Visa

To obtain a visa for yourself or your child, please compile the below documentation and mail your completed application to the Consulate in Washington D.C. or apply online. 

1. Passport
   • Provide your signed passport, including a copy of the personal information page. Your passport must be valid for at least six months and must contain two blank visa pages.
2. Application Form
   • Provide a typed, completed Visa Application Form
     • Your application must include answers for all fields;
     • Display your name exactly as it is shown in your passport;
     • Attach a photo on the second page of the application form and place your signature in the empty box beside your photo. The signature must match the signature in your passport.    
     • Be printed on single-sided sheets of paper, double-sided will not be acceptable; and 
     • Notarize your application if you do not submit your application in-person. The notary stamp and clarification can be placed on the second page of the form or on a separate paper. 
3. Photographs
   • You must provide two passport-size photographs (2×2”), Attach one to the second page of the application form. Your photograph must meet the following criteria:
     • Be taken within the last three months and printed on high quality;
     • Be taken in a white background;
     • Be in full frontal view with your face centered in the middle, displaying a neutral expression; and
     • Wear no glasses;
4. Identification Card
   • Provide a copy of your ID card. This can be in the form of your driver’s license or other valid ID, so long as it clearly displays your address. U.S. residents may provide a copy of their Green Card, valid alien registration card, or valid U.S. resident visa. 
5. Business Cover Letter/Intent Letter
   • You are required to provide a Business Cover Letter from your organization based in the U.S. or in Afghanistan. All letters from the U.S. based companies must:
   • Be written on company or agency letterhead;
   • Include the full mailing address and contact information; 
   • Include a statement of the sponsor’s full responsibility for the traveler;
   • Display a stamp from the company or the government agency; and
   • Be original and signed;
6. Letter of Invitation from Afghanistan
   • You must provide an invitation letter from the company or government agency that is inviting you to Afghanistan, including a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. List your MoFA application number within the invitation letter. This letter must:
   • Be written on company or agency letterhead;
   • Include the full local address and phone number of the organization or person to be visited;
   • Include a statement of the sponsor’s full responsibility for the traveler;
   • Display a stamp from the company or the government agency; and
   • Be signed;
7. Letter of Authorization (LOA)
   • Employees of DoD or NATO contractor agencies operating in Afghanistan are required to provide the Letter of Authorization to receive a one-year multiple work entry visa. If you have any questions about LOA, please contact your employer. You do not need to provide LOA for a single-entry one-month work visa. Expired LOA’s will not be accepted.
8. Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Letter
   • Media personnel/journalists and applicants invited by the government or private sector agencies are required to provide an introduction letter stating the purpose, duration, and places they intend to visit in Afghanistan. To obtain a MoFA letter, you must contact the Press Office of the Directorate of Media Relations, located at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at Char-rah e Malik Asghar, Shah Mahmood Ghazi Wat, Kabul, Afghanistan.
   • If a media branch office is located in Afghanistan, media journalists must contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the branch office to provide a letter of reference from MoFA. If a media does not have a branch office in Afghanistan, we will process the application through the consulate in Washington D.C; please be aware that this will take a longer processing time.
9. Afghanistan Origin Only
   • If you are an Afghanistan origin and your birthplace is listed as Afghanistan on your U.S. Passport, you are not required to obtain a visa or entry permit for personal visits. If you are traveling for a business contract and work purposes, you are required to obtain a visa. Please follow the instructions for U.S. nationals.
10. Indian or Pakistani Origin 
    • If you are a person of Indian or Pakistani origin and/or formerly held an Indian and/or Pakistani passport, you can receive a short time single entry visa without a fee. Please note that this is an exception only for tourist or visit visas. 
11. Applicants Under the Age of 18
    • If traveling with a child or children under the age of 18, you must provide the following additional documents: 
    • A photocopy of the minor’s birth certificate, showing both parents’ full names, date of birth, and nationality. 
    • Photocopies of both parent’s driver’s licenses and a copy of the information pages of their passports;
    • All minors aged ten and above must sign their name in the signature box on the first page. For all other minor applicants, both parents must sign their names on the second page and have their signatures duly authorized with a notary stamp and seal on the second page.
12. Expedited Visa Applications
    • If you have an urgent visa application, the consulate can help you save valuable time and avoid delays. A visa officer will review your documents to certify your application is accurate, complete, and ready for processing. We will contact you personally to quickly handle any mistakes in your application. Expedited visas will be processed within three business days after we receive your application. The expedited fee will be half of your visa fee.
13. Pre-Paid and Pre-Address Return Envelope
    • Please provide a prepaid return-envelope in order to send back your passport along with the visa to your address. Please note that your passport will be shipped back to the address indicated on your return envelope that you provided.
14. Fees: Please note, the visa application fee will change depending on the type of visa you apply for.
    • The Embassy only accepts payment in the form of money orders. Please make sure to combine money orders payable to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C.
    • U.S. Passport holders: $160.00
      • All U.S. government and NATO contractors obtaining a visa for the first time will be required to pay an additional $200.00 for a one year multiple entry visa (total $360.00)
    • Other countries’ passport holders: $100.00 For Working Entry Visa
    • Other countries’ passport holders: $80.00 For Tourist and Visit Visa
    • India and Pakistan passport holders: free of charge 
    • Diplomats, Officials and UN Passport holders; free of charge

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 the 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.