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Afghanistan visa

Unless you are an Afghan citizen, you will need a visa to visit Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan tourist visa is valid for 30 days. It’s single entry. There is no double entry. It is not date-specific, meaning the visa duration starts from the day you enter, which can be any day within a 3-month period stated on the visa.

After entry, certain provinces (like the Wakhan corridor) require an extra permit, which can be provided to you by local tour operators and fixers.

Once you have your visa, see which borders allow you to enter Afghanistan.

Recent embassy reports round-up

  • Dushanbe: operated by the previous government, issues visas but these are not valid (September 2023)
  • Khorog: appears to be working again, more confirmation needed (November 2023)
  • Islamabad: 80$ for 1 week turnaround, 50$ extra for same-day service (May 2023)
  • Mashhad: 100$, same day 150$ (May 2023)
  • Tashkent: available for 131$ (December 2023), transit visa for 50$ (October 2023)
  • Tehran: available for 100$ (October 2023)
  • Termez: possible (July 2022 – May 2023), but keep in mind border remains closed to foreigners.

Visa application details

Afghanistan visa requirements are standard:

  • passport with 6 months validity after the expiry of the Afghan visa
  • passport photo
  • filled out Afghanistan visa application form

Since the Taliban takeover, it seems like visas are being handed out at the border.

Letter of invitation

If you need a letter of invitation, you can get one from a local in Afghanistan. Couchsurfing is full of helpful people. Tour operators do not want to give you a letter of invitation unless you go on a tour with them.

Transit visa at Kabul airport

There is no transit area in Kabul airport. If you are transiting there, you will need to apply for a transit visa.

Multiple-entry visa

There is no multiple-entry visa for Afghanistan. Questions and reports with regards to multiple entries to Afghanistan are welcome in the multiple-entry forum thread.

Wakhan corridor permit

If you want to visit the Wakhan corridor you need a special permit. All info in the Wakhan corridor travel guide.

Ishkashim border market on Tajik visa

It is possible to visit the Saturday border market of Ishkashim on a Tajik visa. You leave your passport with the Tajik border guards, and walk across a little bridge to get to the market. When you are done, you walk back and pick up your passport. No Afghan visa is required.

The border market closes when there are problems. In the past, these have included Taliban attacks, cholera outbreaks and mudslides. Updates on the Ishkashim border market are posted in this forum post.

Extension and overstaying

It has been a long time since we heard any news, so we assume our information is out of date. You can see previous reports and add your wisdom in the visa extension forum thread.

Embassy reports

More Silk Road visas

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