Pakistan has scrapped its free Visa Prior to Arrival (VPA) access for citizens of 34 African countries, introducing new costs and paperwork for travellers who previously entered the country with minimal restrictions.
From January 1, 2026, affected travellers must now apply through Pakistan’s standard paid e-Visa system, replacing the fast-tracked, zero-fee 90-day multiple-entry visa that has been used since August 2025.
The policy change impacts businesspeople, students, tourists, and traders from countries including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Rwanda. In total, Pakistan’s decision impacts travellers from 126 countries and territories worldwide, spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. According to VisaNews, the VPA option has been removed from Pakistan’s official visa portal, with applicants now redirected to the regular e-Visa process, which involves $ 35 for EU citizens and $60 for US, Canadian, and UK nationals and varying fees between $35-$60 for African nationals depending on their country of origin.
While the reason for the removal remains unclear, for many African travellers, the sudden cancellation means submitting additional documents such as bank statements and invitation letters, as well as facing longer processing times. What was once one of Pakistan’s most Africa-friendly travel policies has now been rolled back, raising barriers at a time when movement for trade, education, medical tourism, and religious travel had been steadily increasing.
The timing of the decision is particularly sensitive. Across the continent, African governments have been pushing for greater mobility through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Union’s visa-free and visa-on-arrival agenda. The South Asian free VPA scheme had aligned with that broader push, giving African entrepreneurs and tourists relatively easy access to South Asia just as trade and diplomatic ties were expanding.
The country has become an important trade partner for several African countries, deepening its ties in recent years with Kenya, for example, exporting over $321 million worth of goods to Pakistan in the first eight months of 2023, making it the country’s largest export market during that period. African traders have also relied on Pakistan as a cost-competitive hub for textiles, pharmaceuticals, rice, and manufactured goods.
By tightening visa access, Pakistan risks slowing the people-to-people exchanges that support these economic links. Higher travel costs and added bureaucracy could dampen tourism from countries such as Mauritius, Seychelles, and Morocco, while traders from Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zambia sourcing goods from South Asia now face steeper entry hurdles.
Pending Islamabad’s clarification on whether the move is temporary or permanent, African travellers must navigate a more expensive and less predictable visa process, highlighting how fragile global mobility remains across much of the continent despite growing economic cooperation.
David Adubiina
