UK Visa for Pakistani Citizens: Standard Visitor Guide 2026

If you hold a Pakistani passport, you need a UK Standard Visitor visa before you travel for tourism, family visits or most short business trips. You apply online on GOV.UK, then give your fingerprints and photo at a UK visa application centre run by VFS Global. Pakistan is not part of the UK's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme, so an ETA is not an option for you.

Pakistan appears on the UK's visa national list in the Immigration Rules, which means Pakistani citizens must obtain a visit visa in advance rather than arriving visa-free or with an ETA. The Standard Visitor visa covers a wide range of short trips:

• holidays and sightseeing
• visiting family or friends living in the UK
• attending business meetings, conferences or interviews
• short courses of study of up to six months
• private medical treatment, which has its own fee and stay rules

You can usually stay for up to six months on each visit. You cannot work for a UK employer, claim public funds, live in the UK through back-to-back visits, or marry or register a civil partnership. A wedding in the UK needs a Marriage Visitor visa instead.

eVisas for Pakistani visitors since February 2026

On 25 February 2026 the British High Commission in Islamabad announced that Pakistani visitors, including tourists, can now receive eVisas. In practice this means a successful decision arrives by email and your permission is held as a digital record in a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account, rather than as a sticker in your passport. You keep your passport after the biometrics appointment, so there is no second trip to the centre to collect it.

The High Commission said that processing times, eligibility rules and visa conditions did not change, and that existing sticker visas remain valid. Once you have an eVisa, you can create a share code from your UKVI account to prove your status. Make sure the passport you travel with is the one linked to your account; if you renew your passport, update your account before flying.

Applying through GOV.UK and VFS Global

1. Check you are applying for the right visa. GOV.UK has a short checker that confirms you need a Standard Visitor visa. 2. Complete the online application on GOV.UK. You can apply up to three months before your travel date. 3. Pay the visa fee online during the application. 4. Book an appointment at a VFS Global centre in Pakistan through the link GOV.UK provides at the end of the form. 5. Attend your appointment with your passport and supporting documents. Your fingerprints and photograph are taken there. 6. Wait for the decision email and, once approved, set up or sign in to your UKVI account to view your eVisa.

Each family member, including children, needs their own application, fee and appointment.

Evidence to upload

GOV.UK says you must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay. Beyond that, the decision maker wants evidence that you meet the visitor rules: that you will leave at the end of your trip, that you can pay for yourself and your return journey, and that the visit is genuine. Typical evidence includes:

• your current passport and any previous passports showing travel history
• bank statements covering recent months, with salary credits that match your stated income
• an employment letter confirming your role, salary and approved leave, or business registration and tax records if you are self-employed
• property, family or study ties that show you have reasons to return to Pakistan
• a travel plan and accommodation details, or an invitation letter if you are staying with relatives
• if someone else is paying, their letter, bank statements and evidence of their immigration status in the UK

Any document that is not in English or Welsh must come with a certified translation. Avoid large, unexplained cash deposits shortly before you apply; caseworkers notice them.

Fees and decision times

The UK government lists the Standard Visitor visa fee as £135 for a visit of up to six months. For frequent travellers, long-term visit visas are available: £506 for two years, £903 for five years and £1,128 for ten years, with each stay still limited to six months. Visits for private medical treatment cost £234 and can allow up to 11 months.

GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within three weeks once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents. GOV.UK also offers priority (an extra £500) and super priority (an extra £1,000) services for some visa applications, but availability for visit visas depends on the location, so check what is offered when you book.

Fees can change, so always confirm the current figure on GOV.UK before paying.

Why Pakistani visit applications get refused

Refusals often come down to the evidence rather than the person. Watch out for:

• bank balances that do not match declared income or that jump just before applying
• unclear or missing information about who is paying for the trip
• gaps or inconsistencies between your form and your supporting documents
• weak evidence of ties to Pakistan, such as no proof of employment or ongoing studies
• not mentioning a previous UK refusal or immigration problem; you must always declare these

If you are coming for six months or more, for example for medical treatment, and have lived in Pakistan recently, you may also need a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate from an approved clinic. Ordinary short visits do not need one.

The High Commission's warning about agents

The British High Commission in Islamabad strongly discourages the use of visa agents and points applicants to GOV.UK as the trusted source of information. No agent can speed up a decision or guarantee a visa, and nobody outside UKVI can influence the outcome. Apply only on GOV.UK, pay fees only through the official payment page, and book appointments only through the VFS Global link GOV.UK gives you. Be suspicious of anyone selling appointment slots, "confirmed" bookings or fake bank statements. Submitting false documents is likely to lead to a refusal and can affect future UK applications.

If your case is complicated, for example after a previous refusal, speak to an adviser regulated in the UK rather than an unregistered agent.

Before you book

• Confirm your passport is valid for your entire trip.
• Apply no earlier than three months before departure, and allow at least three weeks for a decision.
• Gather six months of bank statements and an employer or business letter.
• Book flights and hotels only once your visa is approved, or choose refundable options.
• Check your UKVI account shows the correct passport details before you fly.