Just Landed in Pakistan? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is cheap and 4G coverage is good across cities, though speeds and reliability drop in rural areas and during political disruptions, when networks are sometimes throttled or suspended entirely. All SIMs must be biometrically registered to your passport, so buy only from an official Jazz, Zong, Telenor or Ufone franchise, never a street vendor selling pre-activated cards. Home broadband from providers like PTCL, StormFiber or Nayatel is affordable and reasonably fast in the main cities, and fibre is now common in newer housing developments.

Typical cost: PKR 1,000-2,500 per month for a bundle with 10-30GB of data plus minutes; a starter SIM costs around PKR 200-500, and monthly home fibre broadband runs roughly PKR 3,000-8,000 depending on speed.

Pakistan is overwhelmingly a cash economy; carry rupees for taxis, markets, small shops, tips and rickshaws, as many places do not take cards at all. Larger supermarkets, malls, fuel stations, pharmacies and hotels in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore accept Visa and Mastercard, and contactless is spreading, but never rely on it as your only option. The rupee can move sharply, so keep an eye on the exchange rate and change only what you need at a time.

Opening an account: Foreigners can open a rupee or foreign-currency account at banks such as Meezan, HBL, UBL, Bank Alfalah or Standard Chartered, but you will need your passport, a valid work or residence visa, a local address and often an employment letter; a POC or NICOP helps if you have Pakistani origin. Expect the process to take several days and multiple in-branch visits, and to answer questions about the source of your funds under strict compliance rules.

Cash: Keep small denominations (PKR 100, 500 and 1,000 notes) handy, as vendors, rickshaw and taxi drivers rarely carry change. Mobile wallets like JazzCash and Easypaisa are used by millions of locals for transfers, top-ups and bill payments once you have a registered SIM and a CNIC or passport linked, and QR payments are increasingly accepted through the Raast instant-payment system.

Tipping: Tipping, known as baksheesh, is customary and expected: round up or add 5-10% in restaurants where a service charge is not already included, and give PKR 100-200 to porters, petrol-pump attendants, parking guards and delivery riders. Small tips smooth many everyday interactions and are appreciated well beyond restaurants.

Whether you must register as a foreigner depends on your nationality and the exact condition printed on your visa. Nationals of certain countries, and anyone specifically directed by immigration at the point of entry, must register with the local Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) and obtain a residential permit, which then governs the length of your permitted stay. Many tourist and business visitors are explicitly exempt, so the single most important step is to read your visa sticker or grant letter and check whether it instructs you to report to the FRO. If in doubt, confirm with your sponsor, employer or a lawyer rather than assuming.

Deadline: Within 30 days of arrival where registration is required by your visa category or by an instruction from immigration at entry.

Where: The Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) at the district or city police headquarters, or the relevant office under the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports in your city.

Ride-hailing apps are the easiest and safest way to get around cities, giving you a set fare, a tracked route and no haggling with drivers. Islamabad-Rawalpindi and Lahore have modern Metro Bus lines with flat, very cheap fares, and Lahore also runs the Orange Line metro train; Karachi has the newer Green Line BRT. Auto-rickshaws and Bykea motorbike taxis fill the gaps for short trips and beat traffic, while intercity travel is served by comfortable coach operators like Daewoo Express and Faisal Movers, plus Pakistan Railways.

From the airport: From Islamabad International Airport, a Careem or InDrive to the twin cities runs around PKR 1,500-3,500 and takes 40-70 minutes depending on whether you are heading to Islamabad's sectors or Rawalpindi; an airport shuttle bus is a cheaper alternative. From Karachi's Jinnah International, expect roughly PKR 1,200-2,500 into central areas, and from Lahore's Allama Iqbal airport around PKR 1,000-2,000 into the city, with fares rising at night and in heavy traffic.

Most expats rent through property agents, known as dallal, or through portals such as Zameen.com and Graana, often settling in secured sectors of Islamabad like F-6, F-7, F-8, F-10 and E-11, or in DHA and Clifton in Karachi and DHA and Gulberg in Lahore. Furnished flats and separate 'portions' of houses (a self-contained floor) are both common, and agents typically charge one month's rent as commission. Viewing in person and asking neighbours about power and water supply before signing saves a lot of grief.

Typical rent: A furnished one-bedroom flat in a good Islamabad sector runs roughly PKR 60,000-120,000 per month, and a two-bedroom PKR 100,000-250,000; Karachi's Clifton and DHA and Lahore's DHA and Gulberg are broadly comparable, while less central or unfurnished options are considerably cheaper.

Deposit norm: Landlords usually ask for two to three months' rent as an advance or security deposit, sometimes more for furnished or high-demand properties, and it is normal to sign a formal rent agreement on stamp paper that some societies require to be registered with the local police.

Public hospitals are free or very cheap but overcrowded and under-resourced, so expats rely almost entirely on private hospitals, which offer good care at low cost by Western standards. Standards are highest in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, where several hospitals are internationally accredited; complex or critical cases are occasionally flown abroad, which is why evacuation cover matters. Routine consultations with a specialist are quick and inexpensive, often costing PKR 2,000-5,000 without insurance.

How to access it: You can simply walk into a private hospital such as Shifa International or Maroof International (Islamabad), Aga Khan University Hospital or South City (Karachi), or Doctors Hospital or Hameed Latif (Lahore), pay upfront and claim later on insurance, keeping every receipt. Pharmacies are plentiful and many medicines, including some that need a prescription elsewhere, are dispensed over the counter, though antibiotics should still be used on medical advice.

Insurance: There is no universal healthcare system open to foreigners, so arrange private or international health insurance before or immediately on arrival. Comprehensive cover that includes inpatient care and medical evacuation is strongly recommended, because while private outpatient care is excellent value, emergency and trauma services outside the top hospitals can be uneven.

• Dress modestly, especially outside the big cities: women often carry a dupatta to cover the head at religious sites, and men avoid shorts in public; loose, covering clothing is both respectful and practical in the heat.
• Greet with 'Assalam-o-Alaikum' (peace be upon you) and reply 'Wa-Alaikum-Assalam'; use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving, as the left is considered unclean.
• Accept offered tea, food or hospitality graciously, as it is central to social life and a flat refusal can cause offence; it is normal to be pressed two or three times before accepting.
• During Ramadan, do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours, as this is a legal as well as a social expectation, and be aware that working hours shorten and evenings become lively after iftar.
• Remove your shoes before entering homes, mosques and many shops, and dress conservatively and cover your head when visiting mosques or shrines.
• When invited to someone's home, bring a small gift such as sweets or fruit, and expect generous hospitality that you should reciprocate over time.
• Use titles and a little formality with elders and officials; addressing people politely and patiently goes a long way in a culture that values respect and relationships.

• Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and unmarried couples may face awkward questions or be refused a shared hotel room in more conservative establishments.
• Avoid casual debate about religion, blasphemy or Kashmir; these are deeply sensitive, can escalate quickly and, in the case of blasphemy, carry serious legal risk.
• Photographing military installations, checkpoints, airports, bridges and some government buildings is prohibited and can lead to questioning or detention, so always ask before pointing a camera.
• Friday afternoons, the main prayer times and Ramadan reshape the working day, so schedule errands and meetings around them.
• Alcohol is heavily restricted and off-limits to Muslims; non-Muslim foreigners can obtain it only through licensed channels, and public drinking is not acceptable.