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West and South Asia From Turkey to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Ladakh and Bangladesh
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  #1  
Old 26 Mar 2008
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Pakistan Visa "on the road" (starting UK, going via the Stans)

Hi,

Seems like all my visa bits are under control, apart from Pakistan. I'll leave the UK end of April & enter Pakistan mid-September. Hence: I can't get the Pakistan visa in London (too early).

Can anyone tell me their experience with getting it somehwere on the way? Is it possible to get it on the same day? Or is it possible to apply beforehand without leaving the passport & then pick it up later?

My route:
I'll be passing through Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan (Transit), Uzbekistan (NOT via Tashkent), Tajikistan, Kyrgyztan, Kashgar/China.

Bjorn
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Old 27 Mar 2008
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Hiya Bjorn I will be headed almost the same way and the same time as you but plan on heading through Iran then Pakistan. From reading other threads I gather that it shouldn't be too much of a problem to apply for Pakistan visas in Turkey. That's what I plan to do at this stage.

Keep in touch and maybe we could catch up for a or something. I arrive in London on 20th April.

Cheers,

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Old 27 Mar 2008
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When you apply for the visa outside your home country you must supply the notorious letter of non-objection. So, head for your own embassy first to get this, then front up at the Pak embassy.

German nationals and some others are now routinely denied this letter, effectively barring them from travelling to Pak. So much for freedom of movement...
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Old 27 Mar 2008
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You are kidding!!!!

I AM German national. Bad news....

Does this mean Pakistan is a no-go area for me??
I live in London, though – should I maybe apply for the Pakistan visa at the London embassy & then pick it up (or have it extended) in the Pakistani embassy in Turkey.

I applied for a 2nd passport in Germany and I only got it by saying I am a journalist and need 2 passports because of my work. The application was granted, so all good.
Maybe I could claim I'm going to Pakistan in order to work as a journalist...
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Old 28 Mar 2008
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When the German embassy turned me down in Ankara I found out that the consulate in Dubai does issue the required letter. I can see two options now:

1. Get it in Germany and turn up at the border within 3 months.

2. Ride to the UAE, get the letter, then (depending on time of year) either explore the Arabian Peninsula (fantastic place) or return to Iran and continue. I did the former and had a ball.

Oops, I just re-read your msg and you are taking the Northern route. See whether there is a country without a German embassy. They then can't demand the letter, because there is no-one to issue it. But, I think Germany has embassies just about everywhere.

Also, be aware that you may or may not be able to obtain the letter on the Indian subcontinent, so you could be stuck there.

Another option might be to get a second passport, leave it at home with all the required paperwork prepared and get your folks in Germany to send it to the relevant Pak embassy/consulate, then send you your passport.

Good luck.
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Old 28 Mar 2008
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I think that's what I'm gonna do - 2nd passport & let my folks deal with it.
Another option might(?) be: Get the Pakistan visa & turn up on the Karakrom Highway side of Pakistan. By then, the visa will be 4 months into being issued (so: strictly speaking invalid) but who's gonna let me starve to death on the KKH? And I can't possibly go back into China.
I would hope that the border guys might want a bit of bakshish & forget about the fact that I entered a little later than allowed. In the wort case, they'd escort me to the nearest police station & make me pay, or take me down to Islamabad & force me to exit the country.

But it's a gamble...
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Old 28 Mar 2008
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Things certainly do change, but just so you know, a couple of years ago, you could not get a Pakistan visa in Iran, so you had to get it in Turkey or sooner. Good luck!
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