At 4693 meters! The highest ATM in the world

Because it is almost 4700 meters high in the Hindu Kush mountains in Pakistan. Why is an ATM needed up there at all?

The Guinness Book of Records contains all sorts of impressive superlatives, from peak human performance and extreme values to natural phenomena on earth. Some of the Guinness World Records are also quite bizarre, for example the most expensive fries in the world, the most haunted place in England or the highest tea party in the world have been awarded. And yes, the entry of the highest ATM in the world is probably one of the rather unusual records.

The ATM operated by the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) is located in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. There is the Khunjerab Pass – the highest paved international border crossing in the world, connecting Pakistan to southwest China. The solar and wind-powered ATM was built in 2016. According to a BBC report, it took four months due to the extreme height and was dependent on the help of the military.

Who uses the highest ATM in the world?

The Guinness World Record machine works like any other ATM: you can use it to withdraw cash, pay bills and make transfers. It is used by the few residents and employees at the border crossing. And of course by adventurous travelers. Because the highest ATM in the world has long since become an attraction and attracts people from all over the world.

However, the journey is long: the nearest village of Sost is 87 kilometers away, and the journey by bus takes three hours. According to the BBC, Zahid Hussain, the head of the NBP bank branch in Sost, regularly drives to the border crossing to refill the ATM. But the journey is difficult and sometimes, depending on the weather, extremely dangerous. Landslides are more common in the area. “On average, about 4 to 5 million rupees are withdrawn within 15 days,” the BBC quoted the bank director as saying. That’s the equivalent of between 17,000 and 20,000 euros.

Visiting is not without risk

From time to time it happens that a card gets stuck in the ATM. When that happens, you have to wait for help for up to two and a half hours – or come back the next day. Because you can’t stand it for long in the freezing cold. As the operator of the mobile toilets at the border crossing told “BBC”, many of the tourists are also struggling with the lack of oxygen. This is also shown by the reports of travelers on Tripadvisor who have visited the Khunjerab Pass. “I felt like my brain was freezing,” wrote a visitor from Karachi, Pakistan, who was there in October 2021. “The feeling that my brain was freezing kept getting stronger. I couldn’t breathe anymore.” It was only after a while that he and his family gradually got better.

“This fascinating place requires courage and hard work for all who wish to visit it,” writes one Qatari traveler in his Tripadvisor review. But once you’ve made it, you’ll be overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape. Already the approach on the way there should be spectacular. The highest ATM in the world is near Khunjerab National Park, home to snow leopards and the endangered species Marco Polo sheep.

The Khunjerab Pass can also be reached from China. But only if you also cross the border to Pakistan. Travelers need a visa in advance – none is issued on the Khunjerab passport.