Khunjerab Pass (China-Pakistan border) Q&A

[sketchymarco]

Thanks for the update.

"Community based natural resources management initiatives"? What the f does that even mean? That's the usual bunch of words stacked next to each other that mean nothing at all but sound smart. Lmao

[faxian2024]

I crossed from Tashkurgan to Sost on 29 April. Happy to answer more Qs but this I think is the key info:

You need a permit to go to Tashkurgan as it's in the restricted border zone. The permit isn't available from normal police stations in Kashgar and they didn't help me at all with understanding the obligations; you need to go to a government office north of town (I believe it's called Kashgar District Public Security Bureau Traffic Police Office 喀什地区公安局交警支队车管所) and get a permit there. Its quite easy to get the permit, just write that you want to go to Pakistan (they didn't even ask to see a visa) but I had to queue for maybe half an hour. I believe the office was open until 6pm but I'm not 100% sure.

There is supposedly a bus to Tashkurgan from Kashgar but I couldn't find it after four hours searching so I took a shared taxi (包车) for 120RMB from 西域大道 (West District Highway) there was a bunch of guys hanging out offering them on the south side of the road, near the corner with Zhakexhake Road north lane. Another guy told me he did find a bus for 80RMB, so not much difference to be honest. Either way the drive takes all day, budget a day to get to Tashkurgan unless you are getting a direct bus straight to the border from Kashgar (I've heard this exists but didn't look for it; Tashkurgan stone fort is worth a visit).

You can buy tickets for the Tashkurgan bus the day before at around 1730, except on weekends (you also can't cross on weekends, I don't believe). It was 225RMB and *cash only* (not even Alipay/Wechat!). The ticket office is at the southern edge of town in a little blue police booth, just south of the main "port", where you will go to get on the bus. You can also buy tickets OTD from c 9am.

On the day I waited for about five hours between buying my ticket and the bus actually leaving. There's nowhere to get food or water once you're through customs (duty free is shuttered) so bring plenty; I'd say probably eat hot breakfast before going through, once you have your ticket I don't think they'll let your bus leave without you (unless you really take the piss, but one of our fellow travellers rocked up at 1330 and got away with it...). (There are also no toilets but we waited so long that the police started escorting people to the toilets in the customs office.) The drive is lovely but you don't stop much (I think we stopped once, briefly, on CN side, aside from passport controls) and there's nowhere to buy anything.

Then on the descent to Sost you will need to pay entry to Khunjerab National Park. It's 40 USD if you're neither Pakistani nor Chinese (PR500 for Pakistani, 40RMB for Chinese). Cash only. You can probably pay with rupees or RMB but I didn't try.

Sost border is quite easy going but if you don't have a physical visa then it helps to have a print out of your ETA/visa grant notice, as they will want to photocopy it with your passport. Make sure you're in the visa approval queue and not the queue to just be stamped (it should be on the left, but basically queue with the Chinese not the Pakistani passengers).

In Sost you can easily get cash from the Habib Bank or National Bank ATM but PR750 surcharge on withdrawal; max withdrawal has been 20,000 everywhere I've seen.

Sost has some nice cheap restaurants and hotels, I stayed at Khunjerab hotel which was great. But be prepared for intermittent electricity everywhere; you may as well charge everything you can before crossing. It's also in a beautiful valley; I had time for a short walk up the mountainside before dinner. You can also easily hitchhike/get a semi official minibus down towards Hunza (as long as they have space you can get on/off basically anywhere).

一路平安！

[Joannejoanne]

Hello! We're hoping to travel from Pakistan to China via the Khunjerab Pass in a couple of months, so really appreciating reading these recent experiences, thanks for posting!

I read that you may need to show a certificate of Polio vaccination travelling from Pakistan to China, had anyone had experience of this? Also, I can see @faxian2024 saying you need a permit to go to Tashkurgan, does anyone know how you can get this going in the other direction?

Also, has anyone had experience of using a Pakistan e-visa on arrival at a land border? We're already tlon the road and considering flying into Amritsar and crossing from there as flights are much cheaper...my understanding is that eVOA are fine at land borders but it's making me a little nervous nonetheless...!

Any thoughts appreciated!

Thanks, Joanne.

[ragondeman]

Hi

Just crossed from Pakistan to China two days ago.

No asked for Polio vaccination certificate, neither permit to go to Tashkurgan. As said a few posts ago, just around one hour spent at the chinese border for the whole minibus

[faxian2024]

I exited Pakistan via the Torkham border yesterday and they made me do the polio drop even though I told them I was vaccinated, they didn't even try and see a certificate. But I just spat it back out once I was past them. Torkham is much more chaotic than Sost though (and Afghans likely less vaccinated than Chinese people I guess) so the system is probably quite different.

For the Tashkurgan permit I don't think it'll be a problem going in because your reason for going there is pretty obvious, and they get to scrutinise you at the border anyway. I haven't heard of anyone needing that permit on entry via the border, only to visit the border zone from Kashgar side. You might have more trouble if you tried to leave Tashkurgan on your own and just wander around small villages nearby, I'm not sure.

On the the e visa, I had VOA/ETA and it was fine at Sost (which I had specified as my port of entry).

[fuzzyfurs]

Crossing Pakistan to China: no need for proof of polio vaccination and neither do you need a permit to Tashkurgan.

I took the bus (Hunza Xinjiang, 5000rp) and it leaves anytime from 9 to 10am (not fixed) and we arrived in Tashkurgan at around 6 to 7pm in Beijing time. Remember that it will be 3h forward. For me, it took quite some time as most Pakistanis were bringing in some goods like rocks which weren't too favourable for passing through immigrations.

[Joannejoanne]

Amazing, thanks so much all for sharing your experiences and demystifying the process - really appreciate it! going to apply for our visas now! All the best, Joanne.

[pongyo]

Hello
my name is Frank from Thailand , I have a question. Our group (5 peoples) want to cross a border from Pakistan to China through Khunjerab Pass on mid october 2024, we have pakistan Visa but we are list on country free visa to enter China (just add on list early 2024). Is there a problem if we have no china's visa stamp while enter China border. Do anyone have and experiences to share? Thanks, Frunk.

[Roadtophnompenh]

The chinese officials now pretty well who is visafree and not. I was upthere at the border on 20 october 2022 and it was pretty heavy snowing, the pass closed just afterme for all winter. Check before going up to the border, and nobody from the officials now, just ask around.

[pongyo]

Thank you very much, then the border have closed before chinese goverment had announced on 12 nov 23, we will arrived at border around 16 th October.we have to find information before go there.