Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jcan]

Hi all,

I am finishing my contract in August and will be travelling in India for a couple of weeks. I'm thinking about taking a side trip to Lahore, Pakistan while I am in Amritsar since it is so close. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with getting a visa to Pakistan? On the embassy website it listed the requirements. I think I can provide them all (as long as the list applies to Canadians, not just Koreans) except the flight details since I plan on crossing the border on foot.

If anyone has any experience or advice about crossing the Indian/Pakistan border at this location, or getting a Pakistan visa in Seoul, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

[mellinger]

Hi,

I got a visa for Pakistan about 2 years ago as I did a trek up in the North to K2 Base Camp.

To get the visa, it's definitely best to go to the embassy which is located in Itaewon.

As for the requirements, just be sure you fill out the paperwork perfectly and do make sure you have absolutely everything they list. My first trip up I didn't have everything, and so couldn't apply. Then my second trip, they required me to have something extra because I was trekking. Then the third time, because they thought i was going to be trekking over a certain altitude, they thought I'd need a special permit, but I wasn't.

Regardless to say, for me, I had to make about 4-5 trips up to Itaewon from Daejeon where I live. It was a hassle, but worth it in my mind.

I'm not sure about Canadians but as an American, it would be costly just making a side trip from India. The visa for me cost about $150. Again, for me it was worth it, as it was a very beautiful country (again, based off of being in the very north in the Himalayas) and I was there for over 3 weeks.

I haven't been to Lahore, so can't comment on that. I will say that after I came back, my guide in Pakistan gave me some promotional materials for Pakistan to give to the embassy in Seoul. When I did, they were very grateful to receive them here and the embassy staff were really friendly to me.

If you'd like to see some photos from my trip, you can see them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theworldismycanvas/sets/72157621813153507/

Best of luck and I can try to answer any more questions you may have. For me, it helped a lot with the visa having a contact in Pakistan to help. I had already been in contact with a travel agency for my trek, so they helped a lot with arranging the visa.

-Mike

[West Coast Tatterdemalion]

yeah, i don't know if traveling to Pakistan is such a good idea right now. I think I'd pass on that one.

[Italy37612]

[alwaysbeclosing100]

i just tried to do this in January. i had a problem getting a multiple entry india visa through a travel agent in seoul but i didnt put much effort into getting one. i was already in amritsar for the golden temple and wanted to cross the border. i talked to the pakistan embassy in seoul and they were very helpful. i think the cost was about $150. very few people buy pakistan visas so they were glad to sell me one. there are also some rules about entering india 2 times in under 60/90 days.

so if you want to enter india only 1 time and enter pakistan 1 time you should have no problem at all. if you want to enter india....then go to pakistan....then come back to india i suggest you spend extra time checking the rules and you may have a hard time getting a multiple entry visa in seoul........

i have been to burma and i think it is the best country in asia......the media totally slams burma as a terrible place......thousands of tourists go to carnival in brazil which has some shocking murder rates in the big cities........south africa also has some terrible city crime and no one is talking about not going there.......

do you homework on the pakistan trip and i think it could be well worth it.....

[jcan]

Mike your pictures are amazing. What a great experience. Thanks for the info, you too alwaysbeclosing100. It looks like it would be a lot of hassle to get a visa just for the couple of days I was thinking of being there, and I'm gonna pass. The other two posters had a point, too. Even though Lahore is one of the safer cities in Pakistan it may not be best to travel there right now.

[hammmmy]