Afghan passport

Afghan passport
The front cover of a contemporary Afghan biometric passport.
Date first issued	1880
Issued by	Afghanistan
Type of document	Passport
Purpose	Identification
Eligibility requirements	Afghan citizenship
Expiration	10 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 national computerized e-ID cards (e-Tazkiras) were also discussed. 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 currently has only one passport office, which is located in Kabul. Ordinary passports (those other than diplomatic or service passports) can be issued by Afghan embassies and consulates abroad. According to the 2016 Visa Restrictions Index, holders of an Afghan passport can visit only 25 countries visa-free or with visa on arrival. This is the lowest number of all passports worldwide as of 2016.