Pakistan Pak ID app adds Visa Prior to Arrival for 120 nationalities

Pak ID app adds visa-on-arrival pre-approval for 120 nationalities

Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) added a Visa Prior to Arrival module to the Pak Identity mobile app, letting eligible travelers from 120 countries submit pre-arrival visa applications from a phone instead of the visa.nadra.gov.pk web portal. The mobile channel was promoted by Pakistani missions and NADRA in early 2025, building on the underlying VPA scheme that launched in 2024.

The app covers three approved travel purposes: tourism, business and Sikh pilgrimage. Other visa categories, including work, study, family and extensions, still route through the main online visa system. The Pak ID app is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store, with built-in passport OCR scanning and face-capture biometrics to speed identity checks.

Who the mobile channel reaches

The shift mostly benefits short-stay visitors who would rather not open a laptop while moving. Tourists from the 120 eligible countries can complete pre-approval from a phone and business travelers can file invitation letters and host company documents through the same flow.

Pakistan doesn't issue a dedicated digital nomad visa, so remote workers typically enter on tourist or business permits. Those applicants now sit inside the mobile pipeline alongside Sikh pilgrims traveling under the designated religious category. Eligibility itself hasn't changed, only the application channel.

Filing, fees and timing

The VPA process runs in two steps. Applicants submit the online file at least 48 hours before arrival, then present the electronic authorization with their passport at the border, where immigration issues an entry stamp valid for up to 90 days, often with multiple entries.

Common documents include:

• Valid passport and a recent photograph
• Hotel booking or itinerary from an authorized Pakistani agency for tourist files
• Invitation letter and host company registration for business files

Processing for complete tourist applications is reported at roughly 24 hours. Fees vary by nationality and category and appear inside the Pakistan Online Visa System after login. Travel advisories in early 2026 reinforced that on-arrival entries without pre-clearance have been tightened, so the VPA pre-approval is the path most short-stay visitors will need.

Read our full Pakistan guide for the complete picture and check our latest visa updates before booking.