Afghanistan

Is Afghanistan safe to visit?

No. The US State Department rates Afghanistan Level 4 (do not travel for any reason) and urges Americans there to leave, and the UK advises against all travel, even on an organised tour. Both governments put the risk of detention by the Taliban at the top of their lists, ahead of terrorism, kidnapping and the renewed fighting with Pakistan.

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Afghanistan 157th of 163 countries. We score it 37, below Pakistan at 45 and Iran at 43, with medium confidence: the advisories are recent and detailed, but crime and road data are old.

Detention by the Taliban

The Taliban have ruled Afghanistan since August 2021. The US says there is a high risk of wrongful detention and that all American citizens, including tourists and US-Afghan dual nationals, are targeted. Aid workers, faith-based groups and people who once worked for the US, such as interpreters, face higher risk. Detention can be long, conditions are severe, and the Taliban do not allow US welfare checks, even by phone.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes the same pattern for British nationals: months or years in prison without clear charges, and possible execution for spying. Carrying tracking devices, large amounts of cash or unusual items can trigger suspicion, as can photographing government buildings, palaces or checkpoints. Religious activity outside the Taliban's version of Sunni Islam is treated with suspicion, and the justice system includes public lashings. Neither the US nor the UK has an embassy in Kabul, and your government may not be told if you are arrested.

Fighting with Pakistan

Cross-border clashes with Pakistan escalated into open fighting in 2026. Pakistan launched an operation it called Ghazab lil Haq on 26 February, and UNAMA, the UN mission in Afghanistan, counted 372 Afghan civilians killed in the first three months of the year, the highest toll for that period it had recorded since 2011. On 16 March Pakistani airstrikes hit the Omid drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul; UNAMA verified 269 deaths and said the real number could be significantly higher. Pakistan said it targeted only militant and military infrastructure.

From October 2025 to the end of June 2026, UNAMA documented 499 Afghan civilians killed and 1,216 wounded in the fighting, AP reported. On 28 June two airstrikes on a residential building in Paktia killed 22 people, most of them in the second strike as neighbours tried to help. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says several border crossings are closed and others can close at short notice.

Terrorism and kidnapping

ISKP, the Islamic State branch in the region, al-Qaeda and other groups are active, and the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says terrorists strongly want to target places used by foreigners, naming hotels such as the Serena in Kabul. ISKP has attacked hospitals, schools, mosques and Shia neighbourhoods. In May 2024 three Spanish tourists were killed in a shooting on a guided tour in Bamiyan.

Kidnapping is both a terrorist and a criminal business. The FCDO says gangs stop cars on busy roads or grab people at banks and ATMs, then hold them while they empty their accounts. A British dual national was kidnapped at gunpoint, and another British national while withdrawing money.

Health care, earthquakes and winter

Medical care is very limited. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says there are serious medicine shortages and few public ambulances; in Kabul the ambulance number is 102 and each province has its own. Ambulances sent by hospitals may want payment first. Diarrhoeal disease, measles, tuberculosis and malaria are all risks, and altitude sickness is a risk in the mountains.

Afghanistan is in an active earthquake zone, the FCDO says. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake in the east in September 2025 killed more than 1,100 people, according to the US. Heavy rain causes floods, mountain passes see avalanches in winter and spring, and the FCDO warns that emergency response is lacking.

If you are in Afghanistan

• Keep a way to communicate that does not rely on local mobile data; the Taliban have cut internet and phone services without warning.
• Do not carry more than US$5,000 through airports or US$500 through land borders.
• Vary your routes and times, avoid banks and ATMs where you can, and tell someone outside the country where you are.
• Women must follow the dress code and may be stopped from travelling without a male relative.
• Leave antiquities alone unless an authorised dealer gives you a receipt.

How we scored it

Conflict (5) is the weakest factor: detention risk, ISKP and a war with Pakistan that has killed hundreds of civilians. Health care (25) and natural hazards (25) are also very weak, and petty crime (40) includes armed robbery. Violent crime (62) and roads (50) are mid-range on old data. The weighted average of 37 is below the conflict cap of 40 and is the final score.