Before you start

Legal residence in Pakistan
An International Driving Permit for the first months, alongside your national licence
A learner permit before a full Punjab licence
A medical certificate for some categories and older applicants

Step-by-step

1
Drive on an International Driving Permit while you decide
An IDP issued in your home country alongside your national licence is the accepted document for a visitor. It is a bridge rather than a destination — it does not convert into a Pakistani licence.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
2
Try the Orange Line and the Metrobus before buying a car
The Orange Line runs from Dera Gujran to Ali Town across 26 stations at a flat PKR 40 fare, and the Metrobus runs the Ferozepur Road corridor. For a lot of central Lahore journeys this is faster than driving and immeasurably less stressful. Free travel schemes have come and gone; check the current fare position with the Punjab Mass Transit Authority.
Mobile appWho: YouMonth 1
3
Apply for the learner permit on DLIMS
Punjab's system allows online application, document upload, fee payment and permit download. The fee is a few hundred rupees per category — around PKR 500 for car or motorcycle. The permit runs for a limited period before the full licence test.
OnlineWho: You
4
Confirm what identity document a foreign national may use
DLIMS is designed around the CNIC. A POC or NICOP holder is fine; a foreign national on a work visa should ask the licensing branch what the in-person route is rather than assuming the online process applies. This is a systems assumption rather than a legal bar, but it will stop you at the first screen.
In personWho: You
5
Take the test after the permit period
The full licence follows a theory and practical assessment at a licensing centre. Standards are less exacting than in Europe or Japan, but Lahore's traffic behaviour is its own curriculum — a few supervised hours with someone who drives here is worth more than the test preparation.
In personWho: You
6
Stop driving during severe smog episodes if you can
Visibility during the worst winter mornings falls far enough to make motorway travel genuinely dangerous, and the Punjab government has closed roads and restricted movement in past seasons. Build the metro into your winter routine rather than discovering it in December.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

National licence from your home country
International Driving Permit, for the visitor period
Passport with valid visa, or CNIC/NICOP/POC
Proof of Lahore address
Medical certificate, for some categories

Things most newcomers don’t know

Punjab's DLIMS is the most digitised licensing system in Pakistan, and it assumes you are a citizen.

You can apply for a learner permit, upload documents, pay and download the permit without leaving home — which is genuinely better than Sindh's or Islamabad's process. The catch is that every step keys off a CNIC. POC and NICOP holders have a number the system recognises; a foreign national on a work visa generally does not, and the practical route is in person at the licensing branch. Knowing this before you try saves an afternoon of failed form submissions.

Source: Punjab Police DLIMS

The Orange Line is the only metro rail in Pakistan and it is genuinely useful.

Twenty-six stations from Dera Gujran to Ali Town at a flat fare in the region of PKR 40, run by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority. It crosses the city on an axis that driving does badly, and during smog season it is the difference between commuting and not. Fare and free-travel policy has changed more than once — the Punjab government ran and then ended a free-travel scheme — so confirm the current position rather than relying on any published figure including this one.

Source: Punjab Mass Transit Authority

Licensing is provincial and a Punjab licence is administered by Punjab.

Sindh, Punjab and Islamabad each run their own licensing systems with their own portals and counters. The licence is valid for driving nationwide, but renewals and records follow the issuing province. If you move from Lahore to Karachi you keep the licence and change the administrative relationship, which surprises people who assume a national register.

Source: Provincial licensing authorities

Smog changes driving in Lahore in a way no other Pakistani city experiences.

Winter visibility on the motorways around Lahore drops far enough that closures and restrictions have been imposed in past seasons, and the Punjab government has issued work-from-home mandates during the worst episodes. This is not the ordinary haze of a big city; it is a seasonal condition with a policy response attached. Anyone whose job involves regular intercity driving should understand that November to January is materially different from the rest of the year.

Source: Punjab government advisories

Common mistakes to avoid

Starting a DLIMS application as a foreign national and stalling at the CNIC field.
Buying a car before trying the Orange Line for your actual commute.
Assuming a national licensing register when Punjab, Sindh and ICT are separate.
Planning winter intercity drives without checking smog advisories.
Treating an International Driving Permit as a long-term substitute for a licence.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.