If you hold an Afghan passport, the hardest part of any trip usually comes before the flight: finding a place where you are allowed to apply. Many missions in Kabul are closed, so the visa file is built in Islamabad, Dubai, Istanbul or Tehran instead, and the flight plan in that file has to make sense from wherever you actually are. This guide covers the official position, as published by the governments concerned, for the routes Afghan travellers ask us about most often. It also explains what a flight reservation can and cannot do for you. Everything that could not be confirmed on an official page has been left out or flagged.
Key facts for Afghan passport holders
| Question | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| Can I apply for a German visa in Kabul? | No. The German Embassy Kabul states it is closed and visa applications cannot be submitted there.[1] |
| Where do Afghans apply for a Schengen visa for Germany? | At the German Embassies in Islamabad, Dubai or Istanbul. National (long-stay) visas go to Islamabad or Tehran.[1][2] |
| What flight document does that checklist ask for? | "Flight reservation (not confirmed booking)".[3] |
| Where do Afghans apply for a UK visa? | GOV.UK's centre finder says, for Afghanistan, to choose a centre in a different country.[5] |
| Can Afghans currently get US visas? | A December 2025 presidential proclamation continues a full suspension of entry for Afghan nationals, effective 1 January 2026, with limited exceptions.[8] |
| Transit through the UK? | Afghanistan appears on the UK list of nationals who need a visa to enter or transit the UK, unless an exemption applies.[7] |
| Our price | $9 worldwide or ₹699 in India, per passenger, one way or return. |
Where can Afghans apply for visas now?
For most Western visas, outside Afghanistan. The clearest published example is Germany. Its Kabul embassy says the mission is closed, that short-stay Schengen applications are accepted in Islamabad, Dubai and Istanbul, and that long-stay national visas go through Islamabad or Tehran (with Tehran family reunion appointments listed as suspended).[1] The UK's own centre finder simply tells applicants from Afghanistan to pick a centre in another country.[5]
That has a direct effect on your flight plan. If you live in Kabul but apply in Islamabad, the officer reads your reservation against where you will really fly from. A booking that starts in Kabul is honest if that is your departure city. A booking that starts in Dubai makes sense only if you hold UAE residence and will genuinely depart from there. Choose the version that matches your life, not the one that looks neater on paper.
Think of it this way: your reservation is a statement about where you will be. If your residence permit, your bank letter and your employer all say Islamabad, a booking from Islamabad tells the same story. Mixing cities without explanation invites questions.
What does the German checklist say about flights for Afghan applicants?
It asks for a reservation and says outright that a confirmed booking is not needed. The Schengen documents page published by the German Embassy Kabul lists, among the general requirements, "Flight reservation (not confirmed booking)".[3] In other words, keep your money in your pocket until the decision arrives.
The same page lists the rest of the core file. In short:
- A passport valid for at least three months beyond the trip, with two empty pages, issued within the last ten years.
- The signed application form and two biometric photos.
- Your tazkira, plus family documents such as a marriage certificate or children's tazkiras where relevant.
- Financial evidence: bank statements, property papers or payslips as they apply to you.
- Travel health insurance with at least €30,000 cover.
- The €90 fee, paid in cash in local currency.[2][3]
The embassy's FAQ adds two points that trip people up. First, the name in your tazkira and in your passport must be identical, and the embassy says this applies to every applicant without exception. Second, it says Afghan passport extension stickers issued and applied after 31 July 2026 are no longer accepted for visa applications, so a holder of such a sticker must submit a new passport.[4] Sort the passport out first. A perfect reservation in a passport the embassy will not accept is wasted money.
Processing at the Schengen counter is given as a minimum of ten days, and the page also reminds visa holders that the border police make the final entry decision on arrival.[2] For the wider Schengen rules (main destination, the 90/180 count, intra-Schengen legs) read our Schengen visa guide and the Germany visa guide.
What about other Schengen countries?
The EU rules are shared, but each consulate writes its own document list, and missions in the region do not all publish them for Afghan applicants. The Commission's general page confirms the basics: the application window opens six months ahead and closes 15 days before departure, with a normal decision time of 15 days that can stretch to 45.[9] The Netherlands states on its tourism checklist that a reservation in your name will do, adding that a "paid travel ticket" is not required.[10]
If you are applying to France, Italy, Spain or another state from Islamabad, Tehran or Dubai, download that mission's current list before you book anything. We would not assume the German wording applies elsewhere.
Should you include flights in a UK visit application?
Not as a centrepiece. GOV.UK's visitor guide to supporting documents lists flight bookings, unless you are transiting, among the evidence that is less useful.[6] UK officers care far more about your circumstances, money and reasons to return. A reservation does no harm as an indication of dates, but nobody should buy a ticket for a UK application.
Two practical points matter more for Afghan nationals. You will be applying from a centre outside Afghanistan, because GOV.UK lists no centre inside the country.[5] And the UK's carrier guidance puts Afghan nationals on its list of people who need a visa even to pass through the UK.[7] So if your real journey to Canada or elsewhere connects at Heathrow, check the transit rules before you choose that routing. The same guidance sets out exemptions, for instance where an Afghan traveller already holds a current visa issued by Canada or the United States. Our UK visa guide and transit visa guide go further.
Can Afghan nationals get US visas in 2026?
In general, no. The White House proclamation of December 2025 lists Afghanistan among the countries whose nationals' entry "continues to be suspended and limited", carrying forward the earlier Proclamation 10949, with an effective date of 1 January 2026.[8] Visas granted before that date are not cancelled by it, and a few narrow exceptions exist. If you think you fall within one, take advice from a qualified lawyer or the US embassy, not a ticket agent.
What this means for flights is simple. Please do not order a reservation for a US application that cannot currently be made. We would rather tell you that now than take $9 for nothing.
What about Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and the UAE?
These are the routes many Afghan families use, and they are also the ones where official English-language guidance is hardest to pin down. Here is where we landed after checking in October 2026:
- Pakistan: visas are handled through Pakistan's official online system, which we could not open for checking in October 2026. If you plan to apply for a Western visa in Islamabad, make sure your Pakistani visa covers the whole stay, including the wait for a decision, and confirm document lists with the Pakistani mission directly.
- Iran: Afghan nationals need a visa. We could not confirm a published flight-document rule.
- Turkey: the official e-Visa portal sets conditions by nationality. We could not load the Afghanistan page for checking, so confirm on evisa.gov.tr whether you qualify or must apply at a Turkish mission. Our Turkey visa guide covers the flight side.
- UAE: visit visas are normally sponsored from inside the UAE. We found no official UAE page specific to Afghan nationals that we could verify.
Where we could not confirm a rule, we have said so rather than guess. If an embassy hands you a checklist, that piece of paper beats anything written on a website, including this one.
Reservation, refundable fare or paid ticket: which fits your situation?
| Option | When it fits | Cost if refused | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight reservation with a live PNR | Checklists that say "flight reservation", "itinerary" or "travel plans", such as Germany's Kabul list[3] | Only the reservation fee ($9 / ₹699 per passenger) | Holds are temporary. Book close to your appointment. |
| Refundable airline fare | A checklist that insists on a confirmed or paid ticket | Cancellation fees and the time your money is tied up | Read the fare rules; "refundable" often means partly. |
| Non-refundable ticket | Only once you hold the visa | The full fare | Never buy one before a decision. |
| No flight evidence | Where a mission asks only for a written plan | Nothing | Make sure the checklist really says that. |
How should you plan the route on your reservation?
Start from where you will genuinely fly, end where you will genuinely return, and make every stop legal for your passport. That last part is what catches Afghan travellers. A connection that is routine for an Indian or Emirati passport can require a transit visa for you.
Say you live in Islamabad on a valid Pakistani visa and you are applying to Germany for a 12-day family visit. A sensible reservation is Islamabad to Frankfurt and back, on dates that sit inside your insurance and match your host's invitation. If the cheapest real-world route connects through a third country, check that country's transit rules for Afghan nationals before you settle on it. The UK example above shows why.[7]
A few habits help:
- Write down your departure city, your Schengen or UK entry point and your return city before you book anything.
- Check transit rules for every connecting country on your actual route.
- Make the dates agree with the invitation, insurance and leave or school letters.
- Type names exactly as printed in the passport, which the embassy will compare with your tazkira.[4]
- Book the reservation a few days before the appointment, then verify it on the airline's site.
For more on dates, see matching insurance and itinerary dates, and for spelling see how names should appear on a reservation.
Will an airline check your onward ticket?
Yes, and for Afghan passport holders the check is often stricter than the visa interview. At check-in, the airline compares your passport, visa and onward plans against the entry rules of your destination, because carriers face penalties for flying passengers who are refused. Some countries also require proof of onward or return travel at the border. If you are entering a country with an e-visa or arrival visa that requires a return ticket, the rule that applies is that country's, and some want a paid ticket, not a reservation. Read our onward ticket page and countries that require proof of onward travel before you fly.
Plain warning: nobody can board a plane on a held reservation. If an airline or border tells you a paid onward ticket is required, buy one, ideally refundable.
Which mistakes cause the most trouble for Afghan applicants?
- Applying where you have no legal residence. The officer will ask why you chose that embassy.
- Tazkira and passport names that differ. Germany says the names must be identical.[4]
- Passports with recent extension stickers that the German Embassy no longer accepts.[4]
- Routes through countries that require a transit visa you do not have.
- Buying non-refundable tickets before a decision.
- Fabricated PDFs from "ticket generators". A false document can lead to refusal and can follow you into later applications.
If you were refused before, the next file has to address the reasons given. Our guide on reapplying after a refusal explains how to use the refusal letter.
How do you order a reservation, and what does it cost?
Our reservation is a live airline booking held in the names you supply, on the route and dates you choose. Because nothing is paid to the airline, it is not a flight ticket and you cannot travel on it. To see it for yourself, type the PNR and your surname into the airline's "Manage booking" tool.
Each person is charged separately, whether the route is one way or return; four travellers means four fees. Payment runs through Razorpay, which accepts UPI, cards and netbanking. If your own card will not work internationally, a relative or friend can pay on your behalf; the names on the reservation are what count. Full pricing is on the dummy ticket price page.
Check that the mission accepts Afghan applicants and download its current checklist.
Names exactly as in each passport. Book on the booking page.
Usually about 10 minutes by email. Track it at order tracking.
Follow how to verify a dummy ticket.
How long does it hold? The hold lasts up to two weeks, and it is the airline that sets the exact cut-off. Because Afghan applicants often wait weeks for an appointment slot, we'd order three or four days before the appointment, not when the appointment is first booked. More on this in flight reservation for visa.
Need a reservation for your visa file?
Live PNR you can check yourself. $9 / ₹699 per passenger.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for a Schengen visa in Kabul?
Not for Germany. The German Embassy Kabul says it is closed and cannot accept visa applications there. Short-stay Schengen applications for Germany go to its embassies in Islamabad, Dubai or Istanbul. Other Schengen states set their own arrangements, so check the mission of the country you will mainly visit before travelling to apply anywhere.
Does Germany want a paid ticket from Afghan applicants?
No. The Schengen documents page from the German Embassy Kabul asks for a "Flight reservation (not confirmed booking)". That means a held reservation showing your planned dates fits the request, and there is no need to pay for a fare before the decision. Make sure the names match your passport and tazkira exactly.
Can I use a reservation for a US visa?
At present, Afghan nationals face a full suspension of US entry under the December 2025 proclamation, effective 1 January 2026, apart from limited exceptions. A flight reservation does not change that. If you believe an exception covers you, seek legal advice before spending money on any travel documents.
Do I need a UK transit visa if I connect at Heathrow?
Possibly. UK carrier guidance names Afghanistan as a country whose citizens need a visa even for a UK connection, with exemptions for holders of certain documents such as valid visas for Canada or the USA. Check GOV.UK's transit pages for your exact case before choosing a route through London.
Which city should my reservation start from?
The city you will really depart from. If you live in Islamabad legally and apply there, start the booking in Islamabad. If you will fly from Kabul, start in Kabul. The officer compares your reservation with your residence and other documents, and an unexplained mismatch raises doubts about the whole plan.
How long is the reservation valid?
Up to two weeks; the airline fixes the precise length. Afghan applicants often face long waits for slots, so place the order shortly before the appointment, never weeks early. If the appointment moves, a new reservation for the new date is usually the cleanest fix.
Can someone else pay for my reservation?
Yes. Payment goes through Razorpay, and a relative or friend can pay by UPI, card or netbanking. What matters for the embassy is that each traveller's name on the reservation matches their passport, not who paid. Remember the price is per passenger.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- German Embassy Kabul, Visa and entry.
- German Embassy Kabul, Schengen visa (short stays up to 90 days).
- German Embassy Kabul, Schengen visa documents.
- German Embassy Kabul, Frequently asked questions on visas.
- GOV.UK, Find a visa application centre: Afghanistan.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- GOV.UK, UK visa requirements for international carriers.
- The White House, Restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the security of the United States (December 2025).
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- Netherlands Worldwide, Checklist: Schengen visa for tourism.
Related: Pakistani travellers · Iranian travellers · African passport holders · requirements by country.