Twitch pays Affiliates and Partners in US dollars and I found no Twitch page listing Pakistan as unsupported, but Twitch publishes no country list for payouts. Pakistan is on the IRS tax treaty list, and I couldn't confirm whether PayPal is offered on Pakistani accounts.
Pakistani gamers and streamers are some of the most active audiences online, so it's no surprise people in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad keep typing this question into Google. I'll give you what Twitch publishes, what the tax paperwork looks like for Pakistan specifically, and the one thing I can't confirm so you don't build a plan on a guess.
What I could and couldn't confirm for Pakistan
Twitch doesn't publish a list of countries where payouts work. It publishes payout methods, fees and minimums, and says the methods you can pick may vary by region. I found no Twitch page that names Pakistan as unsupported. I also found no page that names Pakistan as supported for each method. So the honest position is: Pakistani streamers who reach Affiliate or Partner can go through payout onboarding, and your own dashboard decides which methods you're offered.
The part I can't confirm is PayPal. Twitch lists it as a payout method, but I couldn't find a Twitch page saying whether it's offered on Pakistani accounts. Don't build your plan around it until you've seen it in your settings.
Pakistan's US tax treaty is the oldest on my list
Twitch's onboarding includes tax information, and for streamers outside the US the first question is whether your country has a treaty with the United States. The IRS list of treaties includes Pakistan, with the treaty effective from 1960. That's decades older than the treaties for India, South Africa or Bangladesh.
In the IRS table of treaty rates, Pakistan's royalty columns show 0 for know-how, patents and copyrights, while industrial equipment and film and TV are marked n/a. I can't tell you that this is what Twitch will apply to your earnings, because I couldn't confirm how Twitch classifies streaming income. Take the table to your tax interview and to a Pakistani accountant, and let them tell you how it fits.
Rupees, paisa and conversion
The Pakistani rupee is issued by the State Bank of Pakistan. Its subunit, the paisa, stopped being legal tender in 2013, so you'll only ever see whole rupees on a statement. Twitch pays in US dollars, and the non-US eCheck or local bank option converts into your local currency at the wholesale exchange rate for a fee.
Pakistan sits outside the US and outside the Eurozone, so ACH direct deposit and SEPA transfer are off the table. Twitch says ACH is for US residents only and SEPA is for Eurozone residents only. What's left is eCheck or local bank, PayPal (subject to what I said above), check and wire transfer.
Fees and thresholds, in order of what hurts
- The wire fee. Twitch lists 16.00 US dollars for creators outside the US, and a wire needs a balance of 100 US dollars.
- Currency exchange. The fee schedule doesn't include an exchange fee of 2.50% of the transaction.
- Processor charges. Twitch's payment processor charges every time you're paid, and for any payout rejected because details were wrong.
- The minimum. Most methods need 50 US dollars, and anything less carries forward to the following month.
Rejected payouts are the avoidable one. Copy your bank details exactly as the bank prints them, including the name format, before you save them in Twitch.
Pakistan and Twitch's 2022 country-by-country minimum
In 2022 Twitch reduced its minimum from 100 US dollars to 50 US dollars, rolling it out country by country. The announcement named Argentina, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Taiwan first, and the follow-up lists added Australia, Chile, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Peru. Pakistan wasn't named. Treat that as a reason to look at the figure Twitch shows you, not as proof of anything.
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Reaching Affiliate from Pakistan
None of this matters until you qualify. Twitch's Affiliate requirements are 50 followers, 8 hours streamed, 7 different days and an average of 3 viewers inside 30 days. After that, Bits pay 1 cent each and subscriptions are split 50/50 after deductions, with Partner Plus levels of 60/40 and 70/30 open to Affiliates.
Streaming in Urdu, Punjabi or English is your call, and Twitch doesn't set a language requirement that I found. What I'd work on is a consistent schedule, because the 7 different days requirement rewards regular streaming over occasional marathons.
Where to read next
If you've come from my guide to Twitch payouts in Kenya, note how different the tax picture is, since Pakistan is on the treaty list and Kenya isn't. For the wider question of making side income from games, see whether online gaming can become side income. And the South African version shows a country where the payout routes are the same but the currency story differs.
Frequently asked questions
Does Twitch pay in Pakistan?
Twitch pays Affiliates and Partners, and I found no Twitch page that lists Pakistan as unsupported. Twitch doesn't publish a country list, so your payout settings show which methods you can use.
Does PayPal work for Twitch payouts in Pakistan?
Twitch lists PayPal as a payout method, but I couldn't confirm whether it's offered on Pakistani accounts. Check your payout settings before relying on it.
Does Pakistan have a tax treaty with the US?
Yes. Pakistan is on the IRS list of US tax treaties, effective from 1960. How it applies to Twitch income is a question for the tax interview and a Pakistani accountant.
How much is the Twitch wire fee for Pakistan?
Twitch lists 16.00 US dollars for creators outside the US, a currency exchange fee of 2.50% on top, and a minimum balance of 100 US dollars for a wire.
Can I get Twitch earnings in Pakistani rupees?
Twitch pays in US dollars. The eCheck or local bank option converts into local currency at the wholesale rate for a fee, and your bank may add charges.
