Most of Pakistan no longer requires foreigners to hold a No Objection Certificate. The general NOC requirement was withdrawn in March 2019, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral were all declared open to foreign visitors on a valid visa alone. A small number of border belts and high-altitude trekking routes are the exception, and this guide sets out exactly where they are and how to apply if you need one.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Standard tourist routes (Hunza, Skardu, Chitral, most of AJK) | No NOC needed |
| China border belt (about 10 miles / 16 km) | NOC needed beyond open tourist points such as Khunjerab Pass |
| Afghanistan border belt (about 10 miles / 16 km) | NOC needed |
| Line of Control, Azad Kashmir and GB (about 5 miles / 8 km) | NOC needed |
| Baltoro Glacier, K2 Base Camp, Concordia and other base camps | NOC needed, arranged with your trekking operator |
| Who applies | Usually your registered tour or trekking operator, not you directly |
| How long it takes | Allow several weeks before departure |
Where you do not need an NOC
For a standard tourist itinerary, none of the following need anything beyond your Pakistani visa:
- Gilgit-Baltistan's main tourist routes — Hunza (Karimabad, Altit, Gulmit, Passu), Gilgit city, Skardu and its surrounding lakes and forts, Shigar, Khaplu and Deosai National Park
- Chitral town and the Kalash valleys, reached via the standard road routes
- Most of Azad Kashmir, away from the Line of Control belt described below
- Punjab, Islamabad, Sindh (outside the areas noted in our safety guide) and the accessible parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
If your trip is a version of the usual route north from Islamabad — Hunza, Skardu, Khunjerab Pass, the Galiyat, Naran — you almost certainly don't need to think about an NOC at all.
Where an NOC still applies
Three belts remain genuinely restricted, based on the government's 2019 decision:
- Within 10 miles (about 16 km) of the Pakistan–China border, beyond the areas open to day visitors such as Khunjerab Pass itself
- Within 10 miles of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, including the Wakhan Corridor area
- Within 5 miles of the Line of Control in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and within 10 miles of the Line of Actual Contact near Siachen
On top of these border belts, a No Objection Certificate is required in practice for expedition-style trekking in the Karakoram, most notably the Baltoro Glacier routes to K2 Base Camp, Concordia, Broad Peak and the Gasherbrum base camps, arranged alongside a permit from the Alpine Club of Pakistan. Some valleys near the Line of Control in Ghanche district, in eastern Baltistan, and a few border-adjacent valleys in Ghizer district near Afghanistan, also fall under NOC rules. Our guide to the K2 Base Camp trek has more on the climbing-permit side of a Baltoro trip.
If your route to any of these areas isn't a standard, well-trodden one, ask your tour operator directly whether an NOC applies before you commit to the itinerary.
How to apply
For the areas that need one, the NOC is applied for through the Ministry of Interior, and in practice almost always arranged by a registered Pakistani trekking or tour operator on your behalf rather than by an individual foreign traveller applying alone. A typical application needs your passport details, photographs, a detailed itinerary and dates, and the operator's own registration details. Build in real time: allow several weeks before departure, since processing is not instant and delays are common in peak trekking season.
Because this route depends on a registered operator, it's one more reason to book Baltoro and other restricted-area trekking through an established company rather than informally.
Why these particular belts
The three restricted belts all sit along an international border or a line of military control: China, Afghanistan and the Line of Control with India in Kashmir. They are treated as security-sensitive for reasons that have nothing to do with tourism and everything to do with border management, which is why the rule has stayed in place even as the rest of the country opened up in 2019. The Baltoro routes are a separate case, driven more by the practicalities of managing remote expedition traffic near the China border than by a security concern in the way the border belts are.
What hasn't changed: hotel and checkpoint registration
Even outside NOC areas, foreigners are routinely asked to register at hotels and at checkpoints in Gilgit-Baltistan and elsewhere in the north, showing passport and visa details. This is standard, ordinary practice across the region and not a sign that you have entered a restricted zone; it applies on the open, no-NOC routes just as much as anywhere else.
What happens if you turn up without one
Checkpoints on the roads into a restricted belt are staffed and check ID routinely, including foreign passports and visas. If you arrive at one without the NOC a route requires, the realistic outcome is that you are turned back rather than let through, which is a wasted day at best on a remote road with limited onward options. It is not a risk worth testing; confirm with your operator before you travel, not at the checkpoint.
Planning around the belts
For most first-time visitors, the practical takeaway is simple: the standard northern circuit doesn't touch a restricted belt, and you can plan freely within it. The border belts and Baltoro-style trekking routes matter mainly if your trip involves serious mountaineering, a route that hugs the China or Afghanistan border beyond the normal tourist stops, or travel close to the Line of Control in Kashmir. For the security side of travelling near any of these areas, see our guide to whether Pakistan is safe for tourists, and for the visa itself, our guide to the Pakistan tourist visa.
Frequently asked questions
Do foreigners still need an NOC to travel in Pakistan?
Not for the standard tourist routes. The general NOC requirement was dropped in March 2019 for Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Chitral. It still applies within about 10 miles of the China and Afghanistan borders, within 5 miles of the Line of Control in Kashmir, and for expedition-style trekking such as the Baltoro Glacier routes to K2 Base Camp.
Do I need an NOC to visit Hunza or Skardu?
No. Hunza, Skardu and the rest of Gilgit-Baltistan's main tourist routes are open to foreigners on a valid Pakistani visa alone, with no separate permit required.
Do I need an NOC to trek to K2 Base Camp?
In practice, yes, arranged alongside an Alpine Club of Pakistan permit. This is normally handled by your registered trekking operator as part of booking the expedition, not something you apply for independently.
How long does it take to get an NOC in Pakistan?
Processing isn't instant, and it's usually handled by a registered tour or trekking operator on your behalf. Build in several weeks before departure, especially if you're travelling in peak trekking season when applications can take longer.
Can I apply for an NOC myself as an individual traveller?
In practice, NOCs for restricted trekking areas are almost always arranged through a registered Pakistani operator rather than by an individual applying alone. If your planned route needs one, book through an established operator and let them handle the application.