Afghanistan: visa and entry rules

Afghanistan's borders: every crossing point

Afghanistan's land border crossings, listed by the neighbour they lead to:

With Tajikistan: Sher Khan Bandar - Nizhny Pyanj (Panji Poyon), on the road to Kunduz. This is the main crossing for a traveller - the only one where the visa is issued at the border itself.

With Iran: Islam Qala - Dogharun in the west, on the road to Herat, and Zaranj - Milak in the south-west, in Nimroz province. Both are working.

With Uzbekistan: Hairatan - Termez, over the Friendship Bridge across the Amu Darya.

With Turkmenistan: Torghundi and Aqina. Torghundi is working.

With Pakistan: Torkham on the Khyber Pass and Chaman in the south. Both are closed since the autumn of 2025: first because of fighting on the border, then against the background of the open conflict that began in February 2026. Neither passengers nor freight are let through them.

With China the border runs along the Wakhan Corridor, and there are no crossings for traffic.

The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip in the north-east, created in the 19th century as a buffer between the Russian and British empires; it still separates the country from China today.

A visa on arrival is available only at Sher Khan Bandar. No invitation is needed for it, the fee is 80 dollars, and both dollars and afghanis are accepted. At the border they ask which provinces you are travelling to and give you a slip; with it you have to go to a bank about five kilometres away, pay, and come back with the receipt. It usually takes about four hours, but it can take longer: if you do not manage it within the day, you will have to spend the night at the only hotel by the crossing, and it will not be a cheap one.

Opening hours of the crossing: 7:00 to 18:00. It is best to travel between Saturday and Wednesday: Thursday is a short day and Friday is a day off.

A woman travelling alone may not be let through without a guide - that is decided on the spot.

You do not need a car, you can cross on foot. Shared taxis run to the border from the Sakhovat market in Dushanbe for 100-150 somoni. Beyond that you go through as a pedestrian. The only exception is the Friendship Bridge itself: walking across the neutral strip is not allowed, and a jeep takes you over it for about ten somoni.

Do not get a visa at the Afghan embassy in Dushanbe. Representatives of the former government work there, and the current authorities do not recognise the visas they issue: they will take the money, but the document will not work at the border. That is precisely why the visa on arrival appeared at Sher Khan Bandar.

After the border come the permits. Permits for the provinces are still issued free of charge in Kunduz; in Kabul they are arranged at Afghan Tour for 1000 afghanis per region, about 15 dollars. All the provinces you need are written into a single document.

The e-visa is not designed for land crossings - it only allows entry through Kabul airport.

Driving to Afghanistan

Check the rules on temporary import into Afghanistan with customs, rather than going by the experience of a neighbouring country: the time limits and the carnet requirement do not match.

Insurance is bought locally.

An International Driving Permit is required.

Transit into Pakistan is not possible at present - Torkham and Chaman have been closed since the autumn of 2025. The working directions are Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

There are checkpoints on the roads between provinces, and each province requires its own permit.

Travelling to Afghanistan with a pet

An international veterinary certificate is required, endorsed by the state veterinary service of the country you are leaving.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

An import permit is arranged in advance.

Check the requirements for bringing an animal into Afghanistan before buying tickets, not after. Vaccination timings and quarantine rules change, and they cannot be redone in a day.

When the situation is unstable the veterinary services work erratically, and the paperwork takes an unpredictable amount of time.

Overstaying your visa in Afghanistan

A fine is charged for exceeding your permitted stay and is paid on departure.

You will learn the figure at the border, not before. The rates in Afghanistan are revised and the guidebooks do not keep up with them: bring cash and allow extra time for leaving.

When the situation is unstable an overstay is more dangerous than usual: document checks are more frequent and the consequences less predictable.

An extension is arranged in advance, before the permitted period runs out.