The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued a travel advisory to passengers travelling to Pakistan, advising them that they need to thoroughly verify their documents and ensure that they have fulfilled all immigration formalities before embarking on their journey.
The advisory also focuses on the needs of the dual nationals and foreign nationals who are visiting Pakistan. The FIA says that passengers with dual citizenship should have the right and valid citizenship documents while travelling to Pakistan by air.
Dual nationals will be asked to travel with a valid Pakistani passport or a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) or e-Visa, as per their nationality and personal travel situation.
The FIA has recommended that passengers please ensure they have all documents in place prior to travel to ensure a smooth check in and immigration process with airlines.
The advisory also offers some solace to the overseas Pakistanis, who have lost their Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs). The FIA may still permit Pakistani nationals who have their CNICs expired to return to Pakistan.
For the passengers who are travelling with an expired CNIC it is still required to complete all the other related immigration and travel requirements. The FIA noted that an expired CNIC does not automatically waive other requirements imposed by government immigration authorities, airlines or authorities.
Therefore, passengers have been urged to check all the required documents before going to the airport. Passports, identification or visa documents must be valid and acceptable to be taken on the trip.
The advisory is designed to “prevent unnecessary inconvenience” and ensure a smoother travel experience, the FIA said. People who are travelling to Pakistan either from overseas Pakistan or dual nationals have been advised to keep themselves updated about the current travel and immigration norms before making travel arrangements.