Pakistan has suspended its Visa Prior to Arrival (VPA) programme, a move that significantly affects African travellers and signals a tightening of global mobility pathways. The decision ends a rare visa-free arrangement that had benefited citizens of 34 African countries since August 2024.
Under the previous system, eligible travellers could access a free 90-day multiple-entry visa with minimal processing. That option has now been withdrawn, forcing affected travellers to apply through Pakistan’s standard paid e-Visa system, which introduces higher costs, additional documentation, and longer processing times.
What Has Changed?
Pakistan’s VPA scheme applied to 126 countries and territories worldwide, including 34 African nations. With its suspension, the VPA option has been removed from Pakistan’s official visa portal, and applicants are now redirected to the regular e-Visa process.
For African travellers, this shift means:
- Payment of visa fees (varying by nationality)
- Submission of bank statements and invitation letters
- Increased administrative scrutiny and delays
While visa fees differ by country, the broader impact lies in the loss of fast-tracked, zero-fee access, which had made Pakistan relatively accessible compared to other destinations.
African Countries Affected
The policy affects major travel and trade markets across the continent, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, among others. Collectively, these countries represent a large share of Africa’s outbound travel, trade, education, and medical tourism traffic.
Impact on Africa–Pakistan Relations
The suspension of free VPA visas marks a setback for growing Africa–Pakistan economic and people-to-people ties. In recent years, relaxed visa rules supported:
- Trade delegations and commercial sourcing
- Medical and educational travel
- Religious and cultural visits
Pakistan has increasingly viewed Africa as a strategic trade frontier, while African traders have relied on Pakistan as a cost-competitive hub for textiles, pharmaceuticals, rice, and manufactured goods.
Trade data highlights this relationship. As of 2023, Pakistan emerged as Kenya’s largest export market, surpassing several traditional partners. Easier mobility played a key role in sustaining such commercial exchanges.
The new visa regime, however, raises costs and friction for travellers on both sides, potentially slowing trade growth and informal business networks that rely on frequent travel.
A Wider Squeeze on African Mobility
The timing of Pakistan’s decision comes amid broader efforts by African governments to promote mobility through initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union’s visa-liberalisation agenda.
Pakistan’s free VPA programme had aligned with this momentum, offering African entrepreneurs, students, and tourists easier access to South Asia. Its removal underscores how fragile global mobility remains for African passport holders, even as economic ties deepen.
Business hubs such as Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa are likely to feel the impact most acutely, while tourism-focused economies like Mauritius, Seychelles, and Morocco may see reduced leisure travel. Traders sourcing textiles and consumer goods from South Asia also face higher entry barriers.
What Comes Next?
Pakistan has yet to clarify whether the suspension of the VPA scheme is temporary or permanent. Until further guidance is issued, African travellers must navigate a more expensive and less predictable visa system.
The development highlights a wider reality: as countries recalibrate border and migration policies, access to international travel remains uneven, particularly for emerging markets.
