Pakistan investor visa

The Business-Investor visa is for foreigners who intend to do business in or invest in Pakistan, from BVL and non-BVL countries alike. It has short-term entries of one or three years, a long-term entry of five years and two-year extensions, all with multiple entries.

The SIFC Investor visa sits in a separate SIFC category for people coming to invest. The applicant first requests a visa invitation from the Special Investment Facilitation Council through its e-visa page; the recommendation letter or e-mail from SIFC is then uploaded with the visa application. It is offered as a three-year short-term entry, a five-year long-term entry and a two-year extension.

For the five-year Business-Investor entry and for extensions, the portal asks for one of the following: real estate in Pakistan worth more than USD 100,000; investment of at least USD 50,000 in companies or partnerships registered in Pakistan; a balance of at least USD 50,000 in one or more foreign-currency accounts in Pakistan; investment of any other kind of at least USD 50,000; or a recommendation from the Board of Investment.

The one-year and three-year short-term entries need one of the business-visa letters instead: a recommendation from the chamber of commerce in your country, an invitation from a business organisation recommended by a Pakistani trade body, a recommendation from the Board of Investment, a Pakistani commercial attaché or head of mission, or a letter showing existing business.

The fees for the Business-Investor short-term one-year and three-year entries, the long-term entry and the SIFC long-term investor entry are set by the portal's calculator according to the country you apply from. Check the calculator before applying and pay online by card.

For Business Visa List countries the portal gives 24 hours for short-term entries, 10 days for the long-term entry and two weeks for extensions. Non-BVL countries and Afghanistan wait four weeks for entries and two weeks for extensions. If officials send the application back for review, you have seven days to resubmit or it is cancelled, and the processing time starts again from resubmission.

Both investor visas can be extended from inside Pakistan for two years with multiple entries. Upload your current visa and entry stamp under "Other" together with the investment evidence or SIFC recommendation.