Board of Investment Pakistan (BOI) 2026: Complete Guide to Services, Incentives, Zones & Investor Tools

Board of Investment Pakistan complete guide with colourful buildings and rising arrow

If you want to start a business, set up a factory or invest from abroad, the first name you meet is the Board of Investment (BOI). Its website, invest.gov.pk, brings together policy, incentives, zones and services for investors. This guide is a map of everything the BOI does, with links to our detailed guides on each topic.

Quick facts: Apex agency for promoting and facilitating investment • Created under the BOI Ordinance 2001 • Chaired by the Prime Minister • Website: invest.gov.pk

What Is the Board of Investment?

The BOI is Pakistan's investment promotion agency. Its founding law describes it as an apex agency to promote, encourage and facilitate both local and foreign investment, and it acts as the interface between international and local investors and between the public and private sectors. It was first set up in October 1992 as the Pakistan Investment Board, according to public reference sources, and the Board of Investment Ordinance 2001, amended in 2023, now governs it. Its Board is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes public and private sector members.

An important point from a US State Department investment climate report: the BOI is not a one-stop shop. It facilitates, screens and coordinates, but investors still deal with other regulators such as SECP, tax authorities and sector regulators.

What BOI Says About Investing in Pakistan

The BOI's home page pitches Pakistan as a country with a unique geo-strategic location, large human resources and untapped growth potential, with attractive incentives and liberal policies for local and foreign investors across all sectors. It also highlights interest in CPEC, Chinese investor interest in clothing and food processing, and SEZs as a source of new business opportunities. Treat this as the agency's own promotion, and check any statistic against its source before you rely on it.

BOI Services and Topics at a Glance

Topic	What it covers	Our guide
Investment regime	Investment Policy 2013 principles and which industries need government permission	Read more
Special economic zones	The SEZ Act 2012, 50-acre minimum, tax exemptions and notified zones	Read more
Incentives database	An online tool for finding sector incentives	Read more
Bilateral investment treaties	Investor protection agreements with dozens of countries	Read more
MoUs	Cooperation agreements with China, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Sri Lanka and local partners	Read more
Security clearance and NOC	How foreign shareholders and directors are cleared	Read more
Airport entry pass	Access passes for investors with US$10 million or more in equity	Read more

Other Things the BOI Handles

Work and business visas: the BOI evaluates applications for work and business visas, and for branch and liaison offices. See our guides to the CPEC work visa and Pakistan work visa types.
Projects portal: BOI describes an online repository of more than 120 federal and provincial projects worth about USD 60 billion.
Sector profiles: profiles of priority sectors where Pakistan has a competitive advantage. Sectors often named in public sources include food processing, logistics, textiles, automobiles and IT.
B2B investment portal: a China-Pakistan CPEC industrial cooperation portal designed to help companies in both countries find partners.
Regulatory modernization: an initiative to reduce the compliance burden on businesses.
Help with practical services: public descriptions say the BOI helps investors with utility connections, customs clearance of imported machinery and similar needs.

Trade paperwork has its own platform. Learn how it works in our guide to the Pakistan Single Window (PSW).

How to Start: A Simple Roadmap

Learn the rules. Read about the investment regime and which sectors need permission.
Compare incentives. Check the incentives database and any zone you are considering.
Check protection. Look at whether a bilateral investment treaty covers your home country.
Plan approvals. If foreign directors or shareholders are involved, prepare for security clearance, and for BOI approval if you are opening a branch or liaison office.
Register and operate. Complete company registration with SECP, tax registration and any sector licences, then use trade tools such as PSW if you import or export.

Tip: Policy pages change often, and several BOI pages block automated tools or carry older notes. Before you commit money, confirm the details on invest.gov.pk and with a qualified Pakistani adviser.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Board of Investment do?

It promotes and facilitates local and foreign investment, advises on investment policy, processes investment proposals, and runs services such as incentive information, SEZ coordination and investor support.

Is the BOI a one-stop shop?

No. According to a US State Department report, it is not a one-stop shop. Investors still deal with other agencies such as SECP and sector regulators.

Where can I find BOI information online?

On the official website, invest.gov.pk, which has sections on the investment regime, incentives, SEZs, treaties and investor services.

Does the BOI handle visas?

It evaluates applications for work and business visas and for branch and liaison offices, among other services.

Which BOI topics should I read first?

Start with the investment regime, then incentives and special economic zones, and then security clearance if foreigners will be directors or shareholders.

Related Guides on Our Blog

For video guide, view this video

Disclaimer: This article is a general overview based on public sources and is not legal, tax or investment advice. We are not affiliated with the Board of Investment. Policies and services change, so confirm the latest details on the official BOI website before you act.

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