How to Get Afghanistan CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 5 years
- Language
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Asia
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in Afghanistan is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Afghanistan allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
- Residence
- 5 years
Person has been resident in Afghanistan for 5 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- No language requirement
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
No crime committed during his/her stay in Afghanistan.
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of Afghanistan is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Afghanistan allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person is the spouse of a citizen and the marriage was concluded in accordance with Islamic Sharia law.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of Afghanistan, the rules below set out how this route works. No authority decides this matter, since citizenship follows directly from the law of Afghanistan.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Afghanistan to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to two citizens. Or person is born abroad to a citizen and a non-citizen, and (1) one of the parents permanently resides in Afghanistan, or (2) the parents live outside Afghanistan and they select Afghan citizenship for the child by mutual consent.
Birth in the country
This route concerns people born in Afghanistan, and only in the situations described below. Afghanistan requires an application, after which citizenship must be granted if conditions are fulfilled.
Person is born in Afghanistan to foreign parents and intends to permanently live in Afghanistan after reaching the age of 18 years, unless citizenship of another country is acquired within 6 months after reaching the age of 18. Does not apply if parents are diplomats or work for an international organisation.
Child of a new citizen
This route covers children of a person who becomes a citizen of Afghanistan, subject to the conditions below.
Person is the minor child of parents who are acquiring citizenship, or one parent is acquiring citizenship and the child lives with him/her. Children who have reached the age of 18 years and live abroad can 'request' citizenship if both parents are acquiring citizenship.
Person is the minor child of a foreign widow(er), is living with that parent, and the parent is marrying a citizen and acquiring citizenship.
Person is the minor child of a foreign separated parent, is living with that parent in Afghanistan, and the parent is marrying a citizen and acquiring citizenship. If the child and parent do not reside in Afghanistan, the other separated parent must consent to the child acquiring citizenship.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
This route covers people who previously held citizenship of Afghanistan, subject to the conditions below. Afghanistan allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person is a former citizen and his/her request for reacquisition is approved by the Council of Ministers and signed by the president.
Stateless persons
Statelessness, or the risk of it, is the basis of this route in Afghanistan.
Otherwise stateless (born in country)
Person is found in Afghanistan and documents prove that the child cannot acquire the parents' citizenship.
Stateless persons
Person does not have citizenship of any country. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Stateless persons
Person does not have citizenship of any country and marries a citizen.
Not available in Afghanistan: Adoption, Other family members of citizens, Citizens of specific countries, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Special achievements, Public or military service, Investment. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Both groups can hold a second citizenship under the law of Afghanistan: new citizens, and citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Under the law of Afghanistan, 5 years applies, in line with the usual requirement across Southern Asia.
See how Afghanistan compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bangladesh | 5 years | None | Not accepted |
 Bhutan | 20 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 India | 11 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 Iran | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Nepal | No route | No route | Not accepted |
 Pakistan | 5 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 15.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Afghanistan Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/afghanistan/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/afghanistan/">How to Get Afghanistan Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become an Afghan citizen?
The residence period for ordinary naturalisation in Afghanistan is 5 years. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does Afghanistan allow dual citizenship?
Yes, in both directions: new citizens and citizens who naturalise abroad can hold another citizenship.
Do I need a language test for Afghan citizenship?
Afghanistan does not impose a language requirement for naturalisation.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Afghan citizenship?
Afghanistan does not require applicants to pass a civic knowledge test.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Afghan citizenship?
Afghanistan does not require you to give up your current citizenship for Afghan citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Afghanistan citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Afghanistan provides a marriage route. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Afghanistan citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of Afghanistan provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Afghanistan citizenship by investment?
The data shows no investment route for Afghanistan.
Related pages
Also see: Afghanistan passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.