Buying foreign currency for travel — what's the limit for Pakistanis?

Whether you're about to travel or just want to buy some foreign currency to save or invest, you can simply walk in to an exchange company's office and purchase it.

But there are documents you need to show and limits on how much you can buy.

If you're buying them for travel purposes and show your passport, visa and ticket, you can buy up to $2,000 or equivalent by paying in cash. However, if you pay by check, you can buy up to $5,000 or equivalent.

If you're buying them as an investment strategy, you can purchase up to $1,000 over a year's time after showing your computerized national identity card (CNIC).

However, despite the official limit of $1,000, most times, exchange companies only sell around $400 citing unavailability and anti-hoarding measures.