Consular Services at U.S. Consulate General Karachi Significantly Reduced

The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi will be closed for routine consular services on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 2 and 3, 2014 (Monday, September 1 is a U.S. holiday). We will only be able to assist with emergency cases involving U.S. citizens during this time. U.S. citizens who need to contact the Consulate General in Karachi in the event of an emergency can find contact information at the bottom of this message. Presently we plan to reopen Thursday, September 4. We will post any other updates on our status here.

The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad will be open for regular services during this time.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State reminds U.S. citizens of the high security threat level in Pakistan and warns U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan.

The U.S. Mission in Pakistan urges U.S. citizens to vary their times and routes when traveling anywhere in Pakistan, and to avoid travel patterns to such locations that would allow other persons to predict when and where they will be. Depending on ongoing security assessments, and as part of routine operational security measures, the U.S. Mission occasionally places areas such as hotels, markets, airports, and/or restaurants off limits to official personnel.

Updated Information on Travel and Security

Updated information on travel and security in Pakistan may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). For further information, please consult the Travel Warning for Pakistan and the Country Specific Information for Pakistan, as well as theWorldwide Caution.  You can also stay up to date by bookmarking ourBureau of Consular Affairs website, which also contains current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts.  Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook to have travel information at your fingertips.

U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Pakistan are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). If you enroll, we can keep you up-to-date with important safety and security announcements and can also help your family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency. U.S. citizens without Internet access may enroll directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate General.

To view emergency services to U.S. citizens in the different consular districts, please click on the links below:

Contact Information for All U.S. Mission to Pakistan Posts for American Citizens.  The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is located at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5; telephone (92-51) 208-0000; Consular Section telephone (92-51) 208-2700; fax (92-51) 282-2632; website; e-mail address: ACSIslamabad@state.gov.

The U.S. Consulate General Karachi, located at Plot No 3-5, TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road, Karachi, provides routine services to U.S. citizens by appointment only. Services can be scheduled by calling (92-21) 3527-5000 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday-Friday; fax (92-21) 3527-5885; website; e-mail: ACSKarachi@state.gov. If you are a U.S. citizen in need of urgent assistance outside of business hours, the emergency after-hours number for the U.S. Consulate General is: In Pakistan: 021-3527-5000. From the U.S. or International: +92-21-3527-5000.

The U.S. Consulate General Lahore is located at 50 Sharah-E-Abdul Hameed Bin Badees, (Old Empress Road) near Shimla Hill Rotary. Consular operations in Lahore have been temporarily suspended. Please direct any inquiries to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad or the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi.