Black Market for Visas Emerges: Afghans Paying $200-300

A black market for foreign visas has emerged in Afghanistan. According to lenta.ru, a Kabul resident named Mohamad Harun reported that he holds a Pakistani visa but was denied entry into Pakistan when he attempted to cross the Afghan-Pakistani border. Such 'passes' can be acquired for $200-300.

Shafi Samimi, the director of one of the tourist companies in Kabul, stated, "The official price for a visa in Tajikistan is $60, but on the black market, it is sold for $350-400. In Uzbekistan, the cost of visas can reach $1350."

To eliminate the black market, Afghans are calling on foreign countries to reopen their embassies.