E-Paper | July 31, 2026

No more visa on arrival for Afghan nationals as per new rules

Shakeel Qarar Published
58
A man has his photograph taken at the passport office in Kabul.—AFP/File
A man has his photograph taken at the passport office in Kabul.—AFP/File
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The federal government has restricted the movement of Afghan citizens in Pakistan and excluded them from the list of nationals who are offered visa on arrival, DawnNewsTV learnt on Thursday.

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Immigration Asmatullah Junejo said that these measures have been taken due to security concerns.

"All Afghan nationals who want to visit Pakistan will have to obtain a visa from Pakistani consulates in their country," he said, adding that Afghan nationals will have to register themselves with the law enforcement agencies in the country.

The Afghan nationals will be given entry through "Form C" at airports, Junejo said. "Details of the visiting Afghan nationals will also be provided to the relevant district police officers and police stations," he added.

According to the new rules, a stay permit will be issued to visiting Afghan nationals following their registration and subsequently a travel permit will be issued after they submit their stay permit.

Currently, Pakistan offers visa on arrival facility to citizens of 24 countries, including China, Malaysia, and the United States.

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World
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Shakeel Qarar is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn News (TV), having been with the organization since 2012. His reporting covers crime, law and order, and security, with a specific focus on the Ministry of Interior and its subordinate agencies. He can be found on X at @Qarar009.

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BhaRAT
Jan 03, 2019 07:32pm
Great decision by Pakistan government Afghan nationals are spreading terrorism in Pakistan and supporting nationalists movement in Tribal areas
Recommend 0
Asif Kashmiri
Jan 03, 2019 07:33pm
Excellent and long overdue decision!
Recommend 0
sana
Jan 03, 2019 07:34pm
very good decision.
Recommend 0
M. Saeed
Jan 03, 2019 07:39pm
But, there are millions of Afghan national living since ages in Pakistan?
Recommend 0
Salman Rizvi
Jan 03, 2019 07:50pm
Good!
Recommend 0
Dawnleaks
Jan 03, 2019 07:50pm
Finally a step in the right direction
Recommend 0
Khan
Jan 03, 2019 07:54pm
Best news of 2019!
Recommend 0
Pak_UK
Jan 03, 2019 08:01pm
Very well done.
Recommend 0
Sheraz Ali
Jan 03, 2019 08:02pm
A very good move. No more uninvited guest please
Recommend 0
Pak_UK
Jan 03, 2019 08:08pm
There should be no compromise on security.
Recommend 0
Emerging Pakistan
Jan 03, 2019 08:11pm
Great news, now the illegal crossings from the border needs to stopped too, they have been unthankful to Pakistan anyways.
Recommend 0
Guru
Jan 03, 2019 08:17pm
Bravo! MashaAllah....
Recommend 0
Syed H
Jan 03, 2019 08:22pm
Good heavens; to think for all these years Afghans were getting visas on arrival! The FIA director is quoted in this news article as saying "these measures have been taken due to security concerns." Did the FIA only now notice that we have been at war for so many years against terror emanating from this Afghanistan, a country that does not even acknowledge our international borders and whose leaders regularly call for our destruction? This would be funny, if it were not for the all the lives lost. Then again, better late than never, I suppose. I am glad that at least this new government is taking some action that is long overdue.
Recommend 0
Prateik
Jan 03, 2019 08:24pm
Afghans were supposed to be brothers.
Recommend 0
SkyHawk
Jan 03, 2019 08:25pm
Good decision. Please send the Afghan refugees back to their country.
Recommend 0
Zack
Jan 03, 2019 08:35pm
Finally the new government is taking steps that should have been done before
Recommend 0
chengez k
Jan 03, 2019 08:37pm
What about PTM?
Recommend 0
Bpd
Jan 03, 2019 08:38pm
Citizens from 24 countries are now issued 'on-arrival' visas in Pakistan. They include citizens from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Norway, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Spain, and Singapore See the difference!!
Recommend 0
Asad khan
Jan 03, 2019 09:29pm
How come US citizens are not a threat to Pakistan security, get ready to deal with CIA propaganda.
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Rajesh
Jan 03, 2019 09:40pm
Great decision in the interest of the interior security. Also a little confused about "Currently, Pakistan offers visa on arrival facility to citizens of 24 countries, including China, Malaysia, and the United States". Normally, the Visa rules are set on a reciprocal basis; do China, Malaysia & the USA provide Visa on arrival to Pakistani citizens?
Recommend 0
Zen
Jan 03, 2019 09:43pm
@Bpd, Forgot to include Turkey: Iran : UAE : Saudi Arab : Norway Sweden Switzerland: Italy Hong Kong :
Recommend 0
sana
Jan 03, 2019 09:43pm
ban them entirely
Recommend 0
Raja Farhat Abbas
Jan 03, 2019 09:44pm
Best news of the year 2019.!
Recommend 0
Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad
Jan 03, 2019 09:50pm
Excellent decision by the current P.T.I. administration in Islamabad to exclude for security reasons the Afghan nationals from the list of 24 countries whose citizens are offered visa on arrival in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Recommend 0
F
Jan 03, 2019 09:54pm
Right step. Many afghan involved in terrorism worldwide show themselves as Pakistani using fake CNIC of Pakistan. Same way, most of Afghan doing jobs in Dubai on fake CNIC of pakistan
Recommend 0
Maria Farooq
Jan 03, 2019 10:01pm
@Prateik, Indeed. Despite of being unthankful to Pakistan, the borders were still open for them for decades.
Recommend 0
Maria Farooq
Jan 03, 2019 10:02pm
@Syed H, truely said!
Recommend 0
Khalid
Jan 03, 2019 10:05pm
@M. Saeed, they should go back.
Recommend 0
naji
Jan 03, 2019 10:10pm
Very good move of Pakistan. 80% wrong activities are coming from out side, especially, weapons, drugs, illegal currency, and criminals.
Recommend 0
Shabbir
Jan 03, 2019 10:12pm
Better late than never.
Recommend 0
Tabi
Jan 03, 2019 10:17pm
Great
Recommend 0
Tabi
Jan 03, 2019 10:19pm
Its a good step to fight terrorism
Recommend 0
Imran
Jan 03, 2019 10:23pm
Deer Amad Darust Amad.... Great Decision
Recommend 0
WASEEM MALIK
Jan 03, 2019 10:31pm
it was long due. good decision.
Recommend 0
Ahmed
Jan 03, 2019 10:33pm
Great decision. Hope no political party makes an issue.
Recommend 0
Mubeen Khan
Jan 03, 2019 10:35pm
Good news but rules of entry should be made even harder for Afgan nationals. Pakistan also needs to make sure their side of the border is water tights to stop infiltration.
Recommend 0
Jonjoe
Jan 03, 2019 10:41pm
Long overdue and about time we started reporting afghans who harbour nothing but ill will against the land that has given them so much!
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Syed Saad Ahmed
Jan 03, 2019 10:52pm
@Syed H, Absolutely spot-on. I couldn't have said it better myself. Now let's hope those so-called "human rights organizations" or "NGO's" don't start crying, exaggerating and blowing the whole thing out of proportion, as they always tend to do whenever such measures are taken
Recommend 0
A
Jan 03, 2019 11:09pm
After sacrificing lives of 70000 and so much anarchi? Isn’t that too late? They are everywhere..,,
Recommend 0
LUVPAK71
Jan 03, 2019 11:28pm
Awesome decision by the govt.
Recommend 0
ExPak
Jan 03, 2019 11:39pm
Excellent decision! Should’ve been done long time ago.
Recommend 0
Pastun
Jan 03, 2019 11:43pm
@Prateik, - Yes they are still brothers..these security measures are to prevent "the imposters" from "other" countries sneaking into our country...
Recommend 0
sfomann
Jan 04, 2019 12:07am
Unfortunately the Afghanis are very unthankful nations. We have done so much for them and still they are cahooting with Indians to stab us in the back.
Recommend 0
Nasir
Jan 04, 2019 12:34am
At last the long awaited desired decision. Well keep hard on Afghan terrorists who spread terrorism in Pakistan.
Recommend 0
Awan
Jan 04, 2019 12:41am
Well done
Recommend 0
Ahmed
Jan 04, 2019 12:47am
Perhaps Afghans may now appreciate how open Pakistan had been and continues to be in return for their ghadari.
Recommend 0
Zahid
Jan 04, 2019 01:04am
Great decision .Thanks FIA
Recommend 0
Sarfaraz Khan
Jan 04, 2019 01:05am
Good decision made by this government for the sake of people’s security.
Recommend 0
Swiss Neutral
Jan 04, 2019 01:21am
Makes no difference. The border is so porous that they can walk in
Recommend 0
Dawn
Jan 04, 2019 01:42am
Right decision.
Recommend 0
Anonymous
Jan 04, 2019 02:44am
Good decision, however, I wonder why this decision was not taken earlier? Since it has been rightly claimed by the Pakistani military that the terrorists often cross over from Afghanistan to Pakistan, so why was this step not taken earlier?
Recommend 0
Sajid
Jan 04, 2019 03:32am
Not sure if right or wrong decision; but I feel it should have been case by case as there are plenty of good people both sides that will suffer.
Recommend 0
Sid
Jan 04, 2019 04:55am
Very smart move by the present government of Pakistan,we can prevent bad guys out of our country and control law and order in a very efficient way. Pakistan Zndabad
Recommend 0
Omer (USA)
Jan 04, 2019 06:04am
The real question is why did Pakistan take such a long time to rethink this policy? And who enacted it in the first place?
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Abdul Ghaffar
Jan 04, 2019 07:15am
If visa on arrival for United States is available I recommend our foreign Office to inform all embassies and consulates. Your article maybe not be accurate. I have had to get visas when entering
Recommend 0
Tanvir Afgan
Jan 04, 2019 08:12am
Islamabad is teeming with Afghans riding luxury vehicles; their entry must be controlled and regulated. We cannot allow our way of life to be affected by ill gotten wealth.
Recommend 0
Fahad Ali
Jan 04, 2019 08:46am
Highly appreciate the decision by Government of Pakistan
Recommend 0
SAK
Jan 04, 2019 10:03am
Bravo; great decision. Enough is enough now these so called brothers must be scrutinized before entering into Pakistan because most of them are the agents and creating unrest in our country through their anti Pakistan activities.
Recommend 0

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