Pakistan and Sudan waive visas for diplomatic and official passport holders

Pakistan and Sudan have signed an agreement allowing holders of diplomatic and official passports to travel between the two countries without visas. The deal was signed in Islamabad on 7 November 2026, but it does not cover ordinary passport holders and no date has been announced for when it takes effect.

Key facts

• Signed: 7 November 2026 in Islamabad
• Who benefits: holders of Pakistani and Sudanese diplomatic and official passports
• Who is excluded: ordinary passport holders
• Cost and validity: not stated in the announcement
• Signed by: Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sudan's Interior Minister, Lieutenant General Babiker Samra Mustafa Ali

What is changing?

Under the agreement, Pakistani and Sudanese holders of official and diplomatic passports can enter each other's country without first obtaining a visa, Pakistan's Interior Ministry said in a statement. The ministry described the arrangement as "an important milestone in bilateral relations between Pakistan and Sudan", saying it would support high-level visits, government exchanges and institutional cooperation.

Who is affected?

The waiver applies only to officials and diplomats travelling on official or diplomatic passports. The agreement explicitly excludes ordinary passport holders, so tourists and other private travellers from Pakistan and Sudan still need to follow existing visa rules. The source does not give any details on those rules, fees or processing times.

When do the new rules start?

No start date has been announced. The agreement was signed on 7 November 2026 during the Sudanese interior minister's official visit to Pakistan, but the source does not say when border and immigration authorities will begin applying the waiver.

What else did the two countries agree?

Beyond the visa waiver, Pakistan and Sudan are pursuing cooperation in police training, cybercrime prevention and civil registration. Naqvi offered professional training for Sudanese police officers, and the two sides agreed to work towards a memorandum of understanding on combating cybercrime. He also pledged continued technical support and directed officials to resolve visa difficulties affecting Sudanese women married to Pakistani citizens; no further details of those difficulties were given.

The talks took place against an uncertain backdrop in defence relations. A proposed $1.5 billion weapons package — reported to include 10 Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, more than 200 reconnaissance and attack drones, and advanced air defence systems — stalled after Saudi Arabia reportedly withdrew funding, according to Reuters. Pakistani security sources disputed reports that the transaction had been suspended, and neither government has confirmed that the deal has resumed.

What this means for travellers

Travellers holding Pakistani or Sudanese ordinary passports should plan on the current visa requirements still applying, since the new waiver covers only diplomatic and official passport holders. Those in the covered categories will not need to apply for a visa once the agreement is in force, although the source gives no implementation date.

Both governments are expected to continue talks on wider cooperation, including a memorandum of understanding on cybercrime. No further dates or decisions have been announced.