"NOC for Foreigners in Gilgit-Baltistan: Travelling Together"

Foreigners do not need an NOC (No Objection Certificate) for the parts of Gilgit-Baltistan most visitors go to. Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and the Karakoram Highway up to Khunjerab are open on a valid Pakistani visa. What a foreign traveller does need is to register with the local authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan, a permit for treks and peaks in restricted zones, and to stay out of the border bands near the Line of Control, China and Afghanistan.

If you are a Pakistani travelling with a foreign spouse, relative or friend, this guide covers what applies to them, where the rules really bite, and how to plan the trip so the paperwork does not slow the whole group down.

What changed, and what did not

For years foreign tourists needed an NOC from the Ministry of Interior to visit much of northern Pakistan. The government of Imran Khan, which took office in 2018, ended mandatory NOCs for foreign tourists in many areas as part of a push to grow tourism, alongside easier tourist visas.

That did not remove every rule. The UK government's Pakistan travel advice, updated in October 2026, still says that all foreign nationals must register with the local authorities when visiting Gilgit-Baltistan, that permits may be needed for trekking and mountaineering, particularly on mountains over 6,000 metres, and that foreign nationals are not allowed within 10 miles of the Line of Control or of the borders with China and Afghanistan, except at official crossings. It also says local authorities will tell you if a particular trip needs a Ministry of Interior NOC. Our wider guide to NOCs for foreigners in Pakistan covers the rest of the country.

Where a foreign companion can go on a visa

These are open with a valid visa and no advance paperwork beyond registration:

• Gilgit and the Naltar road
• Hunza, including Karimabad, Altit, Aliabad, Gulmit and Passu
• The Karakoram Highway to Khunjerab Pass, which the UK advice describes as open to foreign tourists, usually from April to November
• Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and the main Baltistan roads
• Deosai, by the main road

Crossing into China at Khunjerab is a different matter: it needs Chinese entry documents as well as the Pakistani visa.

Where the rules bite

Restricted treks and peaks

Many of the famous treks are in restricted zones. Foreign nationals need a permit, a licensed guide and, on some routes, accident insurance for the whole party. Laila Peak and the upper Gondogoro valley are one example; the Baltoro and K2 base camp are another. In practice these are arranged through a registered operator, and the UK advice says the process can take up to two months. Our guide to trekking permits for foreigners shows how this works.

The border bands

The 10-mile limits matter more than people expect, because several popular side trips sit close to a line. Minimarg in Astore lies south of the Burzil Pass and north of the border village of Kamri, close to the Line of Control. Shimshal in upper Hunza is a border village on the route towards China, with high pastures towards the frontier. Eastern Ghanche runs towards the Saltoro ridge and the Siachen conflict zone. Ask your operator, or the local police, before planning any of these with a foreign member in the group, and do not assume a foreign passport will be let through.

The road there

The paperwork can start before you reach Gilgit-Baltistan. The UK advice says foreign nationals must get advance permission from local or federal authorities to travel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and both road routes north pass through it: the Karakoram Highway through Mansehra, Battagram and Besham, and the summer route through Naran and Babusar. The same advice says not to travel at all on the highway between Mansehra and Chilas.

For a group with a foreign member, the simplest answer is often to fly from Islamabad to Gilgit or Skardu; see our Islamabad to Gilgit flight guide. Flights depend on the weather, so keep a spare day. If you drive, check the current position with the police before you set out, and read our guide to police escorts for foreigners, since escorts are sometimes arranged in higher-risk areas.

Registering and travelling together

In practice, registration means the foreign traveller's passport and visa details are recorded along the way:

• At police checkposts, where a Pakistani shows a CNIC and a foreigner shows a passport. Keep the passport in a pocket, not a bag on the roof.
• At hotels and guesthouses, which record passport and visa details at check-in.
• With the local police or tourism office, if they ask you to report on arrival. Your hotel or operator will know the current local practice.

Travelling as a mixed group usually helps. A Pakistani companion can explain the plan at a checkpost, handle calls to hotels and the police, and read the local situation. The foreign member's documents still set the rules for the whole group, so plan the route around them.

What the foreign traveller should carry

• The original passport, with the visa page, and photocopies or phone photos of both.
• Any visa extension letter, or a Pakistan Origin Card if they hold one instead of a visa. We could not find a published rule on whether a POC changes anything for restricted zones, so ask your operator.
• Hotel booking confirmations and a rough itinerary, which some checkposts ask about.
• Permits and the operator's letter for any restricted trek, plus the insurance documents.
• Travel insurance details. The UK advice warns that a policy may be invalid if the traveller does not hold the right permits.

The entry side, visas and marriage-related options, is covered in our guide to the visa for a foreign spouse.

Should you avoid restricted areas altogether?

For a first trip together, yes. Hunza, Gilgit, Skardu, Shigar, Khaplu and Khunjerab give you a full two weeks without a single permit. Add a restricted trek only if you specifically want one, and then book it through an established operator at least two months ahead. Skip the border-band valleys with a foreign companion, however tempting they look on social media.

Frequently asked questions