Sarai Shahzada does not look like a financial institution. It looks like a courtyard off a Kabul side street, packed with men sitting behind stacks of banknotes, shouting rates at each other across the crowd, phones in both hands.
It is, however, exactly that — the exchange that sets the rate for the country. Watch for a minute and the apparent chaos resolves into something quite orderly: everyone knows the price, everyone knows everyone, and a deal takes about forty seconds.
Understanding money is the part of an Afghan trip that most rewards preparation. Get it right before you fly and the rest of the trip is easy.
Can you use credit cards or ATMs in Afghanistan?
No. Assume cards do not work anywhere and plan to pay for everything in cash.
Afghanistan has been outside the international banking system since 2021 — cut off from SWIFT, with foreign reserves frozen. Visa and Mastercard do not process here. A handful of ATMs exist in Kabul, but they are unreliable, frequently empty, and not something any trip should depend on.
This is not a temporary outage to wait out. It is simply how the country works right now, and travellers who arrive prepared find it a non-issue.
How much cash should you bring?
Enough for the entire trip, plus a real margin. There is no topping up.
If your tour is paid in advance by bank transfer — which is how we and most operators handle it — your cash is only for personal spending: meals outside the itinerary, souvenirs, tips, tea, entry fees. Most travellers find 30 to 60 US dollars a day covers that comfortably, and a lot of people spend less.
Independent travellers need to budget for everything: accommodation, transport, guides, permits, food. That is a very different number, and it is worth working out carefully before you leave.
Bring more than you think. Being the person with a spare hundred dollars is a small comfort. Being the person who has run out, four days from anywhere, is not.
Why your banknotes have to be perfect
This catches almost everyone, and it is the most important practical thing on this page.
Afghan money changers will refuse US dollars that are torn, marked, taped, heavily creased or old. Not haggle over — refuse. A note with pen on it is worth nothing here.
What to ask your bank for:
- New, uncirculated bills, ideally still in a bank strap
- Series 2013 or later — the newer designs are strongly preferred and older ones may be turned down or discounted
- No tears, no ink, no tape, no soft corners
- A mix of denominations: hundreds get the best rate, but you need twenties, tens and fives for daily spending
Order these a couple of weeks ahead. Most banks need notice to supply clean, new notes, and turning up the day before your flight rarely works.
Euros are exchangeable too, though dollars are the default and get better rates almost everywhere.
How to carry it
- Split the money across at least three places — on your person, in your day bag, in your luggage.
- A money belt for the bulk, a small wallet with a day's spending for actual use.
- Keep dollars flat in an envelope or plastic sleeve. Notes crumpled in a pocket for a fortnight will be rejected when you try to change them.
- Declare what you are carrying if asked at customs, and know the current limits before you fly.
Changing money on the ground
The local currency is the afghani (AFN), in notes of 10 up to 1,000. Prices in markets are quoted in afghanis; tour operators and hotels often quote in dollars.
Money changers rather than banks are how it is done, and they are entirely normal, established businesses. In Kabul, Sarai Shahzada sets the rate. Every other city has its own exchange bazaar.
A few habits worth keeping:
- Change in modest amounts as you go, not everything on day one.
- Agree the rate before handing anything over.
- Count what you receive, in front of them, before you walk away. Nobody is offended by this — they will do the same.
- Go with your guide the first time. Watching it done once is enough.
- Keep a stock of small notes. Nobody at a bolani cart can break a thousand.
Is carrying that much cash safe?
More than most people expect. Petty theft against foreigners is uncommon, and travellers routinely move around Afghanistan carrying a trip's worth of dollars without incident.
Ordinary sense still applies: do not count money in public, do not open the main stash in a market, and use the hotel safe where there is one. On a guided trip your guide will steer you away from anywhere that warrants worry in the first place.
The short version
- Bring every dollar you will need, in new, clean, undamaged notes, 2013 series or later.
- Assume no cards, no ATMs, no wire transfers once you land.
- Change money in small amounts through a proper exchange, with your guide the first time.
- Keep small denominations for daily life.
Handled in advance, this is a thirty-minute errand at your bank. Handled on arrival, it is the one thing that can genuinely constrain a trip.
If you would rather not carry the whole budget yourself, our tours are settled by transfer before you arrive, which leaves you only pocket money to think about. Ask us and we will tell you what to bring for the trip you are actually taking.