Afghanistan travel advice
A summary of the UK government’s (FCDO) travel advice for Afghanistan, last updated by the FCDO on 30 July 2026. The full advice on GOV.UK is the authoritative version.
FCDO status
FCDO advises against all travel to the whole country
Latest FCDO update (30 July 2026): Addition of information about UK Government support (see ‘Do not travel to Afghanistan’ on the ‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
FCDO notice
Do not travel to Afghanistan
You should not travel to Afghanistan. The FCDO advises against all travel to Afghanistan, even if you are part of an organised tour group. There is a high risk of British nationals being detained or kidnapped, and terrorists often target places frequented by foreign nationals. The FCDO’s ability to provide assistance in Afghanistan is severely limited.
Warnings (from the FCDO, word for word)
Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
FCDO advises against all travel to Afghanistan
You should not travel to Afghanistan. The security situation is volatile and tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have previously resulted in violent clashes in border regions. Travel throughout Afghanistan is extremely dangerous and a number of border crossings are not currently open.
There is a heightened risk of British nationals being detained in Afghanistan. If you are a British national and you are detained in Afghanistan, you could face months or years of imprisonment. FCDO’s ability to help you is extremely limited and support in person is not possible in Afghanistan.
For more details about the risks in Afghanistan, see Safety and security.
Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions
There are heighted tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including clashes in border areas. FCDO advises against all travel to Afghanistan. Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
UK government support
Support for British nationals is severely limited in Afghanistan. There is no British Embassy in Afghanistan and FCDO cannot give in-person consular assistance. If you are detained, the British government may not be informed.
If you are a British national in Afghanistan and need help from the UK government, you can:
- call FCDO on 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
- submit an enquiry
- contact us on X or Facebook
Passport validity
If you decide to travel to Afghanistan against FCDO advice, check with your travel provider whether your passport and other travel documents meet requirements.
From FCDO: entry requirements. Written for British passport holders.
Recent FCDO updates
- 30 July 2026: Addition of information about UK Government support (see ‘Do not travel to Afghanistan’ on the ‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
- 27 February 2026: New information about heightened tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan (‘Warnings and insurance’ page).
- 15 December 2025: Updated information on recent regional tension (‘Warnings and insurance’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).
Plan your trip
This page shows the FCDO’s headline status and quotes its text word for word; we don’t reword safety advice. It refreshes automatically, so it can lag GOV.UK by up to a day. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: FCDO foreign travel advice on GOV.UK. FCDO advice is written for British nationals; other nationalities should also check their own government’s advice.