Pallister made his debut for England in the friendly with Hungary in April 1988. He played the whole game in the goalless draw at Népstadion in Budapest. He had to wait over three years to make his competitive debut when he played in the win against Turkey during qualifying for UEFA Euro 1992. England qualified for the tournament finals in Sweden but Pallister was not selected in the squad. He featured in the United States Cup in June 1993; he started the defeats against the United States and Germany, and the draw against Brazil, as England finished last place in the group. Pallister played three matches as England failed to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was used sporadically over the next three years, mainly playing in friendlies, before making his last appearances in the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Poland in the autumn of 1996. Overall, Pallister won 22 caps and scored no goals.