Ex-Pakistan & Study Leave Rules 2026 for Govt Staff

Ex Pakistan leave rules are the rules that let a government servant spend his leave outside Pakistan, and they are the rules a servant must follow before he goes abroad on leave.

In Urdu: بیرون پاکستان چھٹی / مطالعاتی چھٹی۔

This guide explains ex-Pakistan leave under the Revised Leave Rules, 1980, and study leave under the Study Leave Rules, with the limits, the pay, and the NOC step for going abroad.

Ex-Pakistan and study leave at a glance#

The table below gives the basic facts. The federal rules are the Revised Leave Rules, 1980, and the Study Leave Rules.

What are ex-Pakistan leave rules in Pakistan?#

Ex Pakistan leave rules in Pakistan are the rules under which a government servant spends his leave outside Pakistan, and they are set out in Rule 15 of the Revised Leave Rules, 1980.

Ex-Pakistan leave is a mode, not a separate purpose. Any leave that is admissible under the rules can be spent abroad: earned leave, study leave, or extraordinary leave. Rule 15 is the rule that turns an ordinary leave into a leave spent abroad.

Rule 15 says leave ex-Pakistan may be granted on full pay to a civil servant who applies for such leave.

It also covers a civil servant who proceeds abroad during leave, or takes leave while posted abroad or is otherwise on duty abroad, and makes a specific request to that effect.

The request matters. A servant who is already on leave and then decides to go abroad must make a specific request for ex-Pakistan leave. The leave is not ex-Pakistan leave only because he happens to be abroad.

Can a government employee go abroad on leave?#

Yes, a government employee can go abroad on leave, but only with sanctioned leave and an NOC from the competent authority. Going abroad without sanctioned leave is absence from duty, not leave.

Two things must be in place before the servant travels.

• First, sanctioned leave: the leave itself must be sanctioned under the Revised Leave Rules, 1980, with the ex-Pakistan request made in the application.
• Second, an NOC: the servant needs a No Objection Certificate from the competent authority to proceed abroad.

The NOC is a separate step from the leave sanction. The leave sanction says the servant may be absent from duty; the NOC says the department has no objection to his going abroad. A servant who has sanctioned leave but no NOC should not travel.

A NOC is also needed for other purposes, such as applying for a job abroad, and the same competent authority issues it. The NOC guide explains who issues it and what to attach.

Ex-Pakistan leave vs study leave#

Ex-Pakistan leave and study leave are often used together, but they are different things. The table below shows the difference.

A servant who goes abroad to study uses both. The study leave is the leave that pays for the study, and the ex-Pakistan leave is the mode under which that leave is spent abroad. The application should ask for both.

Study leave rules: how long can study leave be?#

Study leave can be granted for 12 months at one time, and for a maximum of 2 years in the entire service.

For a PhD, the period of 2 years may be extended to 4 years on the merit of each case, subject to review after 2 years.

Study leave is additional leave. It is not debited against the leave account, and it is granted for the study of scientific, technical or similar problems, or to undertake special courses of instruction.

Study leave is not granted to everyone.

It should not ordinarily be granted to a servant with less than 5 years’ service, or within 3 years of the date at which he has the option of retiring, or to a servant about to retire on a proportionate pension.

The combined absence has its own limit. Study leave, in combination with leave other than extraordinary leave or leave on medical certificate, must not involve an absence of more than 28 months from regular duties.

How to apply for ex-Pakistan leave#

Apply for ex-Pakistan leave in five steps, with the NOC step included.

1. Check your leave account: check how much earned leave you have. Leave is earned at 4 days for every calendar month of duty, and leave on full pay is limited to 120 days at one time without a medical certificate. The earned leave rules explain the account.
2. Apply for the leave: apply on the leave application form, and make a specific request that the leave be spent ex-Pakistan. The application must say where you are going and for how long.
3. Get the NOC: get a No Objection Certificate from the competent authority to proceed abroad. The leave sanction and the NOC are two different papers, and both are needed before you travel.
4. Get the leave sanctioned: the competent authority sanctions the leave. The sanction should state that the leave is ex-Pakistan leave, and the period for which it is granted.
5. Draw the leave salary: the leave salary is drawn in rupees in Pakistan. Keep your leave account and your salary record straight, because the leave is debited from the account like any other leave.

Leave salary abroad: what you are paid#

The leave salary for ex-Pakistan leave is drawn in rupees in Pakistan.

Every serving civil servant was appointed after 17 May 1958, and Rule 15(5) says civil servants appointed after that date draw their leave salary in rupees in Pakistan, irrespective of the country where they spend their leave.

The 1980 text also says the leave pay to be drawn abroad is restricted to a maximum of Rs 3,000 per month, and is payable in Sterling if the leave is spent in Asia other than Pakistan and India.

Those provisions apply to the servants appointed before 17 May 1958, and no serving civil servant falls in that class.

The leave is subject to the same limits as other leave. Rule 15(6) says leave ex-Pakistan is regulated by the same limits and conditions as Rules 5, 6 and 9: leave on full pay, leave on half pay, and extraordinary leave.

For a longer stay abroad, extraordinary leave is the fallback.

Extraordinary leave without pay may be granted up to 5 years at a time if the servant has 10 or more years of continuous service, and up to 2 years if he has less than 10 years.

Mistakes to avoid with ex-Pakistan leave#

• Travelling without sanctioned leave: going abroad without sanctioned leave is absence from duty, not leave. The leave must be sanctioned before you travel.
• Travelling without an NOC: the NOC is a separate paper from the leave sanction. A servant with sanctioned leave but no NOC should not travel.
• Not making the ex-Pakistan request: the leave is not ex-Pakistan leave only because you are abroad. The application must make a specific request that the leave be spent ex-Pakistan.
• Staying beyond 120 days: leave pay for the period spent abroad is payable for a maximum of 120 days at a time. A longer stay needs a fresh sanction, or extraordinary leave.
• Applying for study leave too early: study leave should not ordinarily be granted to a servant with less than 5 years’ service. Apply when you have the service, and with the course and the institution named.
• Confusing the 1980 and 1981 rules: the federal rules are the Revised Leave Rules, 1980. Punjab has its own Revised Leave Rules, 1981. A Punjab servant is governed by the Punjab rules, not the federal rules.

Frequently asked questions#

Can a government employee go abroad on leave?

Yes, a government employee can go abroad on leave.

Rule 15 of the Revised Leave Rules, 1980, allows leave ex-Pakistan on full pay to a civil servant who applies for it, or who proceeds abroad during leave, or takes leave while posted abroad, and makes a specific request to that effect.

Two things must be in place before travel: the leave must be sanctioned, and an NOC from the competent authority must be obtained. The leave salary is drawn in rupees in Pakistan.

How long can study leave be?

Study leave can be granted for 12 months at one time, and for a maximum of 2 years in the entire service.

For a PhD, the period of 2 years may be extended to 4 years on the merit of each case, subject to review after 2 years.

The combined absence, with leave other than extraordinary leave or leave on medical certificate, must not exceed 28 months from regular duties. Study leave is additional leave and is not debited against the leave account.

Is study leave debited from my leave account?

No, study leave is not debited from your leave account. It is additional leave, granted outside the leave account, for the study of scientific, technical or similar problems, or to undertake special courses of instruction.

Ex-Pakistan leave is different: it is a mode, not a separate kind of leave, so the underlying leave is debited from the account in the ordinary way.

Can I combine study leave with other leave?

Yes, study leave can be combined with other leave, but the combined absence must not exceed 28 months from regular duties, except when the other leave is extraordinary leave or leave on medical certificate.

Study leave can also be combined with ex-Pakistan leave, when the study is abroad. The application should ask for both, and the NOC step applies to the travel.