Kabul Travel Risk — Extreme Risk (75/100)
Is Kabul safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Kabul 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 GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Official US advisory · Level 4
Do Not Travel
This decision takes precedence over the analytical composite shown on this page.
Crime (score 8)
Political instability (score 90)
September 27, 2026
Kabul, Afghanistan has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 75 out of 100 (extreme risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is political instability at 90/100; the lowest-rated category is crime at 8/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the Afghanistan travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Kabul to visit in 2026?
Kabul is currently under a US State Department Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory. That official decision takes precedence. The 75/100 extreme composite remains visible only as analytical context and must not be read as permission to disregard the advisory. The highest-rated risk category for Kabul is political instability (90/100), and the lowest is crime (8/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
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.
A score of 75 is higher than the scores of 91% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Kabul, Afghanistan currently maintains an extreme risk baseline composite score of 75 out of 100 and a Level 4 US State Department advisory. Additionally, a Level 1 global dengue health notice is in effect from the CDC. Recent safety headlines note that Kabul has condemned attacks on Saudi Arabia airports.
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 07:23 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Political instability (score 90/100): Avoid demonstrations and political gatherings. Monitor news the morning of travel. Have a flexible departure plan.
- Government advisory (score 85/100): Read your country's current official advisory within 7 days of travel. Register with your embassy on arrival if available.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Kabul
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime transit and exploration in central areas are generally safe and routine. Standard alertness in crowded transit hubs and tourist plazas is adequate.
After dark, keep to well-illuminated thoroughfares and busy dining/entertainment quarters. Use verified taxis or rideshare apps when returning late.
Safety by Traveler Type in Kabul
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Older travelers
Health/transport risk is elevated. Confirm medical-evacuation cover, plan rest between transfers, and locate English-capable medical care on arrival.
Business travelers
Digital/money risk is elevated. Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive work, use a VPN, watch for card-skimming at ATMs, and carry minimal cash.
LGBTQ+ travelers
Local laws and social attitudes toward LGBTQ+ travelers vary widely by country and are not captured in our category scores. The official advisory/political indicators are elevated. Read your government LGBTQ+ travel guidance carefully and weigh trip purpose against current conditions.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Kabul for solo travelers (Crime 8/100 · Transport 80/100), women traveling solo (Crime 8/100) and families with children (Health 44/100 · Natural disaster 30/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | high |
| Road safety | high |
| Public transport | high |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | high |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Kabul
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
Level 4 · Do Not Travel
Afghanistan - Level 4: Do Not Travel
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Earthquakes (M5.5+) | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Most flood events within 100 km of Kabul happened in February, May, June, July and August (5 of 5 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
Significant Earthquakes (USGS M5.5+ within 150 km)
2 major seismic events recorded within 150 km over the past 5 years.
- Largest: M5.8 on 20 Feb 2026 (130 km away) — USGS details
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Afghanistan travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Afghanistan entry requirements.
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 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Kabul
The most weather-stable two-month window for Kabul 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 Sep 18, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency numbers (Afghanistan)
| Police | 119 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 112 |
| Fire | 112 |
| General | 112 |
Medical access
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | medium |
| Emergency response | low |
| English-speaking care | unknown |
| Evacuation complexity | high |
Health services receive a rating of 4.4/10, suggesting moderate availability for travelers. However, overall emergency response capacity is low and evacuation is considered highly complex.
Area notes
- Kabul International Airport. Australian travel warnings note that airports in Afghanistan can close suddenly, posing a risk to travelers.
- Central Kabul. Security reports show a high number of incidents (3,687 between February and April) indicating a generally unsafe environment.
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Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
Every editorial change to Kabul's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
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Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Kabul
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Kabul, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Documented scam patterns for this city.
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
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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.