Afghan Passports

With the emergence of the Taliban as the new government of Afghanistan a large number of Afghans are seeking to leave the country. Many are applying for passports for the first time while others are renewing passports that have expired.

The Taliban government shutdown the passport offices in Kabul and the provinces for several weeks after taking control of Afghanistan. In the fall of 2021 they began to reopen the passport offices. However, the process has not been smooth.

Biometric Equipment Failure. The Kabul passport office has been plagued with breakdowns of its biometric equipment. The people who maintained and repaired the biometric equipment are no longer available.

'At-Risk' Afghans Detained. There are Afghans who have shown up to apply for or accept new passports who have 'disappeared'. Many of them are former members of the Afghan security institutions or the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Former members of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Afghan elite fighting units such as ANASOC are particularly vulnerable.

Online Afghan Passport
https://passport.moi.gov.af/

Info on Afghan Passports

Afghan Passport - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_passport

News Reports about Afghan Passports

August 24, 2022. "Taliban Make Millions From Passports Issued to Fleeing Afghans", by Akmal Dawi, Voice of America News. More than 700,000 passports to Afghan nationals have been issued since the Taliban took power, earning about $50 million in revenue. Currently, the government is issuing 4,000 a day and hopes to get up to 10,000 a day. Getting a new passport means dealing with bribery and administrative corruption. An Afghan passport is the least powerful travel document around the world; requiring a visa to enter any country.

December 13, 2021. "Kabul passport office head urges patience as anxious crowds keep gathering", Reuters.