Pakistan and Saudi Arabia scrap visas, but only for diplomatic and official passports

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement in New York on Tuesday that removes visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official and special passports. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed for Pakistan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan for the Kingdom, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Dar said the step would "further facilitate high-level engagement and institutional exchanges" between the two countries.

Who this actually covers

Three passport types, and only three:

1. Diplomatic passports, issued to ambassadors, diplomats and their dependants.
2. Official passports, issued to government servants travelling on duty.
3. Special passports, issued to a narrow list that includes federal ministers, judges of the superior courts and members of parliament.

That is a few thousand people. The ordinary green passport that almost every Pakistani traveller carries is not in the agreement.

If you hold an ordinary passport, nothing changed today

You still need a visa for Saudi Arabia, and the route depends on why you are going:

• Umrah: an e-visa or a visa through an approved agent, valid for 90 days, single or multiple entry depending on the category.
• Hajj: only through the Ministry of Religious Affairs quota or an approved private scheme.
• Work: an employment visa arranged by the Saudi employer, with attestation of documents and a Protector of Emigrants stamp before you fly.
• Visit or family: a visit visa sponsored by a resident relative or a host company.

None of those fees or steps change because of Tuesday's signing.

Why it matters anyway

Saudi Arabia is where the largest single bloc of overseas Pakistanis works, and their remittances are the second-largest source of dollars into the country after exports. Anything that thickens the official channel between Islamabad and Riyadh tends to show up later in labour quotas, investment memoranda and credit lines.

The visa waiver follows a mutual defence agreement the two countries signed in August 2026 and an agreement to lift Pakistani agricultural exports to the Kingdom towards $3 billion.

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