ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has visa-exemption agreements with dozens of countries, allowing eligible Pakistani passport holders to enter certain destinations without obtaining a visa in advance, according to official government information.
The arrangements primarily apply to diplomatic and official passport holders, rather than ordinary Pakistani passport holders. The permitted visa-free stay varies by country, generally ranging from 30 to 90 days. Pakistan’s Directorate General of Immigration & Passports maintains a list of countries with which Pakistan has visa-abolition or exemption agreements.
Pakistan’s visa exemption pact includes Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Iran, Russia and Argentina, and several other countries. However, it depends on the passport and bilateral agreement that is signed between the two countries.
For instance, based on the official list maintained by Pakistan, the visa-free period is up to three months for eligible diplomatic/official passport holders going to countries such as Argentina, Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Russia, Türkiye and UAE, among others.
The development comes amid renewed attention to the international mobility of Pakistani passport holders. A 2026 Passport Reports ranking cited by Nukta places the Pakistani passport at 183rd globally, with a mobility score of 42. The report says Pakistani passport holders have visa-free access to nine destinations, visa-on-arrival access to 29 and electronic travel authorization (eTA) access to four destinations.
It should be noted that this differs from the notion of visa-free travel which allows any citizen with a passport to travel without a visa. For example, the official Pakistani list of visa exemptions lists which type of passport is eligible for visa exemption by destination country.
These agreements form part of the measures that Pakistan has put in place to ease diplomatic travel and promote its bilateral relationship with the partner countries.
