CounsellorMaster

If a person wants to present a document (marriage, divorced, unmarried or single status certificates etc.) in Sweden and Finland or in another country abroad and the document is issued by the concerned authority of Pakistan. Such document should be legalized/attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and countersigned and attested by the Embassy of Pakistan Sweden. The same principle and procedure apply if the document is required to be presented in another country abroad. For instance, a marriage certificate issued by the concerned authority of Pakistan and required to be presented in Portugal.  That marriage certificate should be translated into  English and should be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and then countersigned and attested by the Pakistan Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. If Portuguese translation is required, that could be attested from the Embassy of Portugal in Islamabad. This procedure may be slightly different country to country.

Similarly, any document issued by the concerned authority of Sweden or Finland which is required to be presented in Pakistan, the said document must be in English language and should be duly legalized/attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden or Finland whichever is applicable. Then that document should be countersigned and attested by the Pakistan Embassy in Sweden, which is concurrently accredited to Finland as well.

If any person wants to change his or her marital status in Pakistan NADRA System that can be done online on NADRA website by applying online for the modification of NICOP or CNIC. All services provided by NADRA are online.

Recently, many Pakistanis residing in Finland faced problems regarding their Marriage, Divorces, un-married certificates and other documents while presenting them in The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) of Finland.  In order to resolve the problem of Pakistanis living in Finland, the Embassy of Pakistan in Sweden issued a letter of clarification to all the concerned authorities of Finland and Sweden. Click here to see the letter of Clarification

Now-a-days there is a long waiting time for renewal of Swedish Passport due to prolong queue because of refugee influx in Sweden due to Ukraine crises. That is why a flood of queries pour in from both Pakistani origin and Swedish nationals asking questions how to get Pakistan online visa on Swedish Emergency Passport. It is also called Temporary or Provisional Passport which is issued for short period of time to enable the person to travel abraod. The Emergency or Temporary or Provisional passport is issued to the citizen of that country.

Most frequently asked question is as follow:-

Question:  Can I get Pakistan online visa on Swedish Emergency Passport?

Answer: Yes, you can apply for Pakistan online visa on Emergency Passport of Sweden / Finland or any other country if it is valid for minimum six months.  However, if the emergency or normal passport is valid less than 6 months then you cannot apply for Pakistan online visa /e-visa on Pakistan Online Visa System (POVS). 

Although, if a person has normal passport which is valid less than six months cannot apply for Pakistan online visa, yet that person can still travel to Pakistan on that passport if he is holding valid NICOP or POC. However, he should come back to the country of his nationality within the period of validity of his passport.

Explanation:  If a person holding a Swedish Passport which is valid only for 4 months and he holds a valid Pakistani NICOP or POC, he can still go to Pakistan with lesser validity of his passport.

The requirement of six months validity of passport is only for the purpose of obtaining Pakistan online Visa or E-visa. To obtain a visa of any country you should have a valid passport for six months.

Moreover, if a person holds Alien’s Passport (Framlingspass) of Sweden or Finland or any other country cannot apply for Pakistan Online visa. However, he can travel to Pakistan if he holds a valid Pakistani NICOP. 

Who can apply for Alien’s Passport?

Alien’s Passport are issued to those people who have been granted asylum in Sweden/Finland or any other country on the grounds of protection from his home country and cannot obtain the passport of his own country. Or Sweden / Finland do not accept the passport of that country.

For Example:  A person from Afghanistan has obtained Asylum in Sweden and he cannot obtain passport from Afghanistan and want to travel to another country, in such cases he can obtain Alien’s Passport from Swedish Migration Agency. However, that person cannot travel to Afghanistan on Alien’s Passport.   

Important Note: Presently, Pakistan Online Visa System (POVS) does not accept Alien’s Passport (Framlingspass) and Travel Document (Resedokument) issued to a person under the United Nation Convention of 28 July, 1951 for Pakistan e-visa or ivsa. So do not apply for Pakistan online visa if you have Alien’s Passport or Travel Document.

The Embassy of Pakistan in Sweden (accredited to Finland) has already circulated the above information to the concerned authorities of Sweden and Finland. To see the Embassy letter Click Here

How to apply for Pakistan Online Visa Click Here

Frequently Asked Question about Pakistan E-visa / i-visa or online visa, Click Here

It has been noted with serious concern that many Overseas Pakistanis and travelers to Pakistan, faced problems and embarrassing situation at the airports and were denied boarding by the airlines due to the mistakes in their Visa Grant Notices issued online electronically by Pakistan Online Visa System (POVS) of  NADRA.  Thus they not only faced problems but also lost huge amount of money due to cancellation of their air tickets. In order to avoid loss of money and embarrassing situations at the airports, please carefully read the following guidelines before submitting your Pakistan E-Visa.  

2.       All applications submitted to the Embassy of Pakistan Sweden online through POVS are sent back to the applicants for final re-check with the following remarks:-

“Final Notice for re-checking your information carefully, keep in mind that Visa Grant Notice is issued from Centralized NADRA System of Pakistan and it automatically print the information typed by the applicant. Once the visa is issued, it cannot be corrected or edited later on.  Therefore, very carefully re-check the following information before re-submitting your application:

• Your name, Write Surname under the column of surname first name under the column of given name. Write the name exactly as it is written on your passport.

•  Passport Number

• Date of birth

• Nationality

How to review your application, search the following website on google and click on menu and go the page of Review for guidance:-

counsellormaster.com

And visit the page how to review and upload supporting documents.

If all the information is correct, just re-submit your application.”

Avoid Following Mistakes:

3.       Moreover, most of the applicants, especially Afghan national and Afghan origin, make the following frequent and common mistakes:

i) They live in Sweden or Finland and Select place of interview Afghanistan, which is wrong. If you select place of interview Afghanistan, your visa application is processed in Pakistan Embassy/Consulate in Afghanistan.

Therefore, if you are in Sweden or Finland then Select country of interview Sweden and Stockholm, which is correct and your visa application will be processed in the Embassy of Pakistan, Sweden.

1. Sometimes, they also select Category of Passport as Official or Diplomat, which is wrong instead of Ordinary.

The correct category for all the ordinary and common people including businessmen is “ordinary”. So always select category of Passport “Ordinary”.

How to correct the above mistakes if the visa application is sent back by the Visa Officer to you for review?

You will receive an email from NADRA with the subject “Documents Required”. Please carefully read the remarks of the Visa Officer and answer the question or upload the required documents asked by the Officer. Sometimes, the Visa Officer may just have sent you back your application for final re-check and you should carefully re-check your information. Keep in mind that only applicant can make correction in the following fields of his/her application:

• Applicant name, Write Surname under the column of surname first name under the column of given name. Write the name exactly as it is written on your passport. For example, your name on your passport is written as follow:

Surname:  Haideri

Given name:  Muhammad Sarwar

So write under Surname: Haideri

And write Given name: Muhammad Sarwar

•  Passport Number    –      Carefully write your passport number

• Date of birth          –       Carefully write your date of birth

• Nationality            –        Carefully write your Nationality

In case the Visa Officer ask you for uploading further documents and you cannot arrange that documents within 7 days, then just login to your account you have created on NADRA website at the time of submission of your application, then click on the Existing Tab, then Click on Review Tab and then Click the Red Colour Visa Application Tracking ID starting from 8800 which consist of 11 digits and write in remarks column to the officer following text and re-submit:-

“ I will arrange the documents which may take around 10 days, Please send back my application after 10 days”

Thus your application will avoid the automatic cancellation. If you do not re-submit your application within 7 (seven) days, your application will automatically stand cancelled.

How to review your application, Click Here

Always carefully recheck your information before submitting your visa application and also carefully recheck your detail on Visa Grant Notice before travelling. In case, you found any mistake on your Visa Grant Notice before travelling, immediately re-apply for a new Visa with correct information and also upload the Visa Grant Notice and you will be issued a new visa on priority.

We are trying our best to facilitate our overseas Pakistani community and other applicants as much as we can and thus issue guidelines from time to time for their information.

One cannot help everyone but everyone can help someone, let us help someone and share the massage for the benefit of others.

Many passengers travelling to Pakistan face problems due to the ambiguity of COVID-19 SOPs of Pakistan. Sometimes Airlines create embarrassing situation and deny them boarding.  

2.         The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan had issued the revised SoPs/guidelines for inbound travel to/from/within Pakistan, which came into force with effect from 01-04-2022. However, still many passengers face problems at the airports due to the confusion.

3.         Therefore, the Embassy of Pakistan issued a clarification letter of the SoPs to the concerned Swedish and Finnish authorities to facilitate the passengers travelling to Pakistan.

Click here to download and see the Embassy of Pakistan Letter of clarification.

4.         Moreover, all passengers travelling to Pakistan will be required to submit requisite data through Pass Track App or web portal prior to departure for Pakistan.  Click Here for Pass Track App

Please try your best to submit the requisite data through the Pass Track for smooth and hassle free boarding.

6.       However, in case due to technical reason, lack of knowledge or ignorance, a passenger cannot fulfill the requirements of Pass Track App, the Embassy of Pakistan Sweden has issued a letter of exemption for such passengers – Click here to download the exemption Letter for Pass Track App requirements.

Revised COVID-19 SOPs/Guidelines of Pakistan effective from 1^st April, 2022.

In supersession of all previous guidelines regarding COVID-19, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Pakistan has issued the following revised SoPs/guidelines for inbound travel to/from/within Pakistan, which will  come into force with effect from 01-04-2022:-

1. Only fully vaccinated passengers of age 12 years and above will be allowed to undertake international inbound air travel to Pakistan.

However, following passengers will be exempted from Vaccinations:-

1. Pakistani Deportees;

1. Passengers (Pakistani/Foreigners) with valid medical reason for exemption of vaccination issued by a Doctor (certificate from classified specialist);

1. Pakistani passengers (holding, Pakistani Passport, NICOP, CNIC or POC) less than 12 years of age;

1. Foreigners/Foreign Passport holders less than 18 years of age;

• Passengers (Pakistani/Foreigners) who travelled outbound from Pakistan before October 01, 2021, whereby such passengers travelling through connecting flights after entering Pakistan, will be allowed to continue their domestic travel;

• Passengers between 12 and 18 years of age may travel to Pakistan without proof of COVID-19 vaccination upto April, 30, 2022.

• Any non-vaccinated passengers of age 12 and above travelling to Pakistan and fulfilling any criteria mentioned above in serial i to vi (except for deportees) will be required to possess a negative PCR Test Result conduced within the 72 hours prior to commencement of travel to Pakistan.

Partial or non-vaccinated passengers not fulfilling any pre-defined criteria listed above (at serial (a) i to vi) and seeking exemptions from vaccination / Pre-departure PCR Testing may apply through concerned Pakistani High Commission to the Exemptions Committee for inbound travel to Pakistan.

• Deportees will be tested on arrival through Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) and positive cases will be home-quarantined for a period of 10 days.

• All passengers travelling to Pakistan will be required to submit requisite data through Pass Track App or web portal prior to departure for Pakistan. Click here for Pass Track App

• Only fully vaccinated passengers of age 15 years and above will be allowed to undertake domestic air travel within Pakistan. This condition applies to domestic flights within Pakistan only.

3.         Moreover, mask wearing will not be mandatory on domestic flights within Pakistan. Yet, passengers are encouraged to wear face masks in closed spaces such as aircraft cabins or passenger terminals for their own safety and protection. Besides, any passengers (s) suspected to have any COVID-19 related symptoms will be required to wear a face mask while travelling. During the flight, such passenger (s) will be isolated by the airline crew accordingly. In-flight public announcements relating to COVID-19 will also not be required to be made by Pakistani airline operators.

4.         It is also important to note that any SOPs relating to COVID-19 either imposed by other countries or airlines for the international passenger(s) who are travelling to Pakistan will also be complied with.

Click here to see the CAA original letter

5. The Embassy of Pakistan in Sweden has also issued a letter on the revised COVID-SOP. Click here to see it.

6. All Passangers travelling to Pakistan from Sweden/Finland and abroad are advised to provide requiste data through Pass Track App for smooth passage. However, if any passanger travelling to Pakistan cannot provide the required data through Pass Track App due to any technical problem or lack of knowledge, such a passanger may print out the Embassy of Pakistan Sweden letter for exemption. Click Here.

Pakistan COVID SOPs

The Government of Pakistan has revised its policy regarding COVID and Negativ PCR Test for travellers to Pakistan, which will be effective from 24-02-2022. Following health / testing protocol will be applicable to all passangers travelling to Pakistan:-

a. Pre-boarding Negative PCR has been abolished for fully vaccinated travellers to Pakistan. However, non-vaccinated person over 12 years will require pre-boarding Negative PCR (72 hours old).

b. Mandatory full vaccination for all inbound passangers is required except those exempted in special circumstances by Government of Pakistan mentioned vide its letter No. 801/A/Ops III/NCOC-01, dated 06 January, 2022. Click here to see the detail of the letter.

c. Passengers below 12 years of age are exempted from mandatory vaccination.

d. Passengers between 12-18 years of age are allowed to travel without mandatory vaccination till 31 March, 2022.

e. RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) on arrival for deportees and non-vaccinated pedestrians at Border Terminal; Positive cases will be quarantined at home for 10 x days.

The above instructions have been issued by National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), Islamabad, Government of Pakistan. Click here to see the official letter.

For updated information regarding COVID in Pakistan – Click Here.

Also check SOP of the airline you are travelling with.