eSIM for Afghanistan 
Viasimo's Afghanistan eSIM starts at $3.00 for 1 GB over 7 days, running on Roshan with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 3 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.
Works everywhere in Afghanistan
- Badakhshan
- Badghis
- Baghlan
- Balkh
- Bamyan
- Daykundi
- Farah
Duration
Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1
$12.99
Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now
Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.
Not sure it works on your phone? Check compatibilityWhich networks does the Afghanistan eSIM use?
Host networks: Roshan
Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.
- Data
- 1 GB – 20 GB or unlimited
- Validity
- 3–180 days
- Speed
- 4G LTE
- Hotspot / tethering
- Supported on most devices
- Activation
- Starts when you first connect in your destination
- Speed management
- Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
- Top-ups
- Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
- Text messages (SMS)
- Data only: use an app for verification codes
- Connects via
- United Kingdom
- Unused validity
- 180 days before it must be installed
How much data do you need?
The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.
| You are | Plan for | Cheapest plan that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup | About 1 GB a week | $3.001 GB, 7 days |
| TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing | About 3 to 7 GB a week | $12.995 GB, 30 days |
| HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads | 10 GB a week or more | $20.9910 GB, 30 days |
| Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync | 20 GB a week or more | $27.99Unlimited, 7 days |
eSIM, local SIM or roaming?
Charged per day
Your carrier roaming
Queue and plastic
A SIM at the airport
$3.00
Viasimo, one bundle
Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.
Important to know
- This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
- Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
- Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
- Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
- The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
- Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy
Frequently asked questions
Does an eSIM work in Afghanistan?
Yes. Your Afghanistan eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Roshan. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Afghanistan yet.
Do I get 5G in Afghanistan?
No. Roshan do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Afghanistan, so your eSIM connects over 4G LTE or slower. Anyone claiming 5G for this destination is quoting a spec sheet, not the network you will actually get.
Is the internet working in Afghanistan right now?
Service returned on 1 October 2025 after a 48-hour nationwide shutdown, and mobile data generally works in cities. However, fibre internet has been cut in a number of provinces since September 2025, and the authorities have shown they can switch off connectivity at short notice. Check recent news before travelling and treat any connection as something that could disappear.
Does Roshan have signal in every province of Afghanistan?
Roshan says it operates in all 34 provinces and covers about 91 percent of the population, which makes it the widest network in the country. That still leaves big gaps in mountains, deserts and remote valleys where few people live. Its 4G is concentrated in cities, and away from them you will often drop to slower 3G or lose signal completely.
Is there 5G in Afghanistan?
No. Afghanistan has no 5G network. Roshan and Afghan Wireless run 4G LTE, mostly in and around the larger cities, with 3G and 2G elsewhere. Expect data that is fine for messaging, maps and email, but not dependable for long video calls or large uploads.
Can I pay by card or phone in Afghanistan?
Mostly not. Afghanistan is a cash economy, and very few businesses accept cards, often with a large surcharge. ATMs that accept foreign cards are often out of order. Carry enough afghanis or US dollars for your trip, and don't plan on contactless or app-based payments being available.
Do foreigners need to register on arrival at Kabul airport?
Yes. According to the US State Department, foreign nationals arriving at Kabul International Airport must register with the Ministry of Interior's Foreigners' Registration Office located in the airport. Keep your passport, visa and accommodation details to hand, ideally saved offline on your phone as well as on paper.
How much data do I need for 7 days in Afghanistan?
For 7 days in Afghanistan, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $3.00 and unlimited data for $27.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.
Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →
Afghanistan: what to know before you land
In Afghanistan, mobile data on Roshan's 4G is often the only connection you can count on, because the authorities have cut fixed fibre internet in several provinces and, in late September 2025, shut down the whole country for two days. Plan for cash payments, patchy rural signal and the possibility of sudden outages before you travel.
- Emergency
-
- 119 police
- Plugs
- CF 230V
- Currency
- Afghan afghani (AFN)
Main airports
- KBL Kabul International Airport
The 2025 fibre ban and the 48-hour nationwide blackout
From mid-September 2025 the authorities began cutting fibre-optic internet, starting in Balkh and spreading to provinces including Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Takhar and Nangarhar, while Herat saw nightly cut-offs. According to Georgia Tech's IODA monitoring, mobile networks kept working during that first phase, just slower and dearer.
Then, on 29 September 2025, connectivity across the whole country collapsed to around one percent of normal levels. Mobile and fixed internet both went dark, and airports, banks and businesses were disrupted until service returned on 1 October.
What this means for you:
- Hotel and office wifi may simply not exist where fibre has been cut, so mobile data becomes your main link rather than a backup.
- Outages can be imposed with no warning. Agree a check-in schedule with someone at home, and a plan for what they should do if you go silent.
- Keep essential documents offline: flight details, visa paperwork, contacts and addresses.
Roshan and Afghanistan's other mobile operators
Five operators share roughly 22 million mobile connections: Roshan, Etisalat Afghanistan, Afghan Wireless (AWCC), the former MTN Afghanistan (now moving to the ATOMA name after MTN Group's exit) and the state-owned Salaam network of Afghan Telecom.
Roshan is the largest, with an estimated 35 to 45 percent of the market. It says it serves all 34 provinces and reaches about 91 percent of the population. Note that population coverage is not land coverage: people cluster in cities and river valleys, so large mountainous and desert areas still have no signal at all.
Roshan and Afghan Wireless both run 4G LTE, and there is no 5G in the country. Your eSIM connects to Roshan, so whatever coverage Roshan has in a given district is what you will get. If a local contact tells you another network works better in their village, believe them, and arrange to borrow a phone or wifi there rather than expecting your eSIM to switch.
Arriving at Kabul International Airport (KBL)
Kabul International Airport is the main entry point for foreign visitors. The US State Department notes that foreigners arriving there must register with the Ministry of Interior's Foreigners' Registration Office inside the airport, so expect a desk stop after immigration. Have your accommodation address and a local contact's number written down on paper as well as on your phone, in case you are asked for them.
Don't count on airport wifi. Switch the eSIM on once you are through, give it a minute to attach to Roshan, and send your arrival message straight away while signal near the city is at its best.
Money is a bigger practical issue than data. Afghanistan runs on cash in afghanis (with US dollars widely used for larger sums). Few places accept cards, and those that do often add a hefty fee. ATMs that take foreign cards exist but are frequently out of order. Bring enough cash, and be aware of reported limits on how many dollars you can take out of the country when you leave.
Backup communications beyond Kabul and the cities
Both the UK and US governments advise against all travel to Afghanistan. If you go anyway, a phone with an eSIM should be one part of your communications plan, not all of it.
The State Department describes large parts of the country as very isolated, with unreliable mobile coverage outside urban areas, and recommends carrying a satellite phone or handheld radio plus a vehicle or personal tracking device. That advice makes sense for any road journey between provinces, where a single blackout or a stretch of mountain road can leave you out of contact for hours.
There is no British Embassy in Afghanistan, and UK nationals cannot get in-person consular help. The FCDO's 24-hour line is +44 20 7008 5000. Save it, and your own country's equivalent, as a plain contact rather than a web link, because the number will still work over a basic voice call on your home SIM when data does not.
Researched October 2026 · 5 sources
- ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu Taliban expands moral crackdown from localized internet shutdowns to nationwide shutdown (IODA, Georgia Tech)
- cadeproject.org Internet restored in Afghanistan after 48-hour shutdown (CADE Project)
- operatorwatch.com Afghanistan's telecom market (Operator Watch, April 2026)
- travel.state.gov Afghanistan International Travel Information (US State Department)
- gov.uk Afghanistan travel advice (GOV.UK)
If you must travel to Afghanistan: arrival, staying connected and keeping in touch
The UK and US both advise against all travel to Afghanistan, so this is not a holiday route. It is a three-day checklist for people who must go: registering at Kabul airport, getting the eSIM working, and setting up a check-in plan that survives outages.
Not a holiday plan. Official UK travel advice warns against travel here, so this covers arriving, staying in touch and staying reachable. Check the latest advice before you go.
When to go There is no safe season to visit: the FCDO advises against all travel to the whole country, including on organised tours, and winter snow closes mountain roads such as the Salang Pass for days at a time.
-
Day 1 Home
Before you fly: paperwork, cash and a contact plan
Confirm your Afghan visa is one that will be accepted on arrival, since some issued abroad are not. Install the eSIM and save the FCDO 24-hour number (+44 20 7008 5000) as a plain contact. Write your accommodation address and your local contact's number on paper. Withdraw enough US dollars for the whole stay, because cards are rarely accepted and ATMs often fail. Agree check-in times with someone at home and what they should do if you miss two in a row.
Signal Your home network works normally. Download offline maps of Kabul and any province you must visit now, because you cannot rely on downloading them once you arrive.
-
Day 2 Kabul
Kabul International Airport: fingerprints and registration
International flights land at Kabul (KBL); check which carriers are operating close to departure, as schedules change at short notice.
After immigration and fingerprinting, go to the Ministry of Interior's Foreigners' Registration Office inside the airport and collect your registration card; you hand it back when you leave, and skipping this can mean fines or problems departing. If the office is shut, staff arrange transport to the registration office in the city. Keep your passport, visa and address together. Do not photograph the airport, ministries, checkpoints or anyone in uniform. Travel straight to your accommodation by pre-arranged transport.
Signal Switch the eSIM on once through immigration and let it attach to Roshan's 4G, which is strongest in and around Kabul. Send your arrival message straight away rather than waiting for airport wifi.
-
Day 3 Kabul
Working in Kabul: routines that survive a blackout
Keep to the check-in schedule you agreed, and send a short message before any move between districts. Do not assume your accommodation has fixed broadband, since fibre broadband has been banned or restricted in several provinces since 2025. If you must go beyond Kabul, travel only by daylight with trusted local contacts, share the route in advance, and carry a satellite phone or tracker as the US government recommends. Women should expect to be escorted by a male relative and dress conservatively.
Signal Roshan 4G is usable for messaging and email in Kabul, but there is no 5G anywhere and connectivity can be switched off nationally, as happened for 48 hours in September 2025. Between cities, mountain roads have long stretches with no signal.
Staying connected on this route
- Treat mobile data as your main link, not a backup: hotel or office wifi may not exist where fibre broadband is restricted.
- Agree with someone at home what a missed check-in means, so a national shutdown does not trigger panic or, worse, no response.
- Keep your home SIM in the phone with data off, so plain voice calls and SMS to the FCDO line can still get through when data does not.
- Carry a satellite phone or personal tracker for any road journey between provinces.
Itinerary sources · 3
- gov.uk Afghanistan travel advice (GOV.UK)
- travel.state.gov Afghanistan International Travel Information (US State Department)
- ioda.inetintel.cc.gatech.edu Taliban expands moral crackdown to nationwide shutdown (IODA, Georgia Tech)
Information and verification
Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.
- Prices and plans
- Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in.
- Host networks
- The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.
Afghanistan eSIM prices
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $12.99 | $4.33/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $20.99 | $4.20/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $37.99 | $3.80/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $55.99 | $3.73/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 3 GBBest value | $8.00 | $0.27/day |
| 5 GB | $12.99 | $0.43/day |
| 10 GB | $20.99 | $0.70/day |
| 20 GB | $39.99 | $1.33/day |
| Unlimited | $104.99 | $3.50/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $204.99 | $3.42/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $309.99 | $3.44/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $609.99 | $3.39/day |
Destinations
