Buy Afghanistan Passport Online: Is It Safe or Risky?

Alright, so I decided to get an Afghan passport. Sounds crazy, right? But I had my reasons. First off, I heard that Afghanistan is not a place to be right now. They say to “avoid all travel” there because of the “volatile security situation” and a bunch of other scary stuff like terrorist attacks and kidnapping. Not my cup of tea, honestly.

But here’s the thing – I wasn’t planning on going to Afghanistan. I just needed the passport. I figured, maybe it could be useful for something, somewhere, somehow. So, I started digging around to see how to get one.

First, I found out that if you have an Afghan passport, you can go to 26 places without a visa. That’s not a lot, but hey, it’s something. There’s a whole guide about it, listing where you can go visa-free or get a visa when you arrive. But for most other countries, I’d need to apply for a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) online before traveling. Sounds like a hassle, but okay.

Then I came across some news about how Afghan passports were still being given out by some shady people. Apparently, a lot of Afghans lost their jobs after some big changes in the government, and this was a way for some to make money. Not the most legit way to get a passport, I thought.

Dealing with Scams

• Searching: I did a bunch of online searches on how to apply for or renew a passport.
• Spotting Fakes: I had to be careful though, because there are a lot of scam websites out there.
• Avoiding Traps: It’s really important to be able to spot these fake sites so you don’t become a victim.

I also read that getting an Afghan passport the normal way takes a lot of patience. You have to deal with a lot of bureaucracy, and it’s known as the “weakest passport in the world.” But I wasn’t going to give up.

There was something about a new online passport system launched by the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology and the Ministry of Interior. They were trying to make it easier and fight corruption. That sounded promising, but I wasn’t sure how well it was working.

I found some instructions online saying I needed to download a passport form and, if I was applying with family, book separate appointments. It seemed like a lot of work, but I was determined to see this through.

The Real Deal

• No Official Way: I couldn’t find a clear, official way to apply online from outside Afghanistan.
• Shady Contacts: So, I ended up contacting some of those “touts” I read about.
• Risky Business: It felt super sketchy, but I didn’t see another option.
• Money Talks: I had to pay a hefty sum, way more than the official fee.
• Waiting Game: And then, the waiting. It took weeks, and I was constantly worried it was all a scam.

But guess what? One day, a package arrived. And there it was – my very own Afghan passport. It looked real enough, with all the official stamps and my photo. I couldn’t believe it actually worked.

Now, I’m not saying this is the best way to get a passport. It’s definitely not the recommended way. But it’s what I did. And it worked, in a weird, roundabout, and probably not entirely legal way. I’ve got the passport now, and who knows, maybe it’ll come in handy someday. Or maybe it’ll just be a strange story to tell. Either way, it was an adventure, that’s for sure.