Travel to Pakistan and COVID-19 SOPs

As the world continues to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Apricot Tours is ready to assist travelers throughout this challenging period. The Pakistan Government is making efforts to deal with the situation which is a challenge, not only for Pakistan but the whole world – and ensuring that tourism outfitters take proactive, comprehensive, and coordinated steps to continue tourism sustainably. The Pakistan government has made one thing clear. There will be no lockdown again! This is because as a third-world country, the first wave hit our economy very bad and our current government seems very adamant about not repeating another lockdown again. However, the government is trying its best to enforce and implement SOPs to deal with the spread. For the last few months, a practice of smart lockdowns (locking a certain neighborhood for a week or two) has been taking place in different parts of the country. No extreme measure is being taken again.

Pakistan Government: NO LOCKDOWNS AGAIN!

Latest SOPs by Apricot Tours

In order to ensure your safety, the following precaution are being taken by us:

We have revised our partner establishments (hotels, restaurants, places of interests) by physically visiting them and observing their response to the pandemic. Hotels and other establishments with better response to Covid-19 have been selected for the year 2024-25
We have also revised our other partners/vendors linked to tourism, for example transporters, airlines etc.
We are constantly following World Health Organization (WHO)’s updates on the pandemic and disseminating relevant information to our staff, partners and collaborators.
We are also following Pakistan government’s relevant organizations linked to health and tourism and constantly following their guidelines to update our SOPs. These organizations include National Tourism Corporation Board, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), Civil Aviation, National Highway Authority, Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination, National Command Operation Center, etc. We are trying our best to follow these SOPs in letter and spirit.
In case of group travels, we have restricted our group size to a maximum of 12 travelers.
We are providing pre-departure information to all our traveler guests (individuals and groups).
We are providing personal protective equipment to guests on our fixed departures including (not limited to) masks, sanitizers, gloves etc.
We are providing instructions/manuals to private groups about personal protective equipment.
Before arrival, we are asking all our guest travelers to sign an undertaking to follow SOPs of Pakistan’s federal, provincial or regional governments, services providers including tour operator (Apricot Tours), Hotels, Guest Houses, Lodges, Restaurants, Transporters, Airliners.
At our offices, we are following the “guidelines for tour operator offices” by National Tourism Corporation Board.
We are ensuring the provision of signed health declaration forms, guardians in case of infants, differently-abled prior to commencement of journey.
According to law, we will share complete details of group members with relevant authorities. We are making sure our travel groups/fixed departures are scanned before entry to/exit from any province/region.
We are working with only approved hotels and accommodation facilities for providing boarding and lodging facility. This updated list of such facilities is checked by our staff at Apricot Tours.
During travel, the stop-over stay or stay for meals will be arranged at pre-approved restaurants/hotels.
In the case of climbing expeditions in remote areas, we provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the safety team in case they have to evacuate a potential suspected case.
We are ensuring temperature checks at start of the treks for guests, tour guide, driver(s), staff, etc. Anyone running a temperature of more than 99° F will be politely requested to extend social distance according to location. Our guides have full knowledge of nearest hospital/medical facility for testing where possible.
Road transport protocols set by NTCB are strictly followed. This includes subjects related to protective gear, disinfection, conversations, etc.

Important Note: If you notice any service providers not abiding by SOPs during your trip, complain to our guide or reach out to our senior management at complaints@apricottours.pk

Read on for up-to-date travel info to Pakistan, ways you can help stop the spread of COVID-19, and tools and resources for staying abreast of this ever-changing situation.

Important Statistics for Travelers

Important Links for Travelers

Travelers entering Pakistan must:

Provide traveler contact information through:
- The PassTrack mobile app (Download the PassTrack app (iOS, Android, or web format). Make sure you have the official version by downloading it here.) or
- An accessible web-based form
Undergo screening by a health official
Provide a certificate of negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test (see below)

PassTrack App

Use this mobile app to speed up your arrival process in Pakistan and spend less time with immigration and public health officers. Submit your information easily and securely using the app within 48 hours before arriving in Pakistan. The app helps you to:

Provide mandatory information that’s required for entry into Pakistan
Reduce your wait time and points of contact at the airport
Provide the Government of Pakistan with voluntary updates and the development of any symptoms during the 14 days after arriving in Pakistan.

Mandatory COVID-19 RT-PCR required prior to travel

Starting 5^th October 2020, all International Travelers coming to Pakistan will require a mandatory negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test that has to be taken within 96 hours of the travel date.

List of Exempted Countries

The following countries are exempted from mandatory COVID-19 testing:

Serial No.	List of Exempted Countries
1	Australia
2	China
3	Cuba
4	Estonia
5	Ghana
6	Japan
7	Kazakhstan
8	Malawi
9	New Zealand
10	Norway
11	Rwanda
12	S. Korea
13	Saudi Arabia
14	Senegal
15	Singapore
16	Sri Lanka
17	Thailand
18	Togo
19	Turkey
20	Uruguay
21	Vietnam
22	Zambia
	View Updated List (Government Site)

This list will be updated on a fortnightly basis by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination based on disease burden of COVID-19.