How to Get a Visa for Pakistan from India

You need to go to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to apply for your visa. Give yourself at least three working days in New Delhi for this process, and don't be surprised if it takes four to five working days.

Day 1

Go to your home country's embassy and get a letter of introduction (LOI). For Americans, the letter costs 1500 rupees ($31). You can pay in dollars or in rupees. Getting the letter should only take you about fifteen minutes at the American Embassy in New Delhi. Some embassies do not give introduction letters, but it is likely that they will give you an official letter stating that they do not write introduction letters. This will suffice for the purposes of your Pakistani visa.

Then proceed directly to the Pakistan High Commission. Their visa window closes at noon, so you need to get an early start. Missing the noon deadline for your paperwork will set you back an entire day. At the Pakistan High Commission, get your papers and have them filled in by a typist. The fee for the typist should be around 50 rupees ($1). Don't fill them in by hand, as they will not be accepted and you'll have to do them all over again.

Then go to the bank specified by the Pakistan High Commission to pay the 6,000 rupee ($124) fee. You need to get a receipt from the bank to hand in with your visa papers. If you have two people, you can send one person to the bank while one person fills in the papers with the typist. This will save time.

Once the papers have been typed and the money has been deposited, go back to the High Commission and hand in your visa application, two passport photos, receipt from the bank, and your passport. The High Commission will give you an appointment to come and do an interview. Hopefully it's the next day, but it may not be.

Day 2 (or 3)

Make sure to get your interview on time. It may not actually start on time, so bring a book to keep you busy while waiting. You just don't want to miss the interview, as setting up another one could put you back a day or two in an already long process. Make sure you know what your address or hotel will be when you arrive in Pakistan. Also, the High Commission is supposed to grant tourists a 3 month multiple entry visa, but this doesn't always happen. If that's what you want, be sure to make it clear in the interview. Once you get to Pakistan you can extend it for a further three months free of cost at any Regional Passport Office with a Visa Section.

Day 3 (or 4)

After a successful interview, your visa should be ready for pickup the next day. That means, if everything goes according to plan, you can get your visa to Pakistan in three working days. When choosing a time to stop in Delhi to get your visa, make sure there are not any Hindu, Islamic, Indian or Pakistani national holidays interrupting the regular workweek. Hours may be different on Fridays due to Muslim prayer times.

Since most of your visa work will be done in mornings, it's possible to do some sightseeing or shopping in Delhi during the afternoons or evenings. Enjoy your trip in the subcontinent!