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ISLAMABAD: Five years after the Taliban regained power, the global outlook on Afghanistan remains grim. On Tuesday, the Australian government became the latest to make this clear, as its Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced that no area in the country, including Kabul, is considered safe. As a result, it renewed its highest-level travel ban for its citizens. Australians, the department said, have been injured, killed and arbitrarily detained, and the government&#39;s ability to help them is severely limited because it has no embassy in the capital. Australia&#39;s warning is not an outlier. It is the newest entry in a list of more than 30 governments, spanning North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, that have placed Afghanistan under their strictest possible travel designation, according to a review of national advisories. What once might have read as a patchwork of cautious diplomatic language now amounts to something closer to consensus. By 2026, the world&#39;s major foreign ministries agree that Afghanistan is not a place their citizens should enter for any reason. The United States set the tone years ago with its Level 4: Do Not Travel rating, the State Department&#39;s most severe classification, citing wrongful detention, kidnapping and terrorism, and noting it has no way to extract citizens in an emergency. Britain&#39;s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office goes further on the financial side, warning that travel insurance is automatically voided the moment a traveler crosses the border. Canada cites arbitrary arrest by Taliban authorities while New Zealand warns explicitly of kidnapping for ransom. Not merely travel advisoriesWhat distinguishes 2026 from earlier years is how far some governments have gone in turning advisory language into enforceable law. South Korea does not merely discourage travel; it bans it. Under Article 17 of the country&#39;s Passport Act, South Korean citizens who enter Afghanistan without prior ministerial approval risk prosecution, fines or the revocation of their passports, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That a sovereign government would criminalize travel to a single country says as much about Afghanistan&#39;s status as any advisory bulletin. The reasoning offered by European governments converges on similar themes. France tracks its citizens through a dedicated evacuation portal. Germany warns dual nationals they may face exit bans once inside the country. Spain points to the systematic denial of visas to journalists. Italy says its own consular operations have effectively shut down. Switzerland describes the absence of any functioning rule of law. Each ministry has framed the danger slightly differently, but the conclusion is identical: do not go. The restrictions extend past Afghanistan&#39;s borders. Uzbekistan had sealed its crossing entirely for four years before reopening it for trade in 2025, subject to strict screening, according to the Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Tajikistan&#39;s frontier remains highly volatile, heavily militarized, and only partially open for commercial transit and approved travelers. Official policy focuses on securing the 1,300 km border, regulating official checkpoints such as Panji Poyon, and countering cross-border militancy and drug smuggling, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan. Turkmenistan requires a special government permit just to approach its border zone, with strict restrictions under the 50-kilometer &quot;Border Zone Permit&quot; system, according to the Turkmenistan embassy in T&uuml;rkiye. &nbsp; Public health adds another layer. Turkiye requires proof of polio vaccination from anyone transiting Afghanistan, while Spain and Germany mandate boosters for longer stays. Canada and New Zealand warn that rabies treatment is unavailable there. Taken together, the advisories describe something more than risk. They describe a country that, five years on, much of the world has effectively written off as unreachable. Australia&#39;s update this week is simply the latest government to say so out loud.

A Taliban security personnel frisks Afghans along a road in Kandahar on June 26, 2026. (AFP)

Afghanistan

Australia warns Afghanistan is entirely unsafe and renews top travel ban as global governments maintain highest-level advisories, citing violence, kidnappings, detentions, collapsed services, border closures, and lack of consular protection.

Australia joins countries warning against Afghanistan travel as global advisories rise

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has advised its citizens to avoid all unnecessary travel to Iran until the security situation improves, according to a travel advisory issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. The advisory stated that the decision was made in light of the prevailing security conditions, urging Pakistani nationals to prioritize their safety and security. Pakistanis currently residing in Iran have been asked to exercise extreme caution, remain vigilant and limit non-essential movement. The advisory also urged them to stay in regular contact with Pakistani diplomatic missions in the country.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 827px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2009859476799860748&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin&sessionId=b8b0cc8bf1f1a9c6f67f50a90d2278f34b08635e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>The Foreign Office shared the contact details of the Embassy of Pakistan in Tehran and its consular offices in Zahidan and Mashhad to facilitate its citizens in case of emergencies.&nbsp;The advisory said Pakistani missions in Iran remain available to provide assistance and support to nationals as required. Citizens were advised to closely follow official updates and comply with local laws and security guidelines while in Iran. Protests in IranThe advisory comes after reports of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/new-protests-erupt-in-iran-despite-internet-shutdown" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">countrywide protests in the neighboring country</a>, with authorities blocking the internet as part of a crackdown that has left dozens dead. On Friday, US President Donald Trump said it looked like Iran&#39;s leaders were &ldquo;in big trouble&rdquo; and repeated an earlier threat of military strikes if peaceful protesters are killed.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;">&ldquo;It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,&rdquo; Trump said.

Culture

Urges Pakistani nationals to prioritize their safety and security.

Articles tagged with "travel advisory"

Australia joins countries warning against Afghanistan travel as global advisories rise

Pakistan advises citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Iran

Australia joins countries warning against Afghanistan travel as global advisories rise