With the Trump administration recently expanding its travel ban to 39 countries and suspending visa processing for 75 in total, multiple countries have responded with travel and visa bans for Americans.
The African nations of Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali have all stopped issuing visas for Americans in what they describe as a reciprocal move, given the treatment of their citizens.
At the start of the month, Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation put out a statement saying that U.S. citizens will now also be subject to “the same conditions and requirements as those imposed by the American authorities on Malian citizens entering the United States.”
Pakistan cancels visa prior to arrival, requires travelers to apply for paid visas
The South Asian nation of Pakistan was included in the list of nations for which the U.S. State Department will pause processing of all immigrant visas as of Jan. 21.
Although the move is not immediately tied to the Trump administration’s actions, Pakistan is, in turn, making it more difficult for Americans to visit by suspending its “visa prior to arrival” program, Visas News reported. The program allowed citizens of 125 countries to apply for permission to enter easily online.
From August 2024, citizens of countries like the United States, Canada and most European and Asian nations could apply for a 90-day tourist or business visa for free by submitting their passport information and trip details through a government portal.
Related: Country reintroduces travel restrictions for Americans and Brits
Travelers looking to come to the country were the first to notice that the “Pak ID” mobile application now directs applicants to select a traditional visa category for which they have to pay $35 USD for a single entry of up to three months (the prior visa allowed for multiple entries) and will take up to seven business days to be processed.
Citizens of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have to pay a higher $60 fee for reasons not expanded upon. The Pakistani government has not released an official statement on the change or provided any information on whether the simplified application will ever be brought back.
In August 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif classified “this easing of the visa regime [as a way to] help make Pakistan an attractive destination for investments and tourism.”
The government of Pakistan has made efforts to draw in international tourists in recent years.
Image source: Shutterstock
Planning a trip to Pakistan? Here is what you need to know about the visa changes
The country sees significantly less tourism interest than neighboring India and has over the last half-decade made several efforts to draw in international visitors.
The current changes to the visa application process does not single out citizens of the United States.
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It also includes countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Benin, Tanzania, and Austria — any nation that does not have visa-free agreement with Pakistan.
Norwegian low-cost airline Norse Atlantic Airways recently received clearance to run flights to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad from the United Kingdom cities of London, Manchester, and Birmingham, Pakistan’s The Express Tribune reported.
This marks one of the largest network expansions for a Western airline.
Related: Struggling airline files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
