VISANEWS
