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Afghanistan · Safety report last updated
As of October 2026, Kabul scores 17/100 on the IsMyTripSafe composite safety index — verdict: elevated risk — reconsider. No. Kabul remains extremely unsafe for independent travelers due to terrorism, crime, and lack of consular support. The main risks for visitors are pickpocketing (high risk) and robbery (high risk). The U.S. State Department rates it Level 4 (Do Not Travel).
Safety Report
IsMyTripSafe.com
Afghanistan · Assessed 11 October 2026
17
/ 100
Safer than ~5% of countries
Score capped at 20 — Level 4 advisory — "Do Not Travel". No other indicator can raise the score above this.
What drives this score
01 · Official Guidance
Do Not Travel
“Do not traveldue to civil unrest, crime, terrorism, risk of wrongful detention, kidnapping, natural disasters, and limited health facilities. Do not travel to Afghanistan for any reason We urge American citizens in Afghanistan to leave immediately.”
Updated Fri, 20 Feb 2026
Full advisory →Advises against all travel
“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). FCDO advises against all travel to Afghanistan You should not travel to Afghanistan.”
Updated 2026-10-07T10:23:54Z
Full advisory →Avoid all travel
“Canada's official risk level for Afghanistan: avoid all travel.”
Updated 2026-09-24T08:53:35.8663187-04:00
Full advisory →02 · Evidence Signals
Urban scale factor
City SignalCity Geocoding
Homicide rate
Robbery / mugging
HighArmed robbery and mugging occur, particularly at night and in less-patrolled areas; foreigners are targeted for kidnapping and extortion.
Pickpocketing
HighPickpocketing and bag-snatching are widespread in crowded areas like public buses, bazaars, and narrow alleyways.
03 · Environment
04 · Institutions
05 · Field Research
Traveller sentiment score
Mostly negative
33/100
Travelers report feeling unsafe due to crime, terrorism, and lack of consular support, with independent travel strongly discouraged.
No. Kabul remains extremely unsafe for independent travelers due to terrorism, crime, and lack of consular support.
Kabul faces persistent threats from ISIS-K attacks, armed robbery, and kidnapping targeting foreigners, with crime concentrated in less-patrolled areas and crowded markets. The city's safety is further undermined by weak institutions, arbitrary detention risks, and no functional foreign embassies for emergency assistance.
Recent developments
Common scams
Full briefing
Kabul remains at extreme risk for travelers, with ISIS-K maintaining active attack operations in the city and surrounding provinces as of mid-2026. The Taliban’s control has stabilized territorial authority but introduced severe restrictions on movement and expression, increasing risks of arbitrary detention, especially for foreigners. Crime persists, particularly armed robbery and pickpocketing in crowded bazaars, public transport, and less-patrolled neighborhoods like Karte Parwan and Karte Char, while areas such as Wazir Akbar Khan offer relatively more security due to historical monitoring. Recent incidents underscore the volatility: October 2026 saw rising local crime concerns and civilian casualties from Pakistani airstrikes, while August 2026 included Taliban-led killings over alleged robbery and June 2026 featured violent responses to women’s dress-code protests. Travelers face high risks of kidnapping, extortion, and scams, including taxi overcharging, fake attraction fees, and online fraud. Independent travel is strongly discouraged; those who go should use vetted operators with real-time security, avoid night movement, confirm prices in writing, and never carry valuables openly. Consular assistance is effectively unavailable, with no embassies providing routine services inside Afghanistan.
Was this Kabul, Afghanistan report helpful?
06 · Neighbourhoods
Our field research rated 8 Kabul districts for visitors, 5 needing caution and 3 best avoided. See them plotted on the Kabul safety map.
Karte ParwanavoidKnown for higher crime rates, less security presence, and frequent ISIS-K activity; avoid at all times.
Karte CharavoidHigh-risk neighborhood with elevated terrorism and robbery incidents; foreigners targeted.
City Wall area (near traditional residential zones)avoidConservative locals may view outsiders with suspicion; children throw stones or set dogs on strangers; robbery risk high.
Wazir Akbar KhancautionFormer diplomatic quarter with better security presence but still subject to terrorism and kidnapping risks.
Shahr-e NawcautionCommercial area with improved daytime safety but pickpocketing and scams target foreigners, especially after dark.
Bamiyan Road corridorcautionMain artery with checkpoints and Taliban patrols; generally monitored but vulnerable to ambushes and IEDs.
Kabul International Airport vicinitycautionHeavily secured but targeted for terrorist attacks and kidnappings; remain vigilant during transit.
Shar-e Naw (eastern markets)cautionCrowded bazaars where pickpocketing and bag-snatching are widespread; avoid displaying valuables.
07 · After Dark
Armed robbery and mugging occur, particularly at night and in less-patrolled areas; foreigners are targeted for kidnapping and extortion.
After dark, be most careful around Karte Parwan, Karte Char, City Wall area (near traditional residential zones), Wazir Akbar Khan. Stick to busy, well-lit streets and licensed taxis or ride-hail late at night.
08 · Questions
No. Kabul remains extremely unsafe for independent travelers due to terrorism, crime, and lack of consular support. Kabul faces persistent threats from ISIS-K attacks, armed robbery, and kidnapping targeting foreigners, with crime concentrated in less-patrolled areas and crowded markets. The city's safety is further undermined by weak institutions, arbitrary detention risks, and no functional foreign embassies for emergency assistance. (Assessed 11 October 2026.)
Safety is not one number, and this Kabul report does not pretend it is: the score is re-weighted for who is travelling. A woman travelling alone, a family with children and a solo backpacker face different street-level risks, so the headline score shifts and the report leads with the findings that matter for that group. Personalize this report in one click to see the 2026 score and safety briefing for your specific travellers.
Field research flags Karte Parwan, Karte Char, City Wall area (near traditional residential zones) as best avoided. See the district-by-district safety map.
Kabul ranks #5 of 5 Afghanistan destinations we've assessed, scoring 17/100. See the Afghanistan safety overview for the full list.
The score blends 14+ public data sources — government advisories, UNODC/World Bank crime statistics, FBI crime data for U.S. cities, WHO health data, live air quality and disaster alerts — with AI field research over current local reporting. The databases carry the bulk of the weight; the traveller-sentiment score from field research carries the rest. Full methodology.
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Raw data: kabul.json (CC BY 4.0).
