Pakistan and Italy sign agreement to abolish visa requirement for diplomatic passport holders

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan and Italy this week signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports, marking a step aimed at strengthening official exchanges and easing travel for senior government representatives between the two countries.

The agreement was signed in Rome at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed and Italy’s Secretary General of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia. The signing ceremony followed a round of one-on-one discussions between the two senior diplomats, during which both sides reviewed the full scope of bilateral relations.

According to a statement issued by the Pakistan Embassy in Rome, both sides expressed satisfaction over the “substance, intensity and upward trajectory” of Pakistan–Italy relations and reaffirmed their commitment to further expanding cooperation at bilateral and multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the European Union.

Officials described the visa waiver for diplomatic passport holders as a reflection of mutual trust and friendship, and said it would facilitate smoother movement of official delegations, contributing to more efficient diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Rome.

The two sides also reviewed the broader framework of existing agreements and institutional linkages between Pakistan and Italy. These include a wide range of cooperation mechanisms spanning education, trade, culture, science and technology, defence studies, tourism and counter-narcotics efforts.

According to official figures, 21 memoranda of understanding are currently in place between universities and think tanks in the two countries, while 15 intergovernmental agreements have been concluded across multiple sectors.

Key existing frameworks include a defence cooperation agreement signed in 2009, a strategic engagement plan established in 2013, and a joint economic commission formed in 2005. Earlier accords include an investment protection treaty signed in 1997, a dual citizenship agreement dating back to 1983, and an extradition treaty concluded in 1972.

Officials also recalled the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding on labour mobility and migration, described as Pakistan’s first such agreement with a European country. The arrangement provides for opportunities for Pakistani workers, including a quota of 10,500 country-specific jobs in Italy.

Both sides highlighted this development as part of broader efforts to manage migration pathways and expand legal employment opportunities for Pakistani workers in Europe.

During the meeting, Ambassador Ali Javed reiterated an invitation for Italy’s Secretary General of Foreign Affairs to visit Pakistan for the seventh round of bilateral political consultations, expected in the final quarter of 2026.

He also expressed Pakistan’s readiness to host the upcoming engagement and underscored interest in further deepening institutional cooperation between the two countries.

Separately, both sides noted the importance of the planned inauguration of a newly constructed Italian Embassy in Islamabad, described as Italy’s largest diplomatic mission abroad, reflecting the growing strategic importance of relations with Pakistan.

The agreement to remove visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders is expected to streamline official travel and enhance coordination between foreign ministries, reinforcing what both sides described as a steadily expanding and mutually beneficial partnership.

Officials from both countries characterised the development as part of a broader effort to modernise and intensify bilateral relations, building on decades of diplomatic engagement and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.