Visa for Afghanistan from Germany: price, documents and processing time 2026

Yes. As a German citizen you must obtain a visa to enter Afghanistan, including for a short tourist stay. There is no exemption and no visa on arrival for Germans: the visa must be secured before you travel. Treat it as a mandatory step in your preparation.

The published fee is the government charge alone. Two or three other lines are added before the visa is in the passport, and they are what makes the final bill.

• Government feeNot published in a source we can verify

  Paid to the state, non-refundable if the visa is refused.

• Application centre feeVariable, set by the operator

  Only when the post uses an external centre. The amount is set locally and we do not publish a figure we cannot verify.

• Agency or online serviceOptional, added on top

  Never compulsory. An intermediary fills the form for you, it does not change the decision or the processing time.

• ExtrasVariable

  Courier return, SMS tracking, compliant photo, insurance, sworn translation or legalisation, depending on what the post requires.

We only display amounts published by an official source. Confirm the total before paying anything.

Prepare a German passport valid for at least 6 months on the date of entry, one or more application forms, compliant passport photos and the usual supporting documents (purpose of travel, accommodation, and possibly an invitation letter or itinerary). The fee amount and the exact document list are not set here: they depend on the Afghan mission and must be confirmed directly with it before any payment.

Applications are lodged with the Afghan embassy or consulate responsible for Germany, or through the official online portal where it is offered. Applicants resident in Germany normally approach the Afghan mission accredited to the country. Contact it in advance to confirm that it is processing applications, and to check submission, payment and collection arrangements.

Then the application goes to the post accredited for Germany, often in a neighbouring capital, or to a state acting on its behalf. Confirm which post is competent with the official source before travelling to a third country to apply, a rejected file at the wrong counter costs the trip and the fee.

The regime follows your nationality, not where you live. If you reside in Germany but travel on another country's passport, the rule on this page is not yours. Filing usually still happens from your country of residence, at the post competent for it, but the requirement itself comes from your passport.

Processing time depends on the mission you use and is not guaranteed; ask it for a current estimate. Submit your file several weeks before departure. Be sure to read the German Federal Foreign Office travel advice, which generally warns against non-essential travel to Afghanistan, and check the health entry requirements (including a possible yellow-fever vaccination certificate if you transit a risk area).

Do not travel assuming you can regularise on arrival: boarding or entry may be refused. Do not rely on unofficial intermediaries that add surcharges or promise unrealistic timelines. Make sure the form details match the passport exactly and that its validity does not fall below the required 6 months.