Safety advice

What governments say

United States: Level 4, do not travel (February 2026). It names terrorism, kidnapping, wrongful detention and crime, and says US citizens with Afghan nationality are particular targets for detention.
United Kingdom: advises against all travel (July 2026), warning of detention for months or years and that travel insurance may not cover you.
Australia: do not travel, including for family visits by dual nationals (June 2026).
Canada: avoid all travel (May 2026).
Germany: travel warning, and Germans in the country are urged to leave (August 2026).

None of these countries has an embassy in Kabul.

War with Pakistan. Since 21 February 2026 Afghanistan and Pakistan have been in open armed conflict. Pakistani airstrikes have hit Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad and other provinces, and in September and October 2026 strikes continued in the south and east.
Attacks on civilians, including tourists. In May 2024 gunmen killed three Spanish tourists and three Afghans in Bamyan. In January 2026 a bomb at a restaurant in Kabul's Shahr-e Naw killed seven people, and in April 2026 an attack on a recreation area in Herat province killed eleven. Islamic State Khorasan claimed the Bamyan and Kabul attacks.
Detention of foreigners. Foreign visitors have been held for months without clear charges: a British couple from February to September 2025, and several Americans are still held. In March 2026 the United States named Afghanistan a state sponsor of wrongful detention. A tourist was detained for filming a time-lapse near a ministry.
The roads. Long journeys on poor roads, with serious crashes common.

Go with a reputable local guide or tour company, and let them plan the route day by day.
Register your trip with your own foreign ministry, and send your plans to someone at home with times to check in.
Photograph carefully. Never photograph officials, soldiers, checkpoints, airports, military sites or government buildings, and do not fly a drone. Ask before photographing anyone.
Avoid crowds, gatherings, government offices and the busy hours at markets. Do not be out late at night.
Carry your papers: passport, visa and Ministry of Information and Culture permits, with copies.
Check your insurance. Many policies are void where your government advises against travel. Find one that covers Afghanistan and medical evacuation.
If you have Afghan nationality as well, know that Afghanistan treats you as an Afghan only, and your other country may not be able to help.
Stay flexible. Borders, flights and permits change with little notice.

Police and fire: 119. Ambulance: 102. See emergency numbers and the hospitals near you.
Call your own foreign ministry's emergency line. For British nationals: +44 20 7008 5000. Qatar's embassy looks after US interests in Kabul; Canadians are served from the High Commission in Islamabad.
Countries with embassies in Kabul in 2026 include China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Turkey, the UAE, Uzbekistan and others in the region, and the European Union has a delegation.

This page is a summary. Read your own government's travel advice in full before you decide, and check it again the week you leave.