Hamid Karzai International Airport stands 5 kilometers east of Kabul city center at 1791 meters elevation. The airport opened in 1960 under King Mohammed Zahir Shah and carried the name Kabul International Airport until 2014, when it was renamed for Afghanistan's first elected president. Since August 2021, Taliban authorities control all airport operations. The single terminal building handles international arrivals through a hall containing immigration counters, baggage claim, and customs checkpoints. No jetways exist. Aircraft park on the tarmac and passengers walk to the terminal or board buses. The runway measures 3500 meters and can accommodate large aircraft, though commercial traffic has reduced to a fraction of pre-2021 levels.
Qatar Airways operates the primary civilian international service into Kabul, running daily flights from Doha on Boeing 777 aircraft. This route began regular operations in September 2021 after a brief suspension. Ariana Afghan Airlines, the national carrier founded in 1955, maintains irregular international routes to Tehran, Delhi, and Istanbul when operational. Kam Air, a private Afghan carrier established in 2003, operates charter flights to Dubai, Islamabad, and Turkey depending on demand and clearance. Pakistan International Airlines suspended Kabul service in 2021 but occasionally runs charter flights. No Western European or North American carriers serve Afghanistan as of 2024. Flight schedules change with minimal notice. Tickets purchased through third-party platforms frequently face cancellations or date changes without refund.
Visa on arrival does not exist for Afghanistan under current Taliban administration. All foreign nationals require advance visa approval obtained from Afghan diplomatic missions abroad. The Taliban government operates embassies in Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan that issue travel documents. Most Western nations closed their embassies in Kabul in August 2021 and do not maintain consular services. Travelers must contact the Afghan embassy or consulate in the country where they hold residence. Processing times vary from one week to three months. The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs website lists official visa information at mfa.gov.af, though the site operates intermittently. Journalists, aid workers, and business travelers face additional documentation requirements including letter of invitation from Afghan sponsor organization and proof of purpose.
Immigration at Kabul airport involves biometric scanning, passport verification, and questioning in Pashto, Dari, or English. Taliban immigration officers wear traditional clothing rather than formal uniforms. The immigration hall contains approximately fifteen counter positions, though typically four to six operate simultaneously. Processing time for a planeload of passengers ranges from forty-five minutes to two hours. Photography inside the terminal is prohibited. Taliban security personnel confiscate phones displaying images of women, music files, or content deemed un-Islamic during random device checks. Travelers arriving from Iran or Pakistan receive additional screening. Customs officials inspect luggage manually. Prohibited items include alcohol, pork products, non-medical narcotics, materials depicting human or animal figures, Western musical instruments, and publications containing unveiled women.
Currency exchange operates through private money changers who position themselves outside the arrivals hall. The afghani trades at approximately 70-75 to one US dollar as of early 2024, though rates fluctuate weekly. Money changers accept US dollars, euros, Pakistani rupees, and Iranian rials. They refuse credit cards and electronic payment systems. The afghani comes in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 notes. The Taliban central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank, operates the official exchange but rarely interacts with individual travelers. No ATMs function for foreign card networks. Travelers must carry sufficient cash for entire stays. Banks remain closed to international wire transfers due to sanctions. Hawala money transfer operates through informal networks but requires pre-existing contacts. Exchange rates from money changers typically run 3-5 percent worse than official rates.
SIM cards for mobile phones can be purchased from Afghan Telecom, Roshan, Etisalat Afghanistan, or MTN Afghanistan vendors located in small shops 200 meters from the airport exit. Registration requires passport and visa documentation. Afghan Telecom charges approximately 100 afghani for a SIM with 2GB data. Roshan, the largest private operator established in 2003, offers tourist packages with 5GB data for 300 afghani valid fifteen days. Coverage in Kabul reaches approximately 85 percent of the city. Data speeds rarely exceed 3G equivalent. Networks experience interruptions during prayer times and overnight hours. International roaming from Western carriers does not function. WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram operate intermittently. The Taliban banned TikTok in April 2022 and Facebook access varies by district. VPNs technically violate Taliban communications policy but enforcement focuses on Afghan nationals rather than foreign visitors.
Transportation from the airport into Kabul operates through private taxi drivers who wait outside the arrivals area. No ride-hailing apps function in Afghanistan as of 2024. Taliban checkpoints between the airport and city center stop vehicles for document checks. Travel time to central Kabul ranges from twenty to forty-five minutes depending on checkpoint delays and traffic. Taxis charge 800-1200 afghani for the airport run, roughly 10-15 US dollars. Meters do not exist. Negotiation occurs before entering the vehicle. Drivers speak limited English. Women cannot travel in taxis without male guardian under Taliban regulations. Hotels in Kabul can arrange airport pickup for 1500-2000 afghani when contacted minimum one day prior. These arranged vehicles receive marginally less scrutiny at checkpoints due to documentation from hotel sponsors.
The road from the airport to Kabul passes through the eastern neighborhoods of Khwaja Rawash, Qala-e-Fathullah, and Shahr-e Naw. The route follows the Jalalabad Road, a four-lane divided highway built in the 1960s. Potholes and damaged sections appear frequently. Taliban checkpoints operate at Pul-e-Charkhi junction and Massoud Circle. Armed Taliban soldiers stop vehicles at irregular intervals. They request passports, visas, and explanation of travel purpose. Photographing checkpoints results in detention. The drive offers views of mud-brick housing, small retail shops, and occasional Soviet-era apartment blocks. Kabul River runs parallel to the road between Pul-e-Charkhi and the city center but carries minimal water outside spring months. Mountains of the Hindu Kush range surround the valley on all sides, with snow visible on peaks above 3500 meters from October through May.
Hotel check-in in Kabul requires surrender of passport for registration with Taliban authorities. The Ministry of Interior maintains records of all foreign nationals in Afghan hotels. Front desk staff photocopy passport and visa pages. Passports typically return within two to four hours. Hotels charge 40-150 US dollars per night depending on security level and location. The Serena Hotel, built in 2005, remains the primary international-standard accommodation at approximately 150 dollars per night. The hotel operates behind blast walls and vehicle barriers. Taliban authorities conduct periodic inspections of guest rooms. The Intercontinental Hotel, built in 1969, operates at reduced capacity with rates around 100 dollars per night. Smaller guesthouses charging 40-60 dollars exist in Shahr-e Naw and Wazir Akbar Khan districts. Female travelers require male guardian present for check-in under current Taliban policy. International hotel booking platforms show limited Kabul inventory and confirmations do not guarantee room availability upon arrival.
Security briefings at hotels cover curfew times, restricted areas, dress requirements, photography prohibitions, and emergency procedures. Taliban authorities enforce an unofficial curfew from approximately 10 PM to 4 AM when vehicle movement draws additional scrutiny. Hotels lock main entrances at 9 PM. Guests requiring later entry must arrange with security staff. Armed guards at hotel gates check vehicles entering compounds. Most international-standard hotels maintain safe rooms in basements or interior spaces. Kabul experiences occasional explosions targeting Taliban facilities, though frequency decreased substantially after August 2021. The Islamic State Khorasan Province conducts sporadic attacks on Taliban checkpoints and Shia mosques. The most recent major attack on a hotel housing foreigners occurred at the Intercontinental in January 2018 under the previous government. Taliban security forces do not operate emergency response numbers accessible to foreigners.