While Afghanistan may not be on everyone’s bucket list, we have been running tours to Afghanistan for many years and continue to run tours now to this very misunderstood country. Recently, there have been changes to how you can visit, with guides and sponsors now being a compulsory requirement for anyone wishing to visit the country.
Recently to facilitate tourists coming to the country a new e-visa regime has been introduced for tourists wishing to visit the country. Here is all the information you need to know about the new Afghanistan e-visa.
Who can apply?
For the Afghanistan e-visa anyone can apply who is visiting the country for tourism or business purposes. You will need to have a sponsor in the country who will issue you documentation which will need to be uploaded to the website.
What do I need to apply for the visa?
For the visa , you will need:
- Passport copy;
- Passport-size photo;
- Letter of Invitation (LOI) from a local tour operator;
- Tourism business license from a local tour operator.
The LOI and business license documents will also contain key details that you will need to input into the online e-visa portal. You will be asked for the address and the Taskira number of the tourism company you are travelling to Afghanistan with.
It is worth noting that when inputting data on the website it may not let you put numbers or add any punctuation into the fields. You can keep answers simple and omit numbers with no problem. For example, writing the address for your sponsor as “Kabul Afghanistan” should be fine for the form.
How much does it cost?
The cost will come in two parts.
Part 1: When you first apply to have your document submitted you will need to pay $8 via the website. This will then go off to the embassy to be approved.
Part 2: Once your visa is approved they will send you an email to ask for the second payment of the full visa fee which will be an additional $120 USD.
How long is the visa valid for?
The visa will be valid for a 30-day visit in the country and will be valid for 3 months from when the visa is issued.
How long does it take to get the visa?
Once you apply for the visa and pay the $8 fee it will usually take about 24 hours or less to get a response back to confirm that your application has been submitted. Within another 24-48 hours (depending on the day of the week you have submitted) you will received the second email asking for the second payment of $120. Once this fee is paid usually within a few hours or less you should receive your Afghanistan e-visa in a PDF in your email.
Your visa is approved, now what?
You will need to print this out and present this for both to board your flight to Kabul and also at passport control once you arrive at the airport.
Can I cross the land border with my e-visa?
No. Currently, the e-visa is only able to be used at Kabul International Airport. This may however change in the future. If you are planning on using a land border to exit you will be able to do so no problem it is only for arrival that the e-visa must be presented first at the airport.
If you are planning on arriving via the land border, then you can also apply for a visa on arrival at the border with Tajikistan and Afghanistan, if you have the LOI and other documents with you as well. This is currently not available at any other land border.
How do I join an Afghanistan group tour?
To see what departure dates we have available you can check our
website here
. We don’t post itineraries for Afghanistan publicly so to see these and secure your spot, you can send us an email to
[email protected]
where we can also answer any additional questions you may have.
For more practical information on travel to Afghanistan you can also read our
comprehensive destination guides
available also on our website.
