Pakistan border and travel institutions

Immigration: Federal Investigation Agency

The FIA Immigration Wing was set up in 1975 ¹. It examines the travel documents of arriving and departing international passengers and acts against fake or forged documents ¹. It enforces the Exit Control List, the Provisional National Identification List and other government conditions on travel ¹. It handles visa on arrival for business and tourist categories at designated entry points ¹.

The FIA page cites the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act 2018 and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act 2018 ¹. The FIA describes its Integrated Border Management System as supporting immigration control under the FIA Act 1974 and the Foreigners Registration Act 1964 ².

The FIA gives two counts of its posts. The Immigration Wing page lists 13 airports, 5 land routes, 4 seaports and 2 railway stations ¹. The IBMS page lists 14 airports, 7 land routes, 4 seaports and 2 railway stations ².

Visas and passports: Ministry of Interior, DGI&P and NADRA

The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports works under the Ministry of Interior ³. It grants and extends machine readable visas through its headquarters and zonal offices in Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Karachi ³.

The Pakistan Online Visa System runs on visa.nadra.gov.pk ⁴. The portal says the issue of a visa is the prerogative of the Government of Pakistan, exercised through designated authorities ⁴. Dawn reported on 25 July 2024 that a dashboard at the interior ministry would supervise the online visa system, and that the interior ministry and the Foreign Office would carry out the visa fee waiver ⁹.

Airports and aviation: PAA and PCAA

The Pakistan Airports Authority Act, 2023 was published in the Gazette on 7 August 2023 ⁵. It says the Authority shall administer, operate and develop airports and air navigation services ⁵. It does not cover airports belonging to or used only by the armed forces ⁵. The Act provides for the transfer of the assets and staff of the old Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to the new Authority ⁵.

A Ministry of Aviation notification of 9 August 2024, made under the Pakistan Civil Aviation Act, 2023, requires the Airports Authority to pay ten percent of its air navigation charges to the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority ⁶. ARY News reported on 22 November 2025 that the PCAA, as national regulator, handles complaints about airline operations and delays ⁷. The PAA handles complaints about airport facilities and passenger handling ⁷.

Customs, transit trade and emigrant protection

Pakistan's WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement entries say the FBR runs the Integrated Transit Trade Management System ¹⁰. They name the National Logistics Cell as terminal operator at Torkham ¹⁰.

The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment says every intending emigrant is legally bound to have the foreign service agreement protected by the relevant Protectorate of Emigrants office ⁸.

Who does what at a glance