The Department of State has announced that some domestic passport offices in the U.S. will re-open to the public at reduced capacity, effective June 11. Domestic printing of passports for shipment to overseas posts will also re-start at reduced capacity.
While additional overseas passport options now exist, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul continues to operate at emergency staffing levels, and the current medical and security isolation protocols in place prevent visitors from entering the Embassy compound. Consular services remain limited to emergency passport applications only.
- If your current U.S. passport has sufficient validity to depart Afghanistan, you should travel as scheduled, and renew your passport in the United States prior to returning to Afghanistan. Additional information on applying for a passport in the U.S., including the operating status of individual passport agencies, can be found at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/passport-covid-19.html.
- If your current U.S. passport is already expired or will expire in the next 30 days, and you have a confirmed departure itinerary after your passport’s expiration date, you may be eligible for a locally printed one-year emergency passport. Proof of confirmed travel will be required.
- If your U.S. passport is expired or will expire in the next 30 days, but you do not have confirmed travel, or you wish to renew your passport in order to obtain a new Afghan visa, your application will be processed as a regular U.S. print passport.
The timeline for passport application acceptance and processing will vary based on the Embassy’s available staffing and operating status:
- Locally printed one-year emergency passports will take approximately five (5) business days to process.
- U.S. print passports will take approximately one month to process.
If you meet the above criteria, please email KabulACS@state.gov to receive information on the current procedure to submit an emergency passport application.
If you are not already enrolled in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), please register today at https://step.state.gov to ensure you receive future updates from the U.S. Embassy regarding all potential travel options.
Assistance:
- American Citizen Services Unit, U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan
Located at Great Massoud Road between Radio Afghanistan and
the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul.
+93-700-114-000 or +93-700-108-000 (after hours)
KabulACS@state.gov
https://af.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/ - State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Afghanistan Country Information
- Afghanistan Travel Advisory
- Enroll in the Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
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