Gerry's Islamabad: what happens on appointment day

Before you leave home

• Passport, original, plus a photocopy of the data page
• The complete document file, in the order the mission specifies, with originals and one photocopy set
• Appointment confirmation, printed
• Photographs, in the envelope, not loose
• Cash for the visa fee and the centre fee, in rupees, close to the exact amount
• CNIC

What you cannot take in

Security at the centre is strict. Bags, laptops, chargers, water bottles and in most cases anything electronic beyond a phone will not come in with you. There is usually a storage facility nearby that charges a small fee, but it is easier to arrive with only a document folder.

The sequence

1. Queue outside, then security 2. Token issued, wait for your number 3. Document submission at the counter, where a member of staff checks the file against the mission's list 4. Fee payment 5. Biometrics: fingerprints and a photograph 6. Receipt issued with a tracking reference

Where it goes wrong at the counter

The counter staff are not deciding your visa. They are checking the file is complete and correctly ordered. If something is missing you are usually sent away to return with it, which means a new appointment, which means the queue again.

The things that most often cause this: a bank statement missing the branch stamp on one page, photographs that do not meet the specification, an insurance certificate with the wrong end date, and documents assembled in the wrong order for missions that specify one.

Travelling from another city

Some missions accept applications in Islamabad only. If you are travelling from Lahore or Karachi, arrive the night before. Missing a slot because of a delayed flight means going back to the end of a queue that may be weeks long.

Questions