Afghan passport

Afghan passport
The front cover of an Afghan passport from the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2013-Present).
Date first issued	1880
Issued by	Afghanistan
Type of document	Passport
Purpose	Identification
Eligibility requirements	Afghan citizenship
Expiration	5 years

The Afghan passport is issued to citizens of Afghanistan for international travel. It was introduced by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan in 1880.

In September 2011, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs began issuing two types of biometric passports (e-passports) for Afghan diplomats and public servants. These were produced in the United Kingdom. In March 2013, new international standard e-passports were introduced to all citizens of Afghanistan. According to spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Janan Musazai, "on the photo page, there are 16 security codes." Issuance of computerized ID cards were also started in the same month. These changes are expected to prevent fraud in future elections, government corruption and improve the security situation of Afghanistan. The cost of a new Afghan e-passport is 5,000 Afghanis ($100 US dollars).

Afghanistan has only one passport office, located in Kabul. According to the 2012 Visa Restricitions Index, holders of an Afghan passport can visit only 26 countries visa-free or with visa on arrival. This is the lowest number of all passports worldwide as of 2012.

See also

• Visa requirements for Afghan citizens

External links

• Sample of current Afghan passport
• Sample of current national identity card