Pakistan
Warnings and insurance
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Areas where FCDO advises against travel
Pakistan-Afghanistan border
FCDO advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province
FCDO advises against all travel to these areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province:
- Bajaur
- Bannu
- Buner
- Chārsadda
- Dera Ismail Khan
- Khyber
- Kohat
- Kurram
- Lakki Marwat
- Lower Dir
- Mohmand
- Orakzai
- Peshawar, including the city of Peshawar
- Swat
- Tank
- North Waziristan
- Upper South Waziristan
- Lower South Waziristan
- the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas via Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin up to the junction with the N15
- the N45 Highway, from the north of the Mardan ring road, to the edge of Chitral City, including Kalash valley
Balochistan Province
FCDO advises against all travel to Balochistan Province, except the southern coast of Balochistan.
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the coast of Balochistan, namely:
- the area south of (and including) the N10 motorway
- the section of the N25 from the N10/N25 intersection to the Balochistan-Sindh border, including the port city of Gwadar
Pakistan-administered Kashmir
FCDO advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the Line of Control.
Sindh Province
FCDO advises against all but essential travel to all areas of Sindh Province north of and including the city of Nawabshah.
Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel to these regions.
Cricket
Pakistan will be hosting the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy 2025 Tournament between 19 February 2025 and 9 March 2025, a significant sporting event.
Matches will be held in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. If you are considering attending any of the matches, see our pages on Safety and Security, and Regional Risks relating to the location of the match. Our pages include advice on personal safety, attending public events and Entry Requirements. Significant sporting events could be a potential target for terrorism. Ensure that you stay alert to your surroundings at all times, be aware of your personal security, and report anything suspicious.
Increased security measures are likely to be in place during this period. Follow the advice of local authorities.
Before you travel
No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
- see general advice for women travellers
- read our guide on disability and travel abroad
- see general advice for LGBT+ travellers
- read about safety for solo and independent travel
- see advice on volunteering and adventure travel abroad
Travel insurance
If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
About FCDO travel advice
FCDO provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
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Update history
2025-02-12 14:47
Update regarding personal safety for the upcoming ICC (Cricket) tournament (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2025-01-27 16:50
Addition of information regarding air pollution (‘Health’ page).
2024-11-29 11:21
Removal of information about political demonstrations (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
2024-11-22 15:10
New information about political demonstrations (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages)
2024-06-13 11:34
Updated information on illegal entry to Pakistan, returning to the UK and crime in Karachi (‘Entry Requirements’ and ‘Regional risks’ pages).
2024-01-24 15:17
Removal of information about a reported security threat in sector E8 in Islamabad.
2024-01-22 10:25
Advice to avoid the Margalla Road between E8 and F8 in Islamabad following a security threat in Islamabad (‘Regional risks’ page).
2024-01-18 14:59
Information on tensions at the Pakistan-Iran border including military strikes into the province of Balochistan (‘Regional risks’ page).
2024-01-10 12:09
This travel advice has been rewritten to make it easier to read and understand.
2023-10-31 16:20
FCDO now also advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the border with Afghanistan (‘Summary’ page).
2023-10-25 15:15
Information on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) recently cancelling multiple flights to and from Gilgit and Skardu Airports in the North of Pakistan (‘Summary’ page). Addition of information on a Polio vaccination programme (‘Health’ page).
2023-09-01 19:03
“Update advising against all but essential travel to the region of Gilgit Baltistan due to recent demonstrations and protests in the area (’Summary’ and ‘Local travel’ pages).”
2023-08-29 16:43
Update on monsoon rains (’Summary’, ‘Air travel and ‘Natural disasters’ pages).
2023-07-10 12:20
Removal of requirement for COVID-19 vaccination certificate to enter Pakistan (‘Entry requirements’ page).
2023-06-22 09:46
Information about the global terrorism risks to British nationals abroad on all FCDO travel advice pages.
2023-06-12 16:01
Severe cyclonic storm expected to make landfall between south eastern Sindh and Indian Gujarat (‘Summary’ page).
2023-05-30 13:31
Updated information on healthcare and Ramadan (‘Safety and security’, ‘Local laws and customs’ and ‘Health’ pages).
2023-05-10 10:02
Updated information on public gatherings and disruptions to internet connectivity (‘Summary’ page).
2023-05-09 13:25
Updated information on political rallies and protests (‘Summary’ page).
2023-03-20 12:42
Updated information on political rallies and protests (‘Summary’ page).
2023-01-03 15:37
Updated information about COVID-19 testing for international arrivals (‘Entry Requirements’ page).
2022-12-25 15:29
Addition of information about a possible attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad (‘Summary’ page).
2022-12-08 14:46
Addition of information about limits on the movement of foreigners during cricket test matches in Multan (‘Summary’ page).
2022-12-01 11:25
Removal of information about previous protests called in Rawalpindi (‘Summary’ page).
2022-11-25 13:22
Updated information about risks of criminal gangs in northern Sindh and protests called in Rawalpindi (‘Summary’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
2022-11-08 13:57
Updated information on nationwide protests occurring (‘Summary’ page).
2022-10-21 11:28
(Correction) The FCDO continues to advise against all but essential travel to Arandu town and the road between Mirkhani and Arandu in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
2022-10-21 09:33
This advice has been reviewed, with changes made to the Summary and Natural Disasters sections. There are other minor amendments throughout.
2022-09-16 14:02
Removal of Pass Track requirement (‘Entry Requirements’ page).
2022-08-31 09:43
Updated information on severe flooding and landslides (‘Summary’ and ‘Natural disasters’ pages).
2022-08-26 23:15
Updated information of severe flooding and landslides and the England cricket team’s tour to Pakistan in September (See ‘Summary’ and ‘Natural disasters’)
2022-08-04 18:27
Updated information on the death of Ayman al- Zawahiri (‘Summary’ and ‘Terrorism’ pages)
2022-05-25 16:26
Addition of information on political protests in Islamabad (‘Summary’ page)
2022-05-20 14:41
Addition of information and advice on extreme weather, including severe heatwaves (‘Summary’ page)
2022-04-07 14:23
Update to information on COVID-19 entry requirements (‘Entry requirements’)
2022-04-01 18:22
Highlighting possibility of political rallies in the coming days, which may have an anti-Western dimension to them (‘Summary’). Reminder of security advice (‘Safety and security’ and Terrorism’).
2022-02-28 11:08
Removal of PCR testing requirement for vaccinated travellers entering Pakistan (‘Entry requirements’)
2022-02-21 15:39
Update to information on who to call in a medical emergency (‘Health’ page). Structural changes to the ‘Entry requirements’ section.