UK to Pakistan via Iran - carnet/visa situation
 

Hello all. My younger brother and I are planning a trip at the end of this month from the depths of Yorkshire all the way to the Punjab. We’ve been doing our homework, have cleared the hurdle of an Iranian Visa but are now faced with entry into Pakistan as the next challenge. We are both classed as dual nationals, and have a British Passport and a National ID Card for Overseas Pakistanis.

Now the company we are using to arrange our Carnet (cars international) are saying one of us must have a Pakistani visa for the Carnet to be accepted as we enter Pakistan. Is this correct? The issue is that as holders of the ID card I don’t think we can apply for a Visa.

I’m heading to the Pakistani Visa processing centre at the end of the week but I thought I’d ask here if anyone has experience of entering Pakistan with a Carnet and a NICOP card and if it really is a deal breaker.

Any advice gratefully received!

Hi Shah

I’ve got a Pakistani Visa just to be on the safe side . It’s classed as a family visa (my mum is a Pakistani citizen) so I didn’t need to obtain an LOI etc. I’m hoping having the NICOP will mean we have some freedom after we get to Quetta. Ultimate destination is Chakwal in Punjab so we will have some ground to cover!

Hi

Can I ask how you got over the hurdle of the Iranian visa? I am a UK citizen planning a bicycle tour and would like to go through Iran, but it seems impossible to get a visa without going on an organized tour.

Many thanks

Olly

Independent travel for UK passport holders is not possible at the moment, unless:

1. If you are a British man married to an Iranian woman, and able to provide a marriage certificate, then you can obtain a visa
2. If your father is Iranian, you are considered an Iranian citizen by the Iranian government, even if you have never been to Iran or lived there in the past. In this case, you could travel to Iran on an Iranian passport.

Otherwise travel in the company of an 'official guide' is mandatory at all times; and you will be required to join a group or a private tour, with the itinerary predetermined, pre-booked and prepaid.

Welcome home Ali.
With Overseas Pakistani Card you wont be needing a visa but certainly a CDP or some kind of bond if you want to temporarily import the vehicle. In case you want to keep or sell the vehicle then you would have to pay duties and many restrictions would apply.

The best place to get the information might be the Pakistani embassy in your country or the GOP customs. Following link might be helpful.

http://download1.fbr.gov.pk/Docs/201...hicles2010.pdf

My information is a bit too old when I drove a Ford Transit van in mid eighties, paid the taxes and sold for a profit that covered my travelling expenses.