Afghanistan: Information on the issuance of passports and exit permits since 1993

A representative of the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, DC provided the following information on the above-mentioned subject during a telephone interview on 30 May 1995.

The State Department of Afghanistan in Kabul and its representative offices in other cities of Afghanistan are in charge of the issuance of passports to passport applicants inside Afghanistan. Afghan diplomatic missions issue passports to Afghans residing abroad. In both cases applicants are required to produce documents that prove their Afghan citizenship, such as taskirats (tazkares) (birth certificates). Applicants residing abroad are also required to produce documents that prove their legal residence abroad, such as permanent residence documents. The fee charged for the issuance of a passport is US$104 abroad and about $US25 inside Afghanistan. The issuance of a passport inside Afghanistan usually takes a month. In foreign countries the process takes a day if applicants apply in person, and about two weeks if applicants send their documents by mail.

Passport applicants who are 15 years of age and older are issued individual passports. Individuals under 15 years of age are not issued separate passports, but either of their parents may be issued a passport that also contains information on their children. For those applicants who are under 18 years of age, their parents are required to apply for passports on their behalf.

There are no restrictions for passport applicants who are 18 years of age or older. Married women do not require the permission of their husbands to receive a passport. Because military service is voluntary in Afghanistan, completion of military service is not a requirement for the issuance of passports to male applicants.

Afghans who wish to travel abroad are required to apply for exit permits. The State Department of Afghanistan in Kabul and its representatives in other cities of Afghanistan are in charge of the issuance of exit permits; they are issued to "applicants who have not committed a crime."

During a telephone interview on 30 May 1995, a representative of the Afghan Association of Toronto corroborated the above information excluding certain aspects which are detailed below.

According to this source, because of the ongoing civil war in Afghanistan, all of the representative offices of the State Department of Afghanistan are not operational. The representative was not certain about the exact number of operational offices. While the process of passport issuance usually takes a week under normal circumstances, the exact length of this process is "unknown" because of the civil war.

Regardless of their age, unmarried women who apply for a passport are required to produce evidence of the permission of their fathers. Married women who wish to leave the country are required to be accompanied by their husbands. Those who wish to leave alone are required to produce the evidence of permission of their husband in order to receive a passport. The representative added that it is "very difficult" for married women to receive a passport if they lack such permission.

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Afghan Association of Toronto. 30 May 1994. Telephone interview with representative.

Embassy of Afghanistan, Washington, DC. 30 May 1995. Telephone interview with representative.