To start a business in Pakistan from abroad, set up the online side early: register a .pk or .com domain in your own name, choose hosting, build a website, set up WhatsApp Business and Google Business Profile with your local team, and plan payments. PKNIC charges overseas registrants $15.99 a year. Our websites start from Rs 40,500.
Key Takeaways
- Register the domain, hosting and every online account in your own name, even if family or staff in Pakistan run daily work.
- PKNIC charges registrants outside Pakistan $15.99 per .pk domain per year, billed in two-year periods.
- Customers in Pakistan expect WhatsApp, cash on delivery or local payment options, and fast mobile pages.
- Give your local manager access as a user, not as the owner, so you keep control from abroad.
- For paperwork, bank accounts for the business and anything beyond the online set-up, speak to your accountant or adviser.
Why Plan the Website Early When You Start a Business in Pakistan From Abroad?
Many overseas Pakistanis in the UK, the Gulf, Europe and North America start or fund a business back home, often with family or a manager running it day to day. The online set-up is where many of them later run into trouble: a domain registered by a relative, a Facebook page controlled by a former employee, or a website nobody can update. Getting this right from the start lets you see and steer the business from wherever you live.
This guide covers the website and online accounts only. For registering the business, opening business bank accounts and any other paperwork, speak to your accountant or adviser.
What Is the Online Setup Plan?
| Step | What to do | Who should own it |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | Register a .pk, .com.pk or .com name | You, with your own email |
| Hosting | Choose hosting suited to Pakistani visitors | You, paid by your card |
| Business email | Mailboxes on your domain for you and staff | You as administrator |
| Website | Pages or store built for mobile users in Pakistan | You; developer as a user |
| WhatsApp Business | A number your local team can answer | Number registered to the business |
| Google Business Profile | For a shop, clinic or office customers visit | You as owner; manager added |
| Social media pages | Facebook and Instagram for the business | You as admin; staff with limited roles |
How Do You Register a .pk Domain From Abroad?
PKNIC, the registry for .pk domains based in Lahore, publishes two rates. Registrants in Pakistan pay Rs 2,100 a year from 1 August 2026. Registrants outside Pakistan pay $15.99 per domain per year. Fees are charged for two-year periods, up to ten years in advance. PKNIC states it has no offices outside Lahore and that its resellers are independent companies. A .com is an alternative if you also plan to sell abroad. Whichever you choose, put your own name and email on the registration; our domain and hosting price guide explains the costs.
What Do Customers in Pakistan Expect?
- fast pages on mid-range Android phones and mobile data
- a WhatsApp button for questions and orders
- cash on delivery or a familiar local payment method
- prices in rupees, delivery charges by city and clear return terms
- Urdu or Roman Urdu where your customers prefer it
Accepting online payments through a Pakistani gateway usually needs a local business bank account and documents; ask your accountant or adviser which apply to you. Our payment gateway comparison explains the options once that is in place.
How Do You Keep Control From Abroad?
- Owner accounts are yours. Add your manager and developer as users with the access they need.
- Turn on two-step login for the domain, hosting, email and social accounts.
- Get a weekly report of orders, enquiries and website visits, by email or a shared dashboard.
- Keep a list of all accounts and renewal dates in a secure place only you control.
- Review access when staff leave, and remove them promptly.
Our guide on who owns your website covers each account in detail.
How Do You Work With a Pakistani Developer From Abroad?
From the Gulf, the time difference is one or two hours. From the UK it is four or five, and from North America nine or more, so weekly calls work best at the edge of both days. Our time zone guide has the details.
What We Would Build for You
We set up the whole online side with every account in your name: domain registration guidance, hosting, business email, website, WhatsApp buttons and Google Business Profile set-up with your local manager. A 5-page website starts from Rs 40,500, a 10-page site from Rs 85,500 and an online store from Rs 157,500. Overseas clients are invoiced in rupees and pay by international transfer in milestones. See our contact page and the guide to working with Pakistani developers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How We Researched This Guide
PKNIC fees for Pakistan and overseas registrants come from PKNIC's homepage, opened 29 October 2026. Account control follows ICANN and Google help pages. This guide covers the website and online set-up only; all other paperwork is referred to the reader's accountant or adviser. Prices are our own published packages.
Sources
- PKNIC — .pk domain registry (fees for Pakistan and overseas registrants)
- PKNIC — How to pay
- ICANN — Registrants' benefits and responsibilities
- Google Business Profile Help — Add or remove owners and managers
- WhatsApp Business — Business Platform
- Google Analytics Help — Add, edit and delete users
Disclosure: Kamboh Associates sells the web development services discussed here. Other providers' prices are quoted from their own public pages on the dates shown and may have changed. We correct errors as soon as they are reported. First published ; last reviewed .
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