Visas

Welcome to the visa information page. On this page you will find information about visa types, visa application instructions and requirements to travel to Afghanistan. It is important to check the visa types and make sure you are applying for proper type of visa.

Please look over the directions, complete the form with the correct information, and return it to the Consular Office with the required attachments.

Please note that our Consular Office is in a separate location from the Embassy.

Consular Office address and phone numbers:

Embassy of Afghanistan - Consular Office
2233 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Suite #216
Washington, DC 20007

Tel: 202-298-9125 ext. 8037 or 8040
Fax: 202-298-9127

Public hours: 9 am - 1 pm

Types of Visa and Requirements

Please click here to skip ahead to visa requirements and visa application instructions.

Types of Visa

According to the Afghan travel and residency law for foreign nationals, the following types of visas are available (click a visa type for details):

Single-Entry Visa

This type of visa is issued by the diplomatic and consular missions of Afghanistan abroad. This visa is issued with the validity of three months and a staying time of one month. With the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this type of visa can be changed to other types of visas (including a Work Visa) or can be extended once the holder enters Afghanistan.

Multiple-Entry Visa

This type of visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior Affairs in Afghanistan and diplomatic and consular missions of Afghanistan abroad. This Visa is issued on reciprocal basis to the employees of foreign organizations, flight crews, foreign cleaners and drivers, and the heads and employees of foreign companies. This visa is issued with the validity and staying time of three to twelve months for multiple entries based on reciprocity.

Work Visa

This type of visa is issued to foreign nationals who travel to Afghanistan for business, marketing, industry, work in companies, government and non-government organizations, foreign diplomatic and consular agencies, United Nations and other international agencies and those who have been invited by these agencies in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This visa is issued with the validity of three months and a staying time of one month. This visa is extended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan.

Non-Work Entry Visa

This type of visa is issued to foreign nationals who go to Afghanistan to study, settle legal and business transaction, visiting family, academic research, media and cultural affairs, sports, to attend academic conferences and seminars, and to attend formal invitations by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. This visa is issued with the validity of three months and a staying time of one month.
In exceptional cases, if necessary, this visa is extended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan.

Stay Visa

This type of visa can be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Afghanistan to those foreign nationals who hold a Single-Entry Visa, Work Visa, Non-Work Entry Visa, Tourist Visa or Transit Visa. This visa is issued with the validity and staying time of one to six months and can be extended upon request.

Applicants who are out of Afghanistan will be allowed to apply for this type of visa. Those who are inside the country via a valid visa will not be able to apply through the diplomatic or consular missions of Afghanistan abroad.

Tourist Visa

This visa is issued to foreign nationals who travel to Afghanistan for leisure, rest, sightseeing, and pilgrimage. This visa is issued with the validity of three months and staying time of one month.

In agreement with the Ministry of Information and Culture, this visa can be extended by the Ministry of Interior Affairs, once in Afghanistan, for a specific period of time. The holder of this visa is not authorized to work in Afghanistan.

The holder of this visa is NOT allowed to go hunting without prior authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Media Visa

A description for the Media Visa will be added soon.

Transit Visa

This type of visa is issued by the diplomatic and consular missions of Afghanistan abroad or in exceptional situations by the airport authorities. This visa is issued to foreign nationals who travel through Afghanistan. The validity of this visa is one month, and the staying time in case of air travel is 72 hours; the staying time in case of land travel is 6 days staring from the date of entry.

This visa cannot be extended except in emergency cases (death of a travel companion, unexpected incidents, road closures, or closure of the origin or destination airport).

Double-Transit Visa

Based on prior agreements, and on reciprocal basis this type of visa is issued by the diplomatic and consular missions of Afghanistan abroad, or in exceptional situations by the airport authorities. This visa is issued to foreign nationals who travel through Afghanistan a second time. The validity of this visa is three months, and the staying period in case of air travel is 72 hours; the staying time in case of land travel is 6 days staring from the date of each entry.

This visa cannot be extended except in emergency cases (death of a travel companion, unexpected incidents, road closures, or the closure of origin or destination airport).

The traveler must hold a visa or travel documents for the destination country at the time of issuance of this visa.

Re-Entry Visa

This visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior Affairs in Afghanistan to foreign nationals and their families when the head of family has entered Afghanistan on a Work or Non-Work Entry Visa and are residing there. This visa is issued with the staying time of two months on each entry.

Exit Visa

This type of visa is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior Affairs to the foreign nationals who have entered Afghanistan on a Work Visa or a Non-Work Entry Visa, or to those whose Tourist Visa has expired, or if it is authorized by Afghan government authorities. This visa is issued with the validity of one-to-six days.

Visa for Diplomats and Government Officials

Issuance of visas to holders of diplomatic and service passports (individuals who intend to work as diplomats in their respective consular and political missions in Afghanistan) needs an authorization from the Ministry of Foreign affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Issuance of visa to the family members is based on the conditions for the head of the family, and can be issued free of charge or on reciprocal basis.

Issuance of necessary visas to the official delegations shall be issued based on the referral of the resident country and its consular or political agencies, in a timely manner.

A foreign national who has applied to obtain Afghan citizenship, will be issued the appropriate visa based on the written authorization of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

All foreign nationals who intend to travel to Afghanistan must obtain the appropriate visa from the consular and political missions or from those countries that represent interests of Afghanistan abroad; or they must obtain the visa from the relevant authorities in Afghanistan.

Foreign nationals who have lost their passports will be issued travel documents by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, provided that neither the individual’s respective country has any consular or political office, nor does any other country represent the interests of the individual’s respective country in Afghanistan.

Based on a bilateral agreement, holders of political passports from Turkey, Iran, Tajikistan, and Indonesia can enter Afghanistan without a visa and stay from one to three months. Holders of Service Passport from Indonesia are exempt from visa and can stay for one month without a visa.

Holders of political passports from Iran, and holders of political and service passports from Indonesia who intend to travel to Afghanistan to work in their country’s respective Consular or political missions, must obtain the relevant visa from the consular and political missions of Afghanistan aboard. The visa will be issued after authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan.

Visa and Entry Permit for Afghans with Dual Citizenship

Upon request, individuals with Afghan descent or born in Afghanistan who have dual citizenship and are carrying a foreign passport are given an entry permit after providing their Afghan identification document(s), to travel to Afghanistan. Also, children under 18 years old who are born to these parents abroad and are holding foreign passports are given entry permits based on the citizenship of their parents, after providing the Afghan identity document(s) of their parents. For more information on entry permits click here.

Those Afghans who are unable to provide Afghan identification document(s) should apply for a visa to travel to Afghanistan with foreign passport.
Those Afghan citizens who have legally renounced their citizenship are an exception to this rule and are treated like foreign nationals.

The foreign spouses of Afghan citizens, male or female, who have gotten married according to the Sharia law, are issued a free-of-charge entry visa after presenting their marriage documents. The visa is changed to a one-year stay visa by the Ministry of Interior Affairs in Afghanistan.

After leaving Afghanistan, these individuals must obtain a new entry visa from the consular and political agencies of Afghanistan abroad for re-entry to Afghanistan.

Visas issued by the diplomatic and consular missions of Afghanistan are generally valid for three months. If the visa remains unused for this duration, it will be expired, and the applicant must apply for a new visa and pay the applicable fee. Please check the information for visa type and duration for U.S. citizens in the second section on this page (Requirements).

Please note: All U.S. government and NATO contractors will be required to pay an additional $200 for a one year multiple entry visa (total $360).

Note:

Foreign nationals traveling to Afghanistan with extra belongings or pets must obtain documents for their belongings and health certificates for their pets.

Visa Requirements

Applicants for an Afghan visa, regardless of the type of visa, are required to obey the laws of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Currently, the standard visa processing time is 3-5 days but this may vary on an individual basis.
Foreign nationals who have entered Afghanistan on an Entry Visa or a Work Visa are eligible to work. This category of individuals must obtain a work permit from relevant agencies after entry to Afghanistan. Issuance of a visa to those foreign students who intend to travel to Afghanistan is based on agreements and reciprocal basis, after the authorization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan.
All foreign nationals can obtain an Afghan visa, except in the following cases:
- When the individual is banned from entering Afghanistan by the Afghan authorities;
- When the individual has not completed the previous ban period;
- When the individual has been expelled from Afghanistan for an unknown period of time;
- When the individual is suspected to disrupt security, disrupt general order, or is suspected of moral corruption, or lack of respect for the rules of Islam;
- In certain situations when the authorities at the consular and political missions of Afghanistan abroad, based on sound reasons, deem it unfavourable to issue a visa to a certain individual;
- When there is a risk of spread of a contagious disease;
- When the high-ranking authorities have decided to deny the visa.
It is important to completely fill out all of the required forms and submit all required documents. Doing so will minimize the processing time prevent further delay.
Fill in the Visa Application Form correctly and sign personally. The signature of the applicants must be notarized in the application form if the applicants do not bring their paperwork in person or their employer company applies on their behalf (non-official passport holders). Download one of these visa application forms:
- Visa Application Form (Dari).pdf
- Visa Application Form (English).pdf
Please follow the directions, complete the form with the correct information and return it to the Consular Office with the required attachment(s).
Enclose one recent passport-size photo conforming to these standard requirements:
- In color WITH WHITE BACKGROUND
- Printed on matte or glossy photo-quality paper
- 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) in size
- Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1 3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head
- Since the background of your photo is in white, try not to have white cloths and not cover the head with white cloth/scarf.
- Taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance
- Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera
- With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open
In exceptional cases, a health clearance letter indicating that the person is not suffering from any contagious diseases, especially Ebola, will be required.
Enclose the appropriate visa application fee (must be paid in U.S. dollars with either a money order or cashier's check payable to the Embassy of Afghanistan).
Visa application fees:
- U.S. Passport holders: $160.00
- Please note: All U.S. government and NATO contractors will be required to pay an additional $200 for a one year multiple entry visa (total $360).
- Other countries' passport holders: $100.00 normal process
- India and Pakistan passport holders: free
- Official and UN Passport holders; free (authorization is received from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan)
Note: The visa application fee will change depending on the type of visa you apply for.
Enclose a passport with at least six months validity remaining and one blank visa page.
If you are a U.S. alien resident, provide a copy of your Green Card, copy of original, or valid alien registration card or valid U.S. resident visa.
For official visits, please contact your employer to send a letter of introduction with the details of the purpose of your visit to Afghanistan to The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan in Kabul, who will then send us authorization of issuance of visa.
If visiting family or friends, please furnish a letter of introduction from whom you intend to visit in Afghanistan.
If tourism is the purpose of your visit, please state in detail the nature of your tour and places you intend to travel to in Afghanistan.
Media personnel/journalists are required to provide an introduction letter stating the purpose, duration and places they intend to visit in Afghanistan. (Media journalists must contact Press Office of the Directorate of Media Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at:
Char-rah e Malik Asghar
Shah Mahmood Ghazi Wat
Kabul, Afghanistan
If employment is the purpose of your visit, an official letter of introduction from your employer or sponsoring government or organization stating the purpose and duration of your trip, sponsorship information and financial guarantee for expenses that will be incurred in Afghanistan. In individual cases, you may be required to provide additional documents.
Applicants applying for a Work Visa should be below the age of retirement (65) and must provide their educational documents along with the visa application, invitation or introduction letter from the employer company in Afghanistan (including passport information, purpose of travel and duration of stay of the applicant). Additionally, they should also have a confirmation letter from Consular Affairs Directorate-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the I.R. of Afghanistan.
Those who intend to travel to Afghanistan for investment and business purposes can apply for an Afghan Business Visa by providing the following documentation:
- Introduction or permission letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chamber of Commerce, or other related official bodies
- Work permit and business license
- Address of the company
- Documents providing the type of commercial activities, payment of taxes and bank account number
If you are applying by mail, please include a prepaid, self-addressed return envelope, large enough for the return of your passport and documents. You may use certified or registered mail, or any other traceable mailing service or courier to ensure safety of your passport. A notarized application is required for those who mail their documents or their companies send their applications.

Information for U.S. Passport Holders

Effective January 1, 2015, holders of U.S. passports applying for a visa to Afghanistan will be eligible for multiple-entry visas depending on the purpose and significance of the trip with a standard fee of $160.00 based on reciprocity and subject to change.

Note: Duration of visa (one month, up to 12 months) and number of entries is based on reciprocity and the sole discretion of the Afghan embassy/consulate. It should be understood that a visa is not considered to be a right, and if individuals are not found eligible or do not have adequate supporting documents, issuance of visas will be denied or suspended without provision of any further clarification.

Please note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with utmost care, regulations and requirements are subject to change.