UK visas for Pakistani citizens

Pakistani nationals are one of the largest groups on the family routes, a major source of students, and in the year ending June 2026 were among the three largest nationalities receiving Graduate-route extensions. This page covers what depends on Pakistani citizenship and residence — entry documents, the TB test, English evidence, family documentation — and points to the route guides for the rest.

Visiting the UK

Pakistan is a visa-national country. A Standard Visitor visa is required for any visit, and the Electronic Travel Authorisation is not available to Pakistani citizens. Applications are made online and completed at a visa application centre in Pakistan, where biometrics are taken. Visits to family in the UK are common and are assessed on the same basis as any visit: the purpose, the plan to leave at the end, and the applicant’s circumstances at home.

Changing planes in the UK without passing through immigration normally requires a Direct Airside Transit Visa, unless an exemption applies, such as holding certain valid visas for the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

Joining family in the UK

The partner visa is the route Pakistani applicants use most. The requirements are the same as for everyone else: a genuine relationship, the £29,000 minimum income requirement, where applicable, adequate accommodation and A1 English at entry. Two practical points come up repeatedly.

Marriage documents. A Nikah Nama records the marriage, but the marriage must also be registered with the Union Council, which issues a Marriage Registration Certificate (MRC). Both are normally submitted, with certified translations where needed. Couples who marry in the UK instead use the fiancé(e) visa to enter first — see the partner vs fiancé(e) comparison.

The financial requirement. If you rely on employment income, the evidence must cover the required period and meet the specified document rules; savings above the relevant threshold can also be used. The rules are prescriptive about format as well as amount.

Children of the sponsor can apply alongside a partner, and the Immigration Health Surcharge is charged for each person for the length of the visa.

Studying in the UK

The Student visa process is the same as for other nationalities. Since January 2024, only postgraduate research students and government-sponsored students can bring dependants; a taught master’s does not allow a partner or children on the Student route. Financial evidence must be held for the required period in an acceptable form. The Graduate visa gives two years for applications made by 31 December 2026 and 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027.

Working in the UK

Skilled Worker is the main work route, with the same salary and skill thresholds as for everyone else; Pakistani doctors and nurses also use the Health and Care Worker route. Overseas recruitment of care workers closed in July 2025. Pakistan is not a Youth Mobility Scheme country. As a Commonwealth citizen you could qualify for the UK Ancestry visa if a grandparent was born in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man.

Pakistan-specific requirements

TB test. Pakistan is on the list of countries where a tuberculosis test is required. The rule turns on residence rather than nationality: it applies if you are applying for more than six months and have lived in Pakistan, or another listed country, for six months or more in the last six months. The test must be taken at a clinic approved by the Home Office and the certificate is valid for six months. Each family member who meets the requirement needs their own certificate; children must attend an approved clinic, although those under 11 do not normally have a chest X-ray. Partner-visa applicants need one too.

English. Pakistan is not a majority-English-speaking country for immigration purposes, so routes that require English must be evidenced. For the partner route this means an approved test at A1 for entry, rising at extension and settlement. For work and study routes, an approved Secure English Language Test or a degree taught in English and confirmed by Ecctis; many Pakistani degrees qualify under the second method once the Ecctis statement is obtained. Skilled Worker applications made from 8 January 2026 need B2. See the English requirements guide.

Applying in Pakistan. Applications are submitted online and completed in person at a visa application centre. Faster-decision services — priority or super priority — are offered for some routes and locations at an extra charge; the application process shows you what is available. If the application succeeds, the permission is issued as an eVisa held in a UKVI account. Passport vignettes have not been issued since 1 July 2026; where a travel document is needed, some applicants get a form for accompanying an eVisa (FAV) instead.

Routes to settlement

The partner route leads to Indefinite Leave to Remain after five years under current rules, with English at a higher level and the Life in the UK test at that stage; the partner route has no fixed 180-day absence cap, but long periods abroad are weighed against the intention to live together in the UK. Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker lead to ILR after five years. Student and Graduate time counts only towards the ten-year Long Residence route.

Pakistan and the United Kingdom have a dual-nationality arrangement, so naturalising as British does not cost you Pakistani citizenship. Spouses of British citizens can apply for citizenship as soon as they hold ILR. See the ILR vs citizenship comparison.

Common questions

Can Pakistani citizens use the ETA? No. A Standard Visitor visa is required.

Does my spouse need a TB test for the partner visa? Yes, if they are applying from Pakistan for more than six months, which a partner visa always is.

Is a Nikah Nama enough to prove the marriage? It records the marriage, but the Union Council’s Marriage Registration Certificate is expected alongside it.

Will I lose Pakistani citizenship if I become British? No. Pakistan permits dual nationality with the UK.