The study visa is applied for online, but only after your host university obtains a No Objection Certificate from the Higher Education Commission and security clearance, so paperwork starts months ahead. Locals pay with JazzCash and Easypaisa, which need a Pakistani identity card, so a foreign student lives on cash and a fingerprint-registered SIM. In Peshawar especially, your university’s security advice decides where and how you travel.
Money
Pakistani rupee (Rs, PKR)
Language
Urdu and English; Punjabi in Lahore, Pashto in Peshawar
Time
UTC+5, no daylight saving
Plugs
Type C, D and G; 230 V
Tipping
Small tips common in restaurants and for drivers and porters
1122 is Rescue 1122 (ambulance, fire and rescue) in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; 16 is the fire brigade. Edhi’s charity ambulances answer on 115. Operators speak Urdu first; give a landmark.
Set these up before you fly
The essentials that take days to arrange or have to work the moment you land.
Exchange students can live on campus in separate male and female halls; the incoming page gives no spring deadline, so ask the Office of International Affairs (international@lums.edu.pk).
Places, programmes and the minimum cGPA are from ADA’s list. Confirm them with the Office of Global Outreach and Partners before you apply: exchange@ada.edu.az
Payments & banking4
Cash runs daily life; the JazzCash and Easypaisa wallets everyone uses need a Pakistani CNIC, and cards work mainly in malls and chains.
CI
Cash in rupees and ATMsEssential
How most things are paid for: rickshaws, food, markets
On arrival
Why you need it: Without a Pakistani identity card you cannot open the mobile wallets locals use, so for a semester you will live on cash from ATMs and exchange companies.
Bring a Visa or Mastercard debit card and tell your bank you will be in Pakistan
Withdraw at a bank ATM (HBL, Meezan, UBL and others) inside a branch or mall
Keep small notes for rickshaws and food; large notes are hard to change
Before you rely on itYour own bank charges for foreign withdrawals, and the ATM may show a fee of its own before you confirm, so take out larger amounts less often. Cards work in malls, chains and big restaurants, rarely elsewhere.
Source: hbl.com · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
AE
Authorised exchange companies
Changing dollars or euros into rupees legally
On arrival
Why you need it: Bringing some US dollars or euros and changing them at a licensed company is the reliable fallback if your card is blocked or ATMs run dry.
Change at an exchange company on the State Bank’s list, with your passport
Keep the receipt
Before you rely on itChange money only at banks and State Bank-licensed exchange companies; informal money changers are illegal. Large sums of foreign currency must be declared to customs on arrival. Manats are not easily changed in Pakistan.
Source: sbp.org.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ea
Easypaisa
Mobile wallet for transfers, bills and QR payments
Optional
Why you need it: Classmates, shops and landlords ask “Easypaisa or JazzCash?” all the time; you will likely pay a friend in cash who sends the transfer for you.
Before you rely on itAn account can be opened only with a valid Pakistani CNIC (computerised national identity card), so foreign students on a passport cannot open one in their own name. Never let anyone open a wallet for you on their CNIC with your SIM.
Source: easypaisa.com.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
JC
JazzCash
Jazz’s mobile wallet for transfers and payments
Optional
Why you need it: The other wallet everyone uses, so you will meet it in shops and dorm group chats even if you cannot open an account.
Before you rely on itSign-up asks for a CNIC number and its date of issue, which rules out foreign passport holders. A Pakistani with a CNIC can receive cash from you and pay on your behalf.
Source: jazzcash.com.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
Essential apps5
Careem has left; inDrive and Bykea move you around, and food and shopping apps take cash on delivery.
In
inDriveEssential
Ride-hailing by car, rickshaw or bike, at a price you offer
On arrival
Why you need it: Careem ended ride-hailing in Pakistan in 2025, and inDrive now works in both Lahore and Peshawar, including Hayatabad and University Road, which matters where street taxis are scarce.
Install inDrive and sign up with your Pakistani number
Enter pickup and destination, then offer a fare or accept a driver’s counter-offer
Check the plate and driver photo before getting in, and pay in cash
Before you rely on itYou agree the fare before the ride, so check what the app suggests and do not go far below it; very low offers wait a long time. The app also takes JazzCash and Easypaisa, which need a Pakistani CNIC, so carry cash.
Source: indrive.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
Ya
Yango
Ride-hailing in Lahore, Islamabad and other big cities
Optional
Why you need it: In Lahore it is the main alternative to inDrive, and the app sets the fare instead of asking you to bargain, which helps before you know what a ride should cost.
Before you rely on itDuring Ramadan, restaurants are busy at iftar and delivery slows down. Campus hostels may restrict where riders can deliver; check with the hostel.
Source: foodpanda.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Da
Daraz
Online shopping with cash on delivery
Optional
Why you need it: Pakistan’s largest online shop is where students buy bedding, adaptors and electronics for the hostel, paying the courier in cash.
Before you rely on itCheck seller ratings and reviews; quality varies widely between sellers.
Source: daraz.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Transport4
Lahore has the Metrobus and Orange Line, Peshawar the Zu BRT, but both cards expect a CNIC; ride-hailing is how students really get about.
LM
Lahore Metrobus and Orange Line
Lahore’s rapid bus and metro train lines
Optional
Why you need it: The Orange Line and Metrobus are the fast, cheap way across Lahore’s traffic, though LUMS in DHA is some way from both, so most trips end in a rickshaw or ride-hail.
Paid · Metrobus Rs 30; Orange Line Rs 25–45 by distance (2026)Varies by cityVaries by nationality
Check routes on the Punjab Masstransit Authority site
Ask at the station how to pay: the Metrobus is moving to the T-Cash card and eTransit app
Travel between 06:00 and 22:00
Before you rely on itThe T-Cash card (Rs 130) needs NADRA verification, which may rule out foreigners; ask station staff what a visitor without a CNIC can use. Women-only sections exist on buses and trains.
Source: pma.punjab.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
ZP
Zu Peshawar (BRT)
Peshawar’s bus rapid transit, Chamkani to Hayatabad
Optional
Why you need it: The BRT runs along the city’s main corridor out to Hayatabad, where Iqra National University is, so it is the cheapest way into the old city and Saddar.
Paid · From Rs 30 a trip by distance; Zu card Rs 400 (2026)Varies by cityVaries by nationality
Ask your university whether it is advised for you to use public transport
Buy a Zu card at a station ticket office, or use the Zu mobile app
Tap the card at the station gates; fares rise by distance
Before you rely on itTransPeshawar sells the card only against a valid national ID card with biometric verification, which a foreign student may not have; ask at a Zu Business Centre what a passport holder can use, or try the app. Feeder routes branch off the main line.
Source: transpeshawar.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
PR
Pakistan Railways
Intercity trains, including Lahore–Rawalpindi and Peshawar
Optional
Why you need it: Trains link Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar; for most trips students also compare intercity coaches on the motorway, which are often faster.
Before you rely on itBook with your passport details and arrive early; ask your university before travelling to another province.
Source: pakrail.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
AP
Airport pickup through your host
A known driver from the airport to campus on arrival
Before departure
Why you need it: Arriving at night with no local SIM, cash or wallet is the hardest moment of the trip, and ride-hailing apps need a Pakistani number; a ride arranged through your host avoids touts at the exit.
Email your flight number and arrival time to the host’s international office at least a week ahead
Save the driver’s or office’s WhatsApp number
Change a little money at the airport for the first day
Before you rely on itNeither LUMS nor Iqra National University publishes a pickup service on its exchange pages, so ask the international office whether it arranges one, or a trusted driver, before you book flights into Lahore (LHE), Peshawar (PEW) or Islamabad (ISB).
Source: oia.lums.edu.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
SIM, eSIM & internet2
SIMs are cheap but sold only in person with fingerprints and your passport, and a foreign phone needs PTA registration to keep working.
JS
Jazz SIMEssential
Local number and mobile data, registered to your passport
On arrival
Why you need it: Ride-hailing, food delivery and every OTP code need a Pakistani number, and a foreigner can only get one in person with fingerprints, so do it in the first days.
Paid · Prepaid SIM from Rs 350 (2026), plus a data bundle
Go to a Jazz franchise or experience centre in person with your original passport and a valid visa
Give your fingerprint on the biometric reader
Pay for the SIM and a monthly data bundle; it activates once the biometric check succeeds
Before you rely on itZong and Ufone (which Telenor Pakistan merged into in 2026) also sell SIMs in person with fingerprints, and coverage differs by area, so ask classmates which network works best on campus. A franchise or experience centre is more used to foreign passports than a small retailer.
Source: jazz.com.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
PT
PTA temporary device registrationEssential
Keeps your own phone working on a Pakistani SIM
On arrival
Why you need it: Phones brought from abroad and not registered with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority are blocked on local networks after a grace period, and a semester is long enough to hit it.
Register on the PTA Device Registration System with your passport number, the new number, your phone’s IMEI (dial *#06#) and your dates
Keep the confirmation until you leave
Before you rely on itPTA’s temporary registration is free and lets one phone per visit work without duties or taxes for up to 120 days from the date you arrive, not the date you register; a February–June semester can run past that. After it, duties and taxes apply to keep using the phone with a Pakistani SIM, which can cost a lot for a recent phone; ask your host university how others handle it.
Source: pta.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Visa, registration & legal4
Your host university requests the HEC NOC, then you apply online for the study visa; there is no separate residence permit, but report to the police if immigration tells you to on arrival.
SV
Study visa (Pakistan Online Visa System)Essential
Entry visa for study, applied for online with NADRA
Before departure
Why you need it: An exchange semester needs a study visa, and it cannot be issued until your host university’s NOC from HEC and security clearance are through, so start as soon as you are accepted.
Paid · Fee depends on nationality; shown in the portal when you applyVaries by nationalityVaries by university
Send your host university the documents it asks for so it can request the HEC NOC
Create an account on the Pakistan Online Visa System and choose Student Visa
Upload your passport, photo, admission letter and the NOC, then pay online
Print the visa grant letter and carry it with your passport
Before you rely on itFor citizens of Azerbaijan: ordinary passport holders need a visa (only diplomatic and official passports are visa-free), and a tourist visa or ETA does not cover study. The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports says security clearance takes up to 30 days, and its document list also asks for an NOC to the student from the student’s own country, issued through that country’s embassy in Pakistan; ask your host university and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Islamabad early whether you need one. The visa and fee shown in the portal depend on your nationality and on how long the NOC covers, so check that the visa runs past the end of the semester.
Source: dgip.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
HN
HEC No Objection Certificate (NOC)Essential
Higher Education Commission clearance the study visa depends on
Before departure
Why you need it: The visa is granted only after this NOC, and only your host university can request it, so a slow reply from you delays everything else.
Fill in the HEC Student Information Sheet your host university sends
Return it with your passport copy and admission letter to the host’s international office
Wait for the host to forward the NOC, then apply for the visa
Before you rely on itOnly the host university’s international office can send the request; HEC does not take applications from students. HEC says it needs five working days from a complete application, but the security clearance that follows can take up to 30 days. At LUMS, the HEC Student Information Sheet is part of the incoming exchange checklist (international@lums.edu.pk).
Source: hec.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
FR
Foreigners registration and travel permission
Reporting to the police and permission for restricted areas
On arrival
Why you need it: Some foreigners are told at the airport to register with a Foreigners Registration Office, and travel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs advance permission, which matters if you study in Peshawar.
Read your entry stamp and any slip immigration gives you at the airport
If told to report to a Foreigners Registration Office, ask your host university to go with you
Before any trip outside your city, ask the university security office whether you need permission or an escort
Before you rely on itThe Directorate General of Immigration and Passports says registration applies to foreigners whom immigration directs, at the airport, to report to a Foreigners Registration Office, with a stamp in the passport to say so; check your passport for one. Separately, UK government advice says foreigners need advance permission from local or federal authorities to travel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and several districts of Azad Kashmir.
Source: dgip.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
HA
Health and travel insurance
Cover for hospital care and medical evacuation
Before departure
Why you need it: Good private hospitals in Lahore and Peshawar expect payment up front, and LUMS’s visa document list includes a medical fitness certificate, so arrange cover and ask whether you need the certificate before you go.
Ask your host university whether it requires a specific policy or enrols you in one
Buy a policy valid in Pakistan for the whole stay, including evacuation
Get the medical fitness certificate your host’s visa checklist asks for
Before you rely on itNo Pakistani rule setting a minimum cover for study visas was found; requirements come from the host university. Check that the policy does not exclude where you will live: the UK government advises against all travel to Peshawar, and insurers often exclude such areas.
Source: international.lums.edu.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
Housing & daily life3
Live in a university hostel if you can: off-campus renting needs a written agreement and police registration of the tenant.
LO
LUMS on-campus hostels
Separate men’s and women’s halls inside the LUMS campus
Before departure
Why you need it: For one semester the campus hostel is the obvious choice: food outlets, ATMs, a shop, medical services and the security perimeter are all inside the campus in DHA.
Request hostel accommodation in your exchange application
Ask the Office of International Affairs for current hostel rates and what they include
Confirm the move-in date matches your flight
Before you rely on itRates are not published on the exchange page; ask international@lums.edu.pk. Men’s and women’s halls are separate; ask about timings and visitor rules before you arrive.
Source: oia.lums.edu.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
HI
Housing in Peshawar (Iqra National University)
Where to live while studying at INU in Hayatabad
Before departure
Why you need it: Iqra National University is in Hayatabad Phase II, and where an international student may live is a security question as much as a price one, so let the university decide with you.
Ask INU, once nominated, whether it has a hostel or guest house for international students
If you rent, choose only an address the university approves
Make sure the landlord registers you with the police
Before you rely on itINU’s own site blocks automated checks and no hostel information was found on official pages; confirm everything by email. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa law requires landlords to give the police their tenants’ details.
Source: hec.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
TR
Tenant registration with the police
Police record of anyone renting a room or flat
On arrival
Why you need it: If you rent off campus, the tenancy must be reported to the local police; an unregistered foreign tenant is the kind of problem that surfaces at a checkpoint.
Register at the nearest police station or Khidmat Markaz, or ask the landlord for proof that they did
Before you rely on itIn Punjab, owners, tenants and property dealers all share the duty to register; in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Restriction of Rented Buildings (Security) Act 2014 requires tenant details to reach the police soon after the agreement is signed. A university hostel handles this for you. The forms ask for a CNIC; bring your passport copy instead.
The host’s international office requests your HEC NOC and helps in the first week, and is the first place to ask about anything.
LO
LUMS Office of International Affairs
Exchange application, visa paperwork and first-week help at LUMS
Before departure
Why you need it: It collects the HEC information sheet and visa form for your NOC, welcomes incoming students and is the office to ask about anything from hostels to travel outside Lahore.
Email international@lums.edu.pk once ADA nominates you
Send the visa form, HEC information sheet and transcript they ask for
Visit the office in your first week (Monday to Friday, 08:30–17:00)
Before you rely on itIncoming exchange students must have completed at least a year at their home university and show proficiency in English. Phone +92 42 3560 8000, ext. 2143.
Source: oia.lums.edu.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
IN
Iqra National University offices
Admissions, visa letters and campus rules at INU Peshawar
Before departure
Why you need it: Your visa, housing and permission to travel all run through the university, so a named contact there before you fly is worth more than any app.
Ask ADA’s exchange office for the named INU contact for incoming students
Confirm who submits your HEC NOC request and when
Ask about security briefings and campus transport
Before you rely on itThe campus is in Phase II, Hayatabad, Peshawar (phone +92 91 5822982). Do not confuse it with Iqra University, a different university based in Karachi with a similar name and website.
Source: hec.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
Communication & language3
Lectures and offices at both universities are in English; Urdu helps everywhere else, and WhatsApp is how people talk.
WA
WhatsAppEssential
The messaging app everyone in Pakistan uses
Before departure
Why you need it: Drivers, classmates, hostel wardens and university offices all use WhatsApp, and voice notes in Urdu or English are the normal way to ask anything.
Before you rely on itKeep WhatsApp on your Azerbaijani number while you travel, or use Change Number when you get a Pakistani SIM, so you do not lose chats.
Source: play.google.com · the provider or a government body · Checked
GT
Google Translate
Camera and conversation translation, Urdu offline
Before departure
Why you need it: Lectures and offices work in English, but shop signs, menus and rickshaw conversations are in Urdu script; camera mode reads them on the spot.
Before you rely on itSpoken Urdu in Lahore mixes in Punjabi, and in Peshawar many people speak Pashto first; the translator handles both less well than Urdu.
Police 15, Rescue 1122 for ambulance and fire in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; save the embassy in Islamabad and your campus security.
EO
Embassy of Azerbaijan in PakistanEssential
Consular help for citizens of Azerbaijan, in Islamabad
Before departure
Why you need it: If your passport is lost or stolen, the embassy in Islamabad issues an emergency travel document to get you home; it is about four to five hours by road from Lahore and two from Peshawar.
Save the hotline +92 309 576 5556 and +92 51 260 0704
Save islamabad@mission.mfa.gov.az
Note consular hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 09:30–12:30; book through appointment.mfa.gov.az
Keep scans of your passport and visa in your email
Before you rely on itNot from Azerbaijan? Your own embassy’s page is the one to save. The embassy is at Plot 1 D and 1 E, Diplomatic Enclave II, Islamabad.
Before you rely on itThe Punjab service lists 1192 for lost persons and complaints. Give a landmark rather than an address: “near LUMS gate” or “Hayatabad Phase II, near Iqra National University”.
Source: rescue.gov.pk · the provider or a government body · Checked
EF
Edhi Foundation ambulance
Charity ambulance network, nationwide, on 115
Optional
Why you need it: Edhi runs the largest volunteer ambulance network in the country, a second number to call if 1122 is busy.
Before you rely on itA charity that runs on donations; ask about any charge when you call. In Lahore and Peshawar, call 1122 first and keep 115 as the second number.
Source: edhi.org · the provider or a government body · Not yet confirmed at the source; check before relying on it
OT
Official travel advice for Pakistan
Government safety advice by region, kept up to date
Before departure
Why you need it: Advice differs sharply between Lahore and Peshawar: the UK government advises against all travel to Peshawar district, the city included, and says foreigners need advance permission to travel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Read the advice for your city and for anywhere you plan to visit
Follow your host university’s security office over any general advice
Citizens of Azerbaijan: check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan for any notice on Pakistan
Before you rely on itThis is the UK government’s advice, used here because it is detailed and public; your own government’s advice and your insurer’s exclusions are what count for you. Many travel insurers will not cover places a government advises against all travel to, so check before you accept a place in Peshawar.
Source: gov.uk · the provider or a government body · Checked
Culture & practical tips
Dress modestly, expect Ramadan to reshape the day, and accept tea and hospitality graciously.
01Dress modestly, on and off campus
Men wear long trousers; women usually cover arms and legs, and many wear a dupatta (scarf) in public. LUMS is more relaxed than the city, Peshawar more conservative than Lahore. A shalwar kameez from a local market is comfortable and welcome.
02Ramadan falls in your semester
Ramadan 2027 is expected from about early February to early March, depending on the moon. Do not eat, drink or smoke in public in daylight; many restaurants close until iftar at sunset, then streets fill. Office hours shorten.
03Plan around Friday prayers
Offices and banks take a long break for Friday prayers from around midday, Sunday is the weekly day off, and many government offices also close on Saturday. Plan errands for a weekday morning.
04Agree the price first
Rickshaws and street taxis have no meters: agree the fare before you sit down, or use inDrive so the price is fixed in the app. Bargaining is normal in markets, not in chain shops.
05Ask before photographing
Ask before photographing people, especially women. Never photograph police, military, checkpoints or government buildings.
06Carry photo ID
Checkpoints are common, especially in Peshawar, and you may be held until you can show valid ID. Carry your passport, or at least a copy with the visa page if your university advises keeping the original safe, and stay calm and polite if stopped.
07Hospitality is serious
You will be offered tea everywhere. Accept with your right hand, and expect hosts to insist on paying; offering to split is polite, insisting hard can offend.
08Drink bottled or filtered water
Tap water is not safe to drink. Use bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth in your first weeks, and be careful with ice and raw salads.
09Load-shedding and gas cuts
Scheduled power cuts still happen in many areas; hostels usually have backup power, flats may not. Keep a power bank charged.
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