Entry route for a person formally invited by a company or institution licensed to operate in Afghanistan.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 2Report facts: 5
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Southern Asia · Immigration
Afghanistan
Afghanistan sits in Southern Asia. Its immigration system runs 11 distinct routes — led by short stays and visits, work and starting a business, each set out in official law. 10 of them cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 11across 9 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 10 of 11cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Short stays and visits3 of the 11 routes — see them under Short stays and visits below
- Region
- Southern Asia
- Capital
- Kabul
- Population
- 43,844,111
- Official language
- Dari, Pashto · +1
- Currency
- AFN
- Time zone
- UTC+04:30
Source-cited pathways
Immigration routes
All 11 routes, grouped by purpose — 10 of 11 cite an official government source directly. Any route below without one says so on the route.
Work
1 route
Starting a business
1 route
Business entry for a foreign national able to document a licensed business activity and financial capacity.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Study
1 route
Study entry based on an agreement with a recognized Afghan university and valid educational documents.
Eligibility: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 6
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Family
1 route
Family entry for an Afghan holding a foreign passport who is officially married to a foreign national and has not renounced Afghan citizenship.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Long-term residence
1 route
Continuation route for a foreign national already staying under a service, business, entry, student or crew visa.
Eligibility: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Short stays and visits
3 routes
Temporary entry for a foreign national travelling to Afghanistan for tourism.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Temporary entry to participate in a sports competition or exhibition, or to visit relatives or friends.
Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Humanitarian protection
1 route
Protection contact route for a foreign national in Afghanistan who wishes to seek asylum and register with UNHCR.
Process & costs: 1Report facts: 4
Source pending confirmation: help.unhcr.org · checked 2026-07-26
Ancestry and return
1 route
Visa-free entry for a foreign-passport holder of Afghan origin whose passport records Afghanistan as birthplace or who holds qualifying Afghan identity evidence.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 4
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Transit
1 route
Transit entry for a traveler holding the visa or travel documents required for the destination country.
Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: mfa.gov.af · checked 2026-07-26
Official sources
- Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign AffairsGovernment
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