Afghanistan Travel Risk Overview
Official US advisory · Level 4
Do Not Travel
This decision takes precedence over the analytical baseline composite.
Is Afghanistan safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Afghanistan scores 75/100 on our travel risk index (Extreme). The US State Department rates Afghanistan Level 4 (Do Not Travel, updated 20 Feb 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all travel to the whole country (updated 30 Jul 2026); Canada says: avoid all travel. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Afghanistan has a Travel Risk Calculator score of 75 out of 100 (extreme risk tier); city-level files are available for 60 cities. The score combines five layers (security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards, current alerts) built from government advisories and open data. This page also covers nine safety categories (crime, disease & health, government advisory, political & civil unrest, natural disaster & weather, transport & route, environmental, digital security, money safety), the current US State Department advisory, GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices for Afghanistan, recent news headlines, plus links to every city we have an editorial file for.
Run a personalized Afghanistan assessmentAI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 16, 2026
Afghanistan remains at an extreme risk level with a baseline composite score of 75/100 and a US State Department advisory level of 4. Additionally, there is a Level 1 global dengue health notice from the CDC, though recent headlines note that the country hosts 12 active airlines amidst improved airspace security.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 07:54 UTC
How safe is Afghanistan to visit in 2026?
Afghanistan is currently under a US State Department Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory. That official decision takes precedence. The 75/100 extreme baseline composite remains visible only as analytical context and must not be read as permission to disregard the advisory. The full live US State Department advisory text for Afghanistan, current GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices, and recent news headlines are shown in the Live conditions section below. For city-specific files (Kabul, Āqchah, Kandahār), see the City Risk Files section below — they include neighborhood-level scam patterns, transport notes, and medical-access details where available.
Country score
Driven by: The US State Department and Government of Canada and UK FCDO advise against all travel here, so the score is held at 75 or higher.
Afghanistan's score of 75 is higher than the scores of 91% of the 241 countries we cover.
Data file
| Source | calibrated 2026-05-09 v1.0 (knowledge-based; high uncertainty due to data scarcity) |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 2026-05-09 11:01:52 |
| City files | 60 |
Assessment memory
Anonymous assessments help Travel Risk Calculator identify which country and city files deserve deeper review.
| Saved assessments | 0 |
|---|---|
| Average composite | No saved signal yet |
Score layers
Safety categories
Official Government Travel Advisories
Cross-referenced official travel advice from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, normalized to a unified 1–4 risk scale.
Department of State
Do not traveldue to civil unrest, crime, terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping, natural disasters, and limited health facilities. Do not travel to A…
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
FCDO travel advice for Afghanistan. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
Global Affairs Canada
Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño
UK content contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canadian advice provided by Global Affairs Canada under open government terms. US advice provided by the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Entry Requirements & Local Laws
Official travel advice summary from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
🛂 Entry Requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK who choose to travel against FCDO advice. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Afghanistan’s current rules for most common types of travel. The authorities in Afghanistan set and enforce entry rules. A visa is required to enter Afghanistan. The Afghan embassy in London is closed. Passport validity requirements If you decide to travel to Afghanistan against FCDO advice, check with your travel provider whether your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Dual nationals When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship. Vaccine requirements On your departure, the Afghan authorities may ask for
Summary of UK FCDO advice, updated Jul 30, 2026 · Full requirements →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Travel Advisory Level History
Historical official advisory level changes over time.
What Changed This Month in Afghanistan
Chronological record of verified security, advisory, health, and hazard updates over the past 30 days.
- Oct 2, 2026 CDC Notice Level 1 - Global Dengue (Watch).
- Sep 23, 2026 CDC Notice Level 2 - Global Polio (Alert).
- Sep 27, 2026 Score Change Aībak risk score moved from 79 to 75 (Method change: scoring v2).
- Sep 27, 2026 Score Change Andkhōy risk score moved from 79 to 75 (Method change: scoring v2).
- Sep 27, 2026 Score Change Āqchah risk score moved from 79 to 75 (Method change: scoring v2).
City Risk Files in Afghanistan
Showing 60 destination files with city-specific safety data in Afghanistan, ranked by demand and population.
Kabul
Tier AKābul
Āqchah
Tier BJowzjān
Kandahār
Tier BKandahār
Sar-e Pul
Tier BSar-e Pul
Baghlān
Tier BBaghlān
Urgūn
Tier BPaktīkā
Shibirghān
Tier BJowzjān
Panjāb
Tier BBāmyān
Balkh
Tier BBalkh
Qal‘ah-ye Now
Tier BBādghīs
Khānābād
Tier BKunduz
Islām Qal‘ah
Tier BHerāt
Zarghūn Shahr
Tier BPaktīkā
Farāh
Tier BFarāh
Aībak
Tier BSamangān
Bagrāmī
Tier BKābul
Nīlī
Tier BDāykundī
Zaranj
Tier BNīmrōz
Pul-e Khumrī
Tier BBaghlān
Ghōriyān
Tier BHerāt
Haskah Mēnah
Tier BNangarhār
Maḩmūd-e Rāqī
Tier BKāpīsā
Andkhōy
Tier BFāryāb
Maīdān Shahr
Tier BWardak
Khulm
Tier BBalkh
Ishkāshim
Tier BBadakhshān
Deh-e Shū
Tier BHelmand
Herāt
Tier BHerāt
Mazār-e Sharīf
Tier BBalkh
Tāluqān
Tier BTakhār
Maīmanah
Tier BFāryāb
Bālā Kōh
Tier BBalkh
Qal‘ah-ye Zāl
Tier BKunduz
Qarqīn
Tier BJowzjān
Fayrōz Kōh
Tier BGhōr
Ḩukūmatī Gīzāb
Tier BDāykundī
Māmā Khēl
Tier BNangarhār
Kunduz
Tier BKunduz
Jalālābād
Tier BNangarhār
Khōst
Tier BKhōst
Mehtar Lām
Tier BLaghmān
Chārīkār
Tier BParwān
Kōṯah-ye ‘As̲h̲rō
Tier BWardak
Ḩukūmatī Baghrān
Tier BHelmand
Sangīn
Tier BHelmand
Karukh
Tier BHerāt
Kuhsān
Tier BHerāt
Ghaznī
Tier BGhaznī
Paghmān
Tier BKābul
Bāmyān
Tier BBāmyān
Bāzār-e Yakāwlang
Tier BBāmyān
Qalāt
Tier BZābul
Gūdārah
Tier BKābul
Zaṟah Sharan
Tier BPaktīkā
Barakī
Tier BLōgar
Imām Şāḩib
Tier BKunduz
Tujg
Tier BFarāh
Sharan
Tier BPaktīkā
Lashkar Gāh
Tier BHelmand
Gardēz
Tier BPaktiyā
All towns in Afghanistan (7 additional local facts pages)
These localities carry verified regional geography, nearest hospitals, airports, and natural hazard records with the country baseline risk score.
Live conditions in Afghanistan
Country-scoped real-time data — official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For city-specific weather and air quality, open any city page below.
Official travel advisory
Level 4 · Do Not Travel
Afghanistan - Level 4: Do Not Travel
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Track Afghanistan’s advisory
Get one email if the US State Department travel-advisory level for Afghanistan changes. No account, unsubscribe anytime.
Traveller notes from government advice
Advice for women travellers
The Taliban have made it illegal for women to travel for more than 72km (44 miles) without being accompanied by their husband, father or brother (a ‘mahram’). Taliban officials regularly check transport and monitor public locations, including hospitals and schools. They can stop women from travelling, including leaving Afghanistan, and may penalise women in other ways, including detention, if they do not comply.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 30 Jul 2026. Full advice
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal under the Taliban and has historically always been forbidden in Afghanistan.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 30 Jul 2026. Full advice
Local laws and customs
There are no formal internationally recognised structures or processes of law in Afghanistan and foreign nationals, including British nationals, have been detained without due process.
Afghanistan is an Islamic country. The country’s laws and customs are very different to those in the UK.
The Taliban do not tolerate the practice of religions other than Islam and may view religious activities that do not fit with their own version of Sunni Islam as suspicious, particularly any efforts to convert Afghan nationals to an alternative religion.
Laws on dress
The Taliban have set codes of dress for men and women and strictly enforce them.
Women, including foreign nationals, must fully cover themselves in public. A woman must wear:
loose-fitting clothing to conceal her body, arms and legs
a headscarf to cover her hair
a veil to cover her face
Read the full UK government advice
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 30 Jul 2026. Full advice
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK who choose to travel against FCDO advice. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Afghanistan’s current rules for most common types of travel.
The authorities in Afghanistan set and enforce entry rules. A visa is required to enter Afghanistan. The Afghan embassy in London is closed.
Passport validity requirements
If you decide to travel to Afghanistan against FCDO advice, check with your travel provider whether your passport and other travel documents meet requirements.
Dual nationals
When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.
Vaccine requirements
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 30 Jul 2026. Official entry requirements
Disaster alerts
No active GDACS disaster alerts matched Afghanistan as of the last successful refresh.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
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. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
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. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-16 07:26:45 UTC
Recent headlines
No recent national headlines were returned for Afghanistan. This is not evidence that conditions are quiet; check local and official sources.
Automated safety monitor
Recent safety-relevant news for Afghanistan
Headlines are an early-warning monitor, not risk assessments. Verify material developments with official authorities and the linked publisher.
- General 王毅就亚信合作提出四点倡议 新京报 bjnews.com.cn · Oct 16, 2026 02:00 UTC · via GDELT
- General 王毅就亚信合作提出四点倡议 finance.sina.com.cn · Oct 16, 2026 01:15 UTC · via GDELT
- General Morts més de 30 nens per un ensorrament en una escola al Pakistan elperiodico.cat · Oct 16, 2026 00:45 UTC · via GDELT
- General Afganisztánban járt az orosz hírszerzés vezetője magyarhirlap.hu · Oct 16, 2026 00:30 UTC · via GDELT
- General یوناما بستن نهادها و بازداشت شیعیان را تأیید کرد afghanpaper.com · Oct 15, 2026 18:00 UTC · via GDELT
- General Трамп отменил публичную казнь джихадиста под напором возмущенной публики news.israelinfo.co.il · Oct 15, 2026 17:00 UTC · via GDELT
- General 巴基斯坦政府声称9月份有23架阿富汗方面的无人机从阿富汗非法侵犯巴基斯坦领空 sputniknews.cn · Oct 15, 2026 16:45 UTC · via GDELT
- Politics Where Are the Iran War Protests? - The Intercept theintercept.com · Oct 9, 2026 18:31 UTC · via Googlenews
This country currently has a Level 4 US advisory. Compare the high-risk-country watchlist →
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Afghanistan
The most weather-stable two-month window for Afghanistan is September–October, when typical daily temperatures run from about 8°C to 28°C and monthly rain averages 10 mm.
No threshold-level heat, cold, wind, or cyclone flag appears in the stored normals; April is the wettest typical month at about 85 mm.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Aug 23, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency Numbers
| Police | 119 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 112 |
| Fire | 112 |
| General emergency | 112 |
Latest AI-assisted briefing for Afghanistan
Official advisory decision override: Do Not Travel. Afghanistan maintains an extreme risk profile driven by severe political instability and safety concerns.
Top risk drivers
-
Level 4 Do Not Travel Advisory
· advisory
Official advisories maintain a Do Not Travel status for Afghanistan due to critical safety and security conditions.
-
Extreme Political and Governance Risk
· political
Governance and political stability scores reflect severe instability throughout the country.
-
Severe Crime and Safety Exposure
· crime
Crime score of 85 indicates extreme risk regarding theft, violence, and general security threats.
Recent intelligence
- Do Not Travel List 2026: All Level 4 Travel Advisory [source]
- Is Afghanistan Safe? 3.6/10 Safety Score (2026) [source]
- Afghanistan Travel Advice & Safety | Smartraveller [source]
Live intelligence cited 8 public-source snippets. Every claim above is grounded in one of them — verify any specific detail by following the snippet links on the full assessment page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Afghanistan safe to visit?
Afghanistan currently scores 75/100 on our composite travel risk index (extreme risk; lower is safer). The US State Department and Government of Canada and UK FCDO advise against all travel here, so the score is held at 75 or higher. Official advice can change quickly, so check it again shortly before you travel.
Is Afghanistan safe to visit right now?
Follow the current official advisory. The baseline composite is analytical context and does not weaken that decision. Composite baseline: 75/100 (Extreme risk). Always cross-check with your home country's foreign-ministry advisory within 7 days of departure; the live US State Department advisory is shown above. Last refreshed October 2026.
What is the current travel advisory for Afghanistan?
The current US State Department advisory level for Afghanistan is shown in the Live conditions section above and is re-fetched every 6 hours from the official RSS feed. UK FCDO, Canada GAC, and Australia DFAT also publish advisories — for high-stakes trips, cross-check at least one foreign-ministry advisory in addition to your home country's. See our travel advisory guide for how to read each tier system.
When is the best time to visit Afghanistan?
September–October is the most weather-stable two-month window in the stored 1991-2020 normals. The most weather-stable two-month window for Afghanistan is September–October, when typical daily temperatures run from about 8°C to 28°C and monthly rain averages 10 mm.
What is the rainy, hurricane, or severe-weather season in Afghanistan?
The stored 1991-2020 normals do not cross this site's seasonal hazard thresholds; check a short-range forecast before departure.
Community Safety Sentiment
Have you visited Afghanistan recently? What was your safety experience?
Vote to share your experience with travelers.
Popular country searches right now
Countries visitors are looking up most frequently this week.
Browse all destinations → · Compare two countries → · Popular city searches →
PAGE LAST UPDATED:
Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.