Pakistan E-visa Q&A

[wosa]

Hey, we just stocked in the payment process for the e-tourist visa.
We filled out and uploaded everything, but when we want to press the "pay" button, nothing happens. We try it with different browsers, mobilephone, tablet,....but doesn't work.
Any idea??

Thanks!!!

[JulienFR]

Hey, we just stocked in the payment process for the e-tourist visa.
We filled out and uploaded everything, but when we want to press the "pay" button, nothing happens. We try it with different browsers, mobilephone, tablet,....but doesn't work.
Any idea??

Thanks!!!

Hi there!
On our side we were totally unable to do it on phone/tablet (Android and iOS), we had to find an internet café to fill out the forms!
Regards
Julien & Sarah

[olig]

Same for me, I had to use a proper computer and update the browser.
Waiting for an answer now. I guess they are updating us even if it is a 'no'? or should I contact them at some point to know if my application is still in progress or got silently denied?
good luck with yours!

[JulienFR]

Hi!

Two French accepted!
We began the e-visa procedure in Tashkent 3 months before going so we could have some margins if we got stuck (friends did the process and after one month they didn't had news and showed up at the Pakistan border to unlock the situation - and it worked! -).

As mentioned previously, we were totally unable to do it on our smartphone or tablet (Android and iOS) because apparently the Nadra website does not allow it (it says it want a particular screen resolution...).

On the 20/08: we did the application online, we uploaded three hotel bookings, passport copy, a phone bill from France with our administrative address and a passport picture. We declared Bishkek as our embassy for an eventual interview and paid $35 each. We received our email confirmation.

On the 26/08: Sarah received a WhatsApp message from the embassy in Bishkek asking us to come straight for an interview. As we where in Ferghana Valley, we asked to postpone it three days later wich was then accepted.

On the 29/08: we received our visa confirmations in our mailbox! We asked to the embassy on WhatsApp if it was still necessary to come and as we received our visas they said no!

Overall it was fairly easy :
- The internet procedure took us around two hours in an internet café, booking cancelable hotels and doing a generic itinerary, etc.
- It is important to put your real address in your home country (ours is Sarah's parents) and if possible phone bill/tax, can help.
- Even though we quited our job long ago, we said we where still employed and gave all details (in certain countries apparently it's not good to be unemployed...).
- Visa approval in 10 days.
- Single entry, 30 days, 3 months validity (although on the visa grant it's written that the visa is valid until the 28/08/2020 !?).

From what we heard, it's maybe better to ask it at the very least one month before going to be sure if you need an interview or get stuck in the process.

Best of luck guys!

Regards

Julien & Sarah

[Jonne]

Hello!

Question about the e-visa.
Yesterday I applied for the e-visa. One question was where I wanted to have my interview. I filled China in, and uploaded my Chinese visa with it, so prove to be able to go to an embassy there.
I recieved an email saying I needed to upload legal residence permit or send an email. I did the last thing and explained I am traveling at the moment and really looking forward to go to Pakistan to see the Karakoram highway. I got an email back saying it's a mandatory requirement having a legal permanent residence. Obviously, I don't have that in China. I am Dutch and normally live in the Netherlands. Just traveling now and in Tadzjikistan at the moment.

The question is, what to do? Asking if I can change my application and say I want my interview in the Netherlands? And has anyone actually had to go somewhere for an interview? To your home country?

Hope you can help me! Thanks!

[Auriane]

I (french nationality) applied for the pakistan evisa while being in Tehran BUT pretended to apply from France on the form, because it looks easier (or mandatory ?) to apply from the country you live in now. Those who I met who applied from Tehran without iranian residency were waiting for an answer for months... The only thing was to make my application look very random so I would not be asked for an interview in Paris.

- i wrote employed and entered the information of my last employer. (Preparing a fake proof of employment might be useful though i didnt need one)
- for the places ive travelled to in the last 3 years, I wrote random europeen or touristic trips. I did not mention any of the countries that would make them understand i left France 6 months ago. (They dont require the stamp pages of the passeport)
- i didnt lie about crossing belouchistan and wrote taftan and wagah as port of entry/exit
- i prepared an 8 days road itinerary on google maps and attached it to my application.
- i booked 6 hotel nights in Bahawalpur, multan, islamabad and Lahore on Booking (free cancellation) that i attached to my application and entered the details of the lahore booking in the hotel section of the form.
- in the itinerary section of the form, i feld 8 sightseeing places (mosks, national parks...) on my way in the Penjab region.

I received an email 10 hours later asking for an air ticket reservation even though my ports of entry and exit are land borders... I decided tell them im flying from paris to Tehran.
- I booked a flight on the website of Turkish Airlines and chose the option "paying later". So i received an email not with a flight ticket but a flight reservation.
- I attached the unstamped iran visa that i had received per email. (I modified the location of the embassy on the phone from Tbilisi to Paris)
- i attached the photo of my indian visa
- and a short letter explaining that i would fly to tehran and then enter/exit pakistan with land borders as filled in my application.

I received my pakistan visa 3 days later. 30 days,single entry, 6 months validity.

This was a lot of work and stress but its worth it, since they gave the visa very fast and it avoids the flight to India.

[olig]

Dear Auriane (chère chère Auriane !!)
I'm dancing in my Armenian dormitory right now and most of my dormmates don't really get it.
Yesterday I contacted them through the website to update me about my application (should I upload more documents? etc.); they replied this morning that... I had actually submitted the fee but I still had to submit the application itself! Stupid me!
However, boosted by their kind reply, I improved my application (while at first I had been very lazy, uploading only passport copy, ID picture and 1 hotel booking), following step by step what you did (with only a few differences):
- screenshot of hotel booking for every night,
- screenshot of flight reservation (Paris-Tehran) from Turkish Airlines website,
- a letter explaining I was flying to Tehran and then entering at Taftan land border,
- my Iranian e-visa,
- a map of my itinerary in Pakistan.
I chose Paris as referent Pakistani consular service, even though I'm in Yerevan already.

I finally submitted my application today at 12 and got my visa approval 4 hours later.
French passport, 3 weeks itinerary from Taftan land border to Wagah land border.

Auriane once again I'm overgrateful for your detailed post, as well as all of the positive feedbacks posted on this topic through the last months.

What is interesting to know:
- I said I was exiting to India but uploaded no Indian visa (I can't ask for e-visa, as it doesn't allow to enter by land; my plan is to apply for a traditional visa at the Indian consulate in Islamabad).
- I already received requests of cancellation from two Pakistani hostels I had booked and detailed in my form (I guess they can't host foreigners), which probably means the visa office doesn't really care. On the other hand, the hostel I chose as 'official booking reservation' (this thing acting as alternative 'sponsor') did confirm my stay (Red Stone Hostel in Karachi).

Please do ask all the questions you need, if this message doesn't look detailed enough, or clear enough, or just if my english is messing things up.

Caravanistan used to be my best friend three years ago, while I was spending so much time in Tehran running from one embassy to the next. But I can't detail how grateful I feel tonight to be able to reach India without farting kerosene into the planet's lungs...

A hug to each one of you! Fair winds, safe roads and free tea

[paulvercoustre]

Hello there,

I’m a french cyclist who just got a Pakistan e-visa in 2 days.

My visa is 30 days single entry, with 6 months to enter Pakistan.

I applied while traveling in Central Asia but said I was available for an interview in the France, hoping they wouldn’t ask me to go to the embassy, and they haven’t.

My plan is to cycle the Karakorum Highway, entering Pakistan from China (Khunjerab pass) and exiting to India (Wagah border). I put these 2 borders in the e-visa application and said I would not travel to Azad Jammu & Kashmir region.

I did not get an invitation letter, instead I booked 3 hotels (Gilgit, Islamabad, Lahore) and attached a pdf of the hotel booking confirmations to my application.

Hoping this helps!

[jonkees]

Hi,

I have a question about Caravanistan's Pakistan LOI offer. I'm applying for an evisa. I chatted with iVisa and they said the application requires a detailed day-to-day itinerary (including hotel names) plus *either* an LOI *or* proof of hotel bookings for the full trip. This seems a little weird to me that either/or is acceptable, but that suggests the LOI would be an easier route that allows more flexibility. However I still have to make my own itinerary. So, my question is if I get the LOI through Carivanistan how do I make sure all the details of my itinerary are in agreement with the LOI?

For example, will the LOI have hotel/city info in it, or state arrival/depature dates, etc. Or just has like my name on it. I can't tell from the Carivanistan LOI application process, but looks like all they ask for is your arrival date.

Thanks for any clarification on this.

[austin2powers]

Hi Jonkees, the Caravanistan LOI only contains the cities of your itinerary without specific dates.
Also, in both of our recent cases (UK and Germany) we only needed hotel booking for the first city. The rest of the itinerary was not covered by bookings, just provided potential hotel names.

Hope this helps
Henning