🇦🇫 Afghanistan
Kabul: what to see and whether to move there
Kabul sits in a mountain-ringed basin nearly 1,800 metres up in the Hindu Kush - an ancient Silk Road city where Mughal gardens meet bustling bazaars and millennia of layered history.
Bagh-e Babur
A 16th-century terraced Mughal garden holding Emperor Babur's tomb, with hillside views over the city.
National Museum of Afghanistan
Home to the Bactrian gold hoard and Buddhist artefacts that survived decades of war and looting.
Darul Aman Palace
An early-20th-century neoclassical palace, recently restored after nearly a century of ruin.
Id Gah Mosque
One of Kabul's oldest and largest mosques, the focal point of the city's Friday prayers.
Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque
A blue-and-white minareted mosque built in a style echoing early-20th-century European architecture.
Chicken Street
A historic shopping street famed since the 1960s for carpets, lapis lazuli, and antiques.
Mandawi Bazaar
The old city's main wholesale market - spices, dried fruit, and constant haggling.
Tepe Maranjan Hill
A viewpoint above the city near Kabul University, popular with locals at sunset.
Kabul Zoo
The country's oldest zoo, a resilient symbol of city life through decades of upheaval.
Sufi Restaurant
A well-known Afghan restaurant serving pilau and kebabs in a traditional setting.
What is happening in the country
Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan, a city at about 1,800 metres where, by various estimates, 4 to 5 million people live. Since August 2021 the country has been run by the Taliban movement. In July 2025 Russia became the first country to officially recognise these authorities; most other countries keep only working contacts with them.
The economy is weakened: international aid has shrunk, the banking system is cut off from most international payments, and settlements are made in cash and through informal transfers. In 2025 more than a million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan, adding pressure on the city. Women face severe restrictions on education, work and movement.
Is the city suitable for relocation: no. People come here on official duty, humanitarian work or family matters, with local support.
Who works in Kabul now
The city hosts UN agencies and humanitarian organisations, embassies and missions of a number of countries, including Russia, China, Turkey, Qatar, Iran, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, trading companies and investors in mining and infrastructure. Foreigners stay in guarded hotels and guesthouses, travel on agreed routes and under the control of their organisation's security service.
Practicalities: money, connectivity, climate
- Money. The afghani is relatively stable, but large payments are made in cash dollars. Foreign bank cards do not work.
- Connectivity. Mobile internet exists, but the authorities can restrict access: in 2025 the internet was shut down nationwide for several days.
- Climate. Sharply continental highland: cold snowy winters, dry hot summers; spring and autumn are best.
- Travel. Flights go from Kabul to Dubai, Istanbul and neighbouring countries; overland entry is from Uzbekistan via Termez.
- Healthcare. Hospitals are overloaded, medicines are short, and ordinary travel insurance does not apply.
Rules to know
- foreign women are advised to wear covering clothing and a headscarf, and local women may make many trips only with a male relative;
- photographing or filming government and military sites, or people without consent, is prohibited;
- music in public places and a number of entertainments are restricted;
- roadside document checks are common, so keep your passport and permits with you;
- attacks by radical groups are a threat, so crowded places and events are avoided.
If you have Afghan roots or family
The main issues are documents and property. Passports and ID cards are now issued by the current authorities, and some old records are lost. Property deals and inheritance go through local courts and registries, which are hard to navigate without relatives on site and a lawyer. Money is usually sent to family through informal transfer systems, which carries risks, so amounts and channels should be discussed in advance.
If a trip is still necessary
- get a visa through an Afghan embassy with an invitation from a host organisation or family;
- buy special insurance covering high-risk areas and evacuation;
- carry ample cash dollars, as cards do not work;
- agree housing, transport and routes in advance with your local host;
- inform your country's embassy of the trip and keep in touch with family.
What to see if you are already in the city
The Gardens of Babur with the tomb of the Mughal Empire's founder, the National Museum with what remains of collections that survived the wars, the restored Darul Aman Palace and the old trading streets with carpets and antiques are the main places shown to visitors. Visits are agreed with the host, and some places may be closed to foreign women.
Moving and alternatives in the region
Afghanistan has no residence programmes for foreigners in the usual sense: stay is tied to work with an organisation, diplomatic service or family. There are practically no international schools for children. Those who need a base near Afghanistan for work or to help family are usually better served by Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or the UAE, which have direct flights to Kabul.
Is the city worth considering for living
No. Kabul is a place for official trips with a security system or family visits with local support. Restrictions on rights, especially for women, the absence of international banking, weak healthcare and the risk of attacks make life here dangerous. We help choose a country to live in near the region and support the move; we fix our fee after a free consultation.
FAQ
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Relocation options
Looking for a country for a new life after Kabul?
We work out which residence permits and visas are realistic with your passport, prepare the documents and guide the application. The catalogue lists residence in every country.