Pakistan, Sudan Agree Visa-Free Travel 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 a visa. The deal was finalised in Islamabad on Saturday, 7 November, during a visit by Sudan’s interior minister, and officials on both sides described it as an important step towards closer relations.

Under the agreement, senior officials and members of official delegations will no longer need to apply for visas before travelling. The two governments say the change will make high-level visits simpler and encourage more frequent contact between ministries and state institutions in Islamabad and Khartoum.

FAKTA

• Agreement signed: Saturday, 7 November 2026, in Islamabad
• Who it covers: holders of diplomatic and official passports from both countries
• Signed by: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Sudan’s Interior Minister Lt Gen Babiker Samra Mustafa Ali
• Main benefit: visa-free travel for official visits and delegations
• Also agreed: wider cooperation on security, police training, cybercrime and civil registration
• Ordinary passport holders: not covered — the facility applies only to diplomatic and official passports

Easier Travel for Officials

Naqvi said the visa-free facility would make it easier to arrange high-level engagements and exchanges of official delegations. He added that Pakistan expects the move to strengthen government-to-government contacts and deepen practical cooperation with Sudan in the months ahead.

The Sudanese minister welcomed the agreement and described Pakistan as a brotherly country. He said Sudan valued the partnership and looked forward to stronger institutional ties, thanking the Pakistani government for its support across a range of sectors.

Wider Cooperation on Security and Cybercrime

The visa agreement was signed alongside delegation-level talks covering a much wider agenda. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation on security, internal affairs, police training and institutional development, and to sign a formal memorandum of understanding on cybercrime in the near future.

Sudan expressed particular interest in learning from Pakistan’s experience in tackling online crime. Naqvi offered professional training for Sudanese police officers and said Pakistan was ready to share its expertise with Sudan’s law enforcement agencies. He also said Pakistan would extend all possible support for Sudan’s peace-building and reconstruction efforts.

Civil registration was another area of discussion. Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority, NADRA, has already helped Sudan build its civil registration system, supporting the issue of 36 million citizenship cards, nine million national identity cards, 18 million birth certificates and 500,000 death certificates.

Support for Sudanese Citizens in Pakistan

During the meeting, the Sudanese minister raised the visa difficulties faced by Sudanese women married to Pakistani citizens and living in Pakistan. Naqvi directed officials to resolve those problems immediately.

He also assured the visiting delegation that Sudanese citizens in Pakistan could use quality medical facilities, with every possible assistance provided in the health sector. Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the relationship, and officials said further agreements on cybercrime and police training were expected to follow. More on Watan News in English.