Insurance & Visa Guide

Most foreign nationals need a visa to enter Pakistan. Visas are generally applied for online through the Government of Pakistan's official online visa portal — use only the official government site, not third-party agents that charge extra fees.

1. Check your eligibility and the visa category for mountaineering or tourism on the official portal.
2. Once your booking is confirmed, we issue the letter of invitation and expedition permit documents needed for your mountaineering visa application.
3. Submit your application with a valid passport, photo and travel details, and pay the fee online.
4. Print your visa approval and carry it with your passport.

Apply online via the official Pakistan Online Visa System, and check current fees and processing times there before you apply. Visa fees are not included in your expedition price, so allow plenty of time between receiving your documents from us and your flight.

Climbing peaks in Gilgit-Baltistan requires a mountaineering permit from the relevant authorities. Your expedition operator applies for the permit on your behalf, typically months before the season, which is why booking deadlines apply.

Expeditions to many peaks are assigned a liaison officer — a government-appointed official who accompanies the team, helps with local regulations and checkpoints, and reports back to the authorities. Where one is required, we arrange it as part of your permit.

• Royalty and permit fees: Pakistan's peak royalty is set by the Gilgit-Baltistan government and is included in your expedition price, along with all other government climbing permits and fees.
• Lead time: we apply for your permit after you register, well ahead of the season. Your balance is due 120 days before the expedition starts, so booking early gives the paperwork plenty of time.
• Paperwork: we handle the applications. You send us a passport copy, photos and any details we request, and we keep you updated until the permit is issued.

Parts of the Karakoram near international borders — including areas of the Baltoro region — are classed as restricted zones. Entry generally requires the climbing permit, travel with an authorised operator, and registration at checkpoints along the route. Carry your passport, visa and permit copies at all times.

Restrictions can change at short notice for security reasons, so always check your government's travel advice for Pakistan as well.

This is the most important document you will buy. You need cover that explicitly includes mountaineering at the altitude of your objective, including helicopter search, rescue and medical evacuation. Many standard travel policies exclude climbing above a certain altitude.

• Rescue & evacuation membership: Global Rescue-style services that coordinate field rescue and evacuation, rated for high-altitude mountaineering.
• Medical & travel insurance: hospital treatment, repatriation, and ideally trip cancellation and interruption.
• Read the altitude limit and exclusions carefully, and carry your policy number and emergency contact.

What every HimKa climber must carry

• Travel insurance covering cancellation and trip interruption.
• High-altitude medical and rescue insurance, including helicopter evacuation.
• Accident and repatriation cover.

Your policy must cover climbing to the full height of your objective, so choose a specialist mountaineering policy and send us the policy details before departure. Because all payments to us are non-refundable, we strongly recommend buying trip-cancellation cover as soon as you book. See our safety page for how evacuation works in the field.