Turkey has activated consular visa services in Herat, opening local applications for Afghan citizens seeking business, medical and student visas. Applicants can now start locally.
The consular section was formally activated at a ceremony marking the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye. The consulate had begun operating in the province around 10 months earlier.
Tezcan Kadıoğlu, the Turkish Consul General, said the three application categories must be filed through the authorized Sefa Visa Application Centre. The center accepts applications; it does not decide them.
Applicants must file through the authorized center
The reported charge is $220 per applicant, covering the visa, insurance and service costs. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry lists Sefa Visa Travel & Tours Agency as the only authorized center for Turkish visa applications in Afghanistan.
The Foreign Ministry also says Turkish diplomatic missions, rather than the application center, make visa decisions. Applicants should prepare different paperwork depending on the purpose of travel.
Each category calls for a different document package
Sefa Visa, the application center authorized by the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye, sets out these requirements. Passport validity is one shared condition: each category calls for a passport valid for at least 12 months.
Business visa: The category covers commercial meetings, business connections, contract negotiations and short-term commercial activities in Türkiye. Applicants need:
- A commercial invitation from Türkiye and commercial registration documents for the inviting company.
- A work and salary certificate, plus company partnership documents if applicable.
- A bank account statement and bank letter.
- Copies of previously obtained visas, if any.
- A valid residence permit for foreign nationals.
Education visa: Students applying to universities, high schools or official educational institutions in Türkiye need an acceptance letter from the institution. They must also provide:
- A graduation diploma or student certificate.
- A bank account statement and bank letter, as well as documents showing sufficient funds for the education period.
- Copies of previously obtained visas, if any, and a valid residence permit for foreign nationals.
- Parental consent if the applicant is under 18 years of age.
Health, or medical, visa: Applicants seeking health services in Türkiye need a medical report and an invitation from a health institution there. The file must also include a bank account statement and accommodation information.
Applicants under 18 must provide parental consent. The listed requirements also call for a passport valid for at least 12 months.
The consulate says it will pursue business ties
At the activation ceremony, Kadıoğlu said the consulate would continue efforts to expand bilateral relations, develop economic ties and create more investment opportunities in Afghanistan. He said the mission planned to facilitate travel to Türkiye for Afghan businesspeople.
He also announced plans to arrange visits by Turkish investors to explore the province’s economic potential and investment opportunities. Kadıoğlu described economic cooperation as a way to identify investment potential locally.
Local officials at the ceremony praised work by the consulate and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, known as TİKA, in cultural, educational, health and humanitarian fields. The gathering also included university professors and cultural figures.
Ankara maintains a presence without formal recognition
Turkey has kept an embassy in Kabul and consulates in Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Ankara describes its approach to the Taliban administration as practical engagement, while saying it has not formally recognized the administration.
Kadıoğlu’s announced investor visits would bring that economic outreach to the province, alongside the consulate’s newly activated application process.
