Is It Safe to Travel to Afghanistan in 2026?
Afghanistan - Level 4: Do Not Travel
Last updated: · Source: U.S. Department of State
⛔ Do Not Travel
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Afghanistan or parts of Afghanistan due to serious safety concerns. Key factors: civil_unrest, crime, terrorism, wrongful_detention, kidnapping, natural_disaster, health.
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east.
Is It Safe to Travel to Afghanistan in 2026?
Afghanistan is currently rated Level 4 — Do Not Travel by the U.S. Department of State. Do not travel to Afghanistan for any reason due to multiple risks including civil unrest, crime, and terrorism. U.S. citizens in Afghanistan are urged to leave immediately as the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has suspended operations since 2021.
Key concerns cited in the advisory:
- civil_unrest
- crime
- terrorism
- wrongful_detention
- kidnapping
- natural_disaster
- health
The overall security situation has been worsening recently. Contributing factors: Do not travel to Afghanistan for any reason due to multiple risks including civil unrest, crime, and terrorism., U.S. citizens in Afghanistan are urged to leave immediately as the U.S. Embassy in Kabul has suspended operations since 2021..
Traveler Impact
Solo travelers face extreme risks of kidnapping and arbitrary detention, particularly from Taliban authorities who actively surveil and target foreigners.
Business travelers are at extreme risk due to the high likelihood of kidnapping, wrongful detention, and the lack of operational support from U.S. consular services.
Families traveling with children face extreme risks from violence, kidnapping, and inadequate healthcare facilities, making travel highly unsafe.
Remote workers face extreme risks due to the high likelihood of surveillance and detention by Taliban authorities, as well as limited connectivity and support.
Data on this page comes from the U.S. Department of State, the CDC, the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, and Freedom House. All sources are updated regularly and cross-referenced to provide a composite safety picture for Afghanistan.
▶Safety and Stability Ratings
Threat Severity (0-10 scale)
Afghanistan has an overall threat severity of 9.9 out of 10. Crime risk is rated 8.0/10, terrorism risk 7.0/10, and kidnapping risk 9.0/10.
Governance Indicators (World Bank, percentile)
Political Stability▶
Measures the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. Higher percentile means greater stability.
Rule of Law▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, including the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Control of Corruption▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as capture of the state by elites and private interests.
Government Effectiveness▶
Captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.
Regulatory Quality▶
Captures perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development.
Voice & Accountability▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
Data from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (2023).
Freedom Status: Not Free — scored 6/100 by Freedom House (2024). View full freedom profile →
▶Entry Requirements and Health
Entry Information
Visa
Check embassy for details
Currency
Afghani (AFN)
Language
Dari / Pashto
Notable restrictions:
- drug possession illegal including medical marijuana
- e-cigarettes prohibited
Vaccinations
Recommended:
⚠ Malaria Risk: moderate
Recommended medications: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine
Active health notices:
- alertGlobal Polio: Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines.
- watchGlobal Dengue: Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites.
- watchGlobal Measles: Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel.
Vaccination data sourced from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consult a travel health professional before your trip.
Common Questions About Traveling to Afghanistan
▶What is the current travel advisory level for Afghanistan?
▶Is it safe to travel to Afghanistan right now?
▶Do I need a visa to visit Afghanistan?
▶What vaccines do I need for Afghanistan?
▶Is Afghanistan safe for solo travelers?
▶How bad is crime in Afghanistan?
More Afghanistan Data
Not Free — 6/100 on the Freedom House index.
Governance indicators including rule of law, corruption control, and regulatory quality.
View all 195 countries color-coded by advisory level.
Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov.
Access this data programmatically. Free tier available.
On-demand country risk PDFs from 6 government sources.