A passport and Afghanistan visa are required to enter and exit Afghanistan. Afghan entry visas are not available at Kabul International Airport. American citizens who arrive without a visa are subject to confiscation of their passport and face heavy fines and difficulties in retrieving their passport and obtaining a visa, as well as possible deportation from the country.

You can apply for a visa to Afghanistan yourself or you can contract a private travel document expediter. If you prefer quick, guaranteed service, you can click on the link to apply online for your Afghanistan visa.

Americans arriving in the country via military air usually have considerable difficulties if they choose to depart Afghanistan on commercial air, because their passports do not receive stamps showing they entered the country legally. Those coming on military air should move quickly after arrival to legalize their status if there is any chance they will end up departing on anything other than military air.

Afghanistan's ethnically and linguistically mixed population reflects its location astride historic trade and invasion routes leading from Central Asia into South and Southwest Asia. Pashtuns are the dominant ethnic group, accounting for about 38-44% of the population. Tajik (25%), Hazara (10-19%), Uzbek (6-8%), Aimaq, Turkmen, Baluch, and other small groups also are represented. Dari (Afghan Persian) and Pashto are official languages. Dari is spoken by more than one-third of the population as a first language and serves as a lingua franca for most Afghans, though Pashto is spoken throughout the Pashtun areas of eastern and southern Afghanistan. Tajik and Turkic languages are spoken widely in the north. Smaller groups throughout the country also speak more than 70 other languages and numerous dialects.

Afghanistan is an Islamic country. An estimated 80% of the population is Sunni, following the Hanafi school of jurisprudence; the remainder of the population--and primarily the Hazara ethnic group-- predominantly Shi'a. Despite attempts during the years of communist rule to secularize Afghan society, Islamic practices pervade all aspects of life. In fact, Islam served as a principal basis for expressing opposition to communism and the Soviet invasion. Islamic religious tradition and codes, together with traditional tribal and ethnic practices, have an important role in personal conduct and dispute settlement. Excluding urban populations in the principal cities, most Afghans are divided into tribal and other kinship-based groups, which follow traditional customs and religious practices.

Afghanistan Visa Requirements

Independent of the type of visa you request, the Afghanistan Embassy and Consulates require the following:

A passport with a validity of 6 months beyond your stay;
Tickets and documents to prove your return or onward travel;
One passport-size photos (2"x2");
Completed Afghanistan visa application form;
Letter from sponsor or employer stating purpose and duration of trip and financial guarantee for expenses;
Visa fee (cash or money order in person, money order by mail);
A self-addressed prepaid return envelope with postage (FedEx, US Express Mail or US Certified Mail);

Afghanistan travel visas are affixed in your passport on the pages specifically marked for them. Countries require that visa stamps be placed on those pages that do not contain any other stamps.

Afghanistan Visa Application Form

Click to download the Afghanistan Visa Form

The Visa Application is in .pdf format. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open and print the document. You probably have it on your computer but if you don't, you can get it here.

Afghanistan Travel Information

The latest Travel Warning for Afghanistan states clearly that the security situation remains critical for American citizens. There are remnants of the former Taliban regime and the terrorist al-Qaida network in various parts of Afghanistan. Those groups aim to drive all Westerners out of Afghanistan and they do not hesitate to use violence to achieve their aims. Terrorist actions may include, but are not limited to, suicide operations, bombings--including vehicle-borne explosives and improvised explosive devices--assassinations, carjackings, rocket attacks, assaults or kidnappings. There is an ongoing threat to kidnap U.S. citizens and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) workers throughout the country. On April 10, 2005, a U.S. citizen was abducted in Kabul and managed to successfully escape after a brief captivity. On August 31, 2005, a British citizen was kidnapped and killed. Official Americans' use of the Kabul-Jalalabad road is often restricted or completely curtailed because of security concerns. The country faces a difficult period in the near term, and American citizens could be targeted or placed at risk by unpredictable local events. In addition, there is also a real danger from the presence of millions of unexploded land mines and other ordnance.

Afghan-Americans returning to Afghanistan to recover property have become involved in complicated disputes and have faced threats of retaliatory action, including kidnapping for ransom and death.

Afghanistan Tourist Visa - Apply Online Today!
Fast, convenient processing of your Afghanistan visa.

Afghanistan Country Information

Formal Name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Short Form: Afghanistan.

Population: 31,056,997 (July 2006 est.)

Capital: Kabul.

Date of Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

National Holiday: Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

Afghanistan Tourist Visa - Apply Online Today!
Fast, convenient processing of your Afghanistan business visa.

Afghanistan Visa Service Online

If you don´t live in or near any of the cities where the Afghanistan Consulate Generals are located, you might want to contract a travel visa expediting service. They will verify your visa application before it is ever sent, thereby avoiding unnecessary delays or rejections. They will also personally walk your application through each step guaranteeing timely and efficient processing of your Afghanistan visa.

Apply for Your Afghanistan Visa Now.

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