Relocation intelligence
🇦🇫 Moving to Afghanistan: tax, residency and cost of living
Afghanistan levies a low progressive wage tax: 0% up to AFN 60,000, 2% to AFN 150,000, 10% to AFN 1.2 million and 20% above. There is no national social-security scheme, so the effective burden on an income worth roughly EUR 54,000 is around 17%. Corporate tax is 20% and there is no VAT but a Business Receipts Tax (BRT). Since the Taliban takeover in 2021 the country has been internationally isolated, the economy is under severe strain and strict restrictions apply, particularly for women.
Thinking of moving to Afghanistan? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.
Key facts
- Top income tax
- 20%
- Corporate tax
- 20%
- Capital gains
- 20%
- Wealth tax
- No
- Inheritance tax
- No
- Cost of living index
- 28
- Safety
- 2/10
- Internet quality
- 2/10
- Visa-free destinations
- 26
- Foreigners can own property
- No
- Residency in
- 6 months
- Citizenship in
- 5 years
Taxes
Progressive wage tax 0% to 20%, no national social security, effectively around 17% at EUR 54,000. Corporate tax 20%, no VAT but a Business Receipts Tax.
Residency and visas
Formal residence routes for Westerners are scarce, and settling is in practice almost impossible due to the security situation and Taliban rule.
Property ownership
Land ownership for foreigners is heavily restricted and registers are weak. Moving capital is very difficult due to isolation and sanctions.
Cost of living and quality of life
Afghanistan is insecure, poor and internationally isolated, with strict restrictions on women and weak healthcare. Travel is strongly advised against.
Passport and mobility
The Afghan passport is the weakest in the world, with visa-free access to about 26 destinations. International air links are very limited.
Why people move to Afghanistan
Low wage tax without social contributions
Wage tax rises to 20% and there is no national social-security scheme, keeping the nominal burden low.
Low costs and strategic location
The cost of living is very low and the country sits at a crossroads between Central and South Asia with mineral wealth.
Honest trade-offs
- Sinds de machtsovername door de Taliban in 2021 is Afghanistan internationaal geisoleerd, met zware economische druk en strenge beperkingen, met name voor vrouwen en meisjes.
- Het Afghaanse paspoort is het zwakste ter wereld en internationale luchtverbindingen en betaalmogelijkheden zijn zeer beperkt.
- De veiligheidssituatie is slecht en de meeste overheden adviseren niet naar het land te reizen; formele verblijfsroutes voor westerlingen ontbreken vrijwel.
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