COVID-19 Updates On Travel Advisories and Requirements
6th December 2021
Eight more countries have been added to the Category C list of countries from which travellers are not allowed to enter Pakistan following the threat emanating from the COVID-19 variant Omicorn.
The new Category C list includes Croatia, Hungary, Netherlands, Ukraine, Ireland, Slovenia, Vietnam, Poland, South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
29th November 2021
26th November 2021
- Saudi Arabia will begin allowing direct entry to Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Vietnam, Egypt, and India on December 1, lifting the requirement that travelers first spend two weeks outside the six countries.
24th November 2021
- New Zealand will reopen its borders to fully-vaccinated foreigners on 30 April 2022. The foreigners will have to self-isolate for seven days and be tested upon arrival. As part of the re-opening, fully vaccinated New Zealand citizens and residents who are in Australia will be allowed to return from 16 January onwards, then all other New Zealanders will be allowed entry from 13 February
22th November 2021
- As of Nov. 30, Canada will expand the list of COVID-19 vaccines that travellers can receive in order to be considered fully vaccinated for travel to Canada. The list will include Sinopharm, Sinovac, and COVAXIN, in keeping with the World Health Organization Emergency use list.
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From 1 December 2021, fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can come to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption. Eligible visa holders include skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders.
Under these arrangements, travellers must:
- Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Hold a valid visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses
- Provide proof of their vaccination status
- Present a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within three days of departure.
19th November 2021
- Malaysia has partially reopened its borders to foreign tourists, allowing vaccinated visitors to travel to the islands of Langkawi ahead of Malaysia opening up the entire country to tourism in January 2022.
16th November 2021
- India opened to foreign tourists from countries with reciprocal agreements after a 20-month ban because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
9th November 2021
- UK approves Sinopharm, Sinovac for inward travellers from Nov 22
The vaccines approved by the UK government are:
- Oxford/AstraZeneca
- Pfizer BioNTech
- Moderna
- Janssen
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and from November 22, vaccines listed in the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing:
- Sinovac
- Sinopharm Beijing
- Covaxin
- With immediate effect, the following passengers will be allowed to undertake international inbound travel to Pakistan from category C countries up to 30th November
- All pakistan passport holders
- Pakistanis on short term visits & schedule to return
- Valid NICOP/POC Holders
- All other guidelines for for inbound travels to pakistan including vaccination criteria, pre departure PCR testing, on arrival Rapid Antigen Testing and any or all guidelines / protocol mandate by competent authority will be applicable on all passengers undertaking international inbound travel to pakistan
8th November 2021
- All passengers travelling to United States will be required to share the proof of vaccination at check-in & to the CBP at port of entry
4th November 2021
- The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) in view of “mass vaccination undertaken by various countries and a downward trend in all COVID-19 indicators across the globe” has decided to restore inbound air traffic at full capacity from November 10.
26th October 2021
- Iran reopens it's border for international tourism after nearly two years
12th October 2021
- Thailand plans to end Covid quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers from at least 10 low-risk nations from 1 November.
7th October 2021
- As of October 11, passengers from Pakistan arriving in the UK with NADRA-approved vaccination certificates will only be required to undergo a day 2 test in England without self-isolation. There are four vaccines approved by the UK against COVID-19: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
6th October 2021
Following categories allowed to travel directly to Saudi Arabia from suspended countries including Pakistan.
- Faculty members of universities, colleges, institutes
- Public education teachers
- General training authority in technical/vocational training institutes
- Scholarship students
- Institutional quarantine will be applied which includes their companions and families.
- Excluded from the institutional quarantine is anyone who received one dose or completed both doses of vaccine inside Saudi Arabia.
4th October 2021
- Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is going to resume flights for Kuwait City.
3rd October 2021
- UK will accept NADRA-issued COVID-19 vaccine certificates from Pakistani travellers.
30th September 2021
- Get vaccinated to avoid inconvenience! From 1st October, non vaccinated/ partially vaccinated individuals will face restrictions in many sectors including traveling, shopping, gatherings and school jobs etc.
- Children aged 12 years and above are now eligible for the free of cost vaccine. They will only be given the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.
- From October 1, only vaccinated people will be allowed to enter and work at airports of Pakistan.
29th September 2021
- Pakistan's National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has allowed resumption of in-flight meal service aboard domestic flights from October 1. The meal service was suspended since August to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
25th September 2021
- The Civil Aviation Authority has extended restrictions on inbound flights till October 31, continuing the ban on several countries placed in category C. All passengers arriving in the country will be subject to testing and quarantine stipulations as per current procedure.
23rd September 2021
- Effective October 1, 2021, Only fully vaccinated passengers of age 17 years and above will be allowed to undertake Domestic/International travel on Inbound/Outbound travel to/from Pakistan.
22nd September 2021
- Pakistan has imposed restrictions on the flight operation of Kuwaiti-designated airlines from October 1. The Civil Aviation Authority has repeatedly requested the Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority to allow Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to resume its flights to and from Kuwait which were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, unfortunately to no avail.
20th September 2021
- Thailand resumes the visa & COE issuance for all types of visa categories travelling from Pakistan to Thailand
17th September 2021
- UK removes Pakistan from Red list countries.
16th September 2021
Accepted Covid-19 Vaccines in Canada
- Moderna Spikevax
- Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty
- AstraZeneca Vaxzevria
- Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)
13th September 2021
- Vaccination is now available for the 15 to 18 year old age group in Pakistan. To register for the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, send a text message with your Child Registration Form (B-Form) number to 1166.
8th September 2021
Domestic Air Travel
- Only fully vaccinated passengers will be allowed to undertake domestic air travel within Pakistan.
International Air Travel:
- Only fully vaccinated passengers will be allowed to undertake international inbound travel to/outbound travel from Pakistan.
Exempted passengers for Domestic and International Air Travel:
- Passengers below 17 years of age are exempted.
- Passengers medically advised against COVID-19 vaccine administration and holding a medical certificate certifying the same.
7th September 2021
- Kuwait Airways resuming flights between Kuwait City and Lahore with once-a-week service.
6th September 2021
- Philippines lifted travel bans today on ten countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, UAE, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
- In a meeting between the airport management, airline staff, and testing laboratories at Faisalabad Airport, it was agreed to reduce the price of PCR rapid tests from PKR 6,500/- to PKR 5,000.
2nd September 2021
- Bahrain removes Pakistan from its Red list
31st August 2021
- Booster vaccination doses of Sinopharm, Sinovac and Pfizer will be available for international travelers.
29th August 2021
- The United Arab Emirates has announced it will resume issuing visas to all tourists fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
- Pakistan's CAA has approved five UN workers from Bangkok (Thailand) to arrive in Islamabad. Upon arrival at Islamabad Airport, UN workers will undergo COVID-19 tests. They will also be quarantined for up to ten days.
26th August 2021
- Passengers transiting through Dubai from Pakistan are required to take Rapid PCR tests.
25th August 2021
- Saudi Arabia will allow Pakistani Iqama (residence permit) holders who have taken two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia direct entry.
24th August 2021
- After September 30, only fully vaccinated passengers will be allowed to board international flights departing and arriving at Pakistani airports.
22nd August 2021
- Travellers arriving in Saudi Arabia must complete a mandatory 7-day institutional quarantine at their own expense at the institutional quarantine facility in their city of arrival.
19th August 2021
- Kuwait has allowed commercial flights to resume with Pakistan while adhering to COVID-19.
16th August 2021
- Eight major international airports have been made available with rapid PCR testing, namely Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, Multan and Sialkot.
13th August 2021
- All vaccination centers across the Country will remain open on 14th August.
- Islamabad Airport gets Rapid COVID-19 test facility for UAE travellers.
11th August 2021
- According to high commissioner of Pakistan UK is looking into removing Pakistan from travel red list.
- UAE has again revised its travel rules for its residents living in Pakistan and five other countries, exempting them from carrying the Covid-19 vaccination certificate while traveling to Dubai.
- The National Command and Operation Centre has decided that vaccination certificates for Covid-19 will become mandatory for air travel after September 10.
10th August 2021
- As of Oct 1, the National Command and Operation Centre will not allow unvaccinated people to travel on trains. All provinces should ensure that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed during Muharram.
9th August 2021
Incoming international passengers traveling to Pakistan will have to adhere to the following stipulations starting on August 9, 2021
- All inbound passengers of age 6 years and above will be required to possess a valid negative PCR Test Result conducted within the 72 hours prior to commencement of travel to Pakistan
- All arriving passengers of age 6 years and above will be tested through Rapid Antigen Testing upon arrival in Pakistan
- Positive testing passengers between age of 6 and 12 years will be Home quarantined under the supervision of concerned Civil Administration and Positive testing passengers above 12 years of age will be quarantined at a designated facility.
7th August 2021
- Moderna vaccine has been made available to students under 18 who intend to travel abroad.
5th August 2021
- PIA will not serve mineral water to its domestic flight passengers due to the spread of COVID-19
30th July 2021
- PIA is resuming its flights to the UK. PIA passengers would again be able to fly directly between Pakistan and three destinations in the United Kingdom.
24th July 2021
As per Pakistan CAA Advisory Effective August 01, 2021
- Domestic airlines require adults age 18 and older to be COVID vaccinated before flying.
- Passengers will have to present the NADRA vaccination certificate at the time of Check-in at the airport
- The partially vaccinated will have to show NADRA SMS from 1166 or partially vaccinated certificate downloaded from NADRA website
- Following categories of passengers are exempted from this restriction;
- Passenger below the age of 18 years.
- Foreign Nationals.
- Pakistani Nationals having documentary proof of vaccination abroad.
- Patients who are clinically advised against vaccination due to risk of reaction
- International passenger traveling arriving in or departing from Pakistan and having connected domestic flights within 72hrs of arrival or departure respectively.
- A random Rapid Antigen Test may also be conducted for visitors to Gilgit Baltistan Airports, as deemed appropriate by the Gilgit Baltistan government.
