A practical foreign exchange and currency guide to Afghanistan
What’s in this Afghanistan currency guide:
The official currency of Afghanistan is the Afghan Afghani, with symbol and currency code AFN.
The new afghani currency was announced by President Hamid Karzai on September 4, 2002, and was introduced to the market on October 8, 2002. This monetary reform was well received by the public as it was a sign of security and stability, especially the country's rebuilding effort. People also no longer had to carry many bags of money for ordinary things. It was the first time in many years that a sole currency was under the control of the central bank instead of warlords. Most old banknotes were destroyed by the end of 2002. Prior to the reissue, there were more than 15 trillion afghani in circulation after unrestrained printing under Taliban rule and during wars and occupation
Date | USD/AFN | Change | Period |
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06 May 2022 | 86.00 | 5.2% ▲ | 2 Week |
19 Feb 2022 | 91.90 | 1.5% ▼ | 3 Month |
20 May 2021 | 77.60 | 16.6% ▲ | 1 Year |
21 May 2017 | 68.03 | 33% ▲ | 5 Year |
22 May 2012 | 48.38 | 87.1% ▲ | 10 Year |
The below comparison table makes it easy to find the best exchange rates and lowest fees when you want to make a Transfer or Spend Afghan Afghani.
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Carry sufficient cash in US Dollars for your visit. Credit cards are not accepted. Some ATMs in Kabul dispense dollars as well as the local currency, Afghanis. Banks are closed on Fridays, but there are ATMs in various locations in Wazir Akbar Khan and elsewhere. ATMs are located at military camps, but unless you have an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) pass you will not be able to enter. Travellers’ cheques are not widely accepted and it can take a fortnight for them to clear.
In October 2003, Afghan Central Bank governor Anwar Ul-Haq Ahadi announced that Afghans should use their own Afghani currency in daily transactions rather than United States dollars or Pakistani rupees. This was in preparation for when all prices in the Afghan marketplace were to be specified in Afghani.
After depreciating during the last quarter of 2003/04, the Afghani has been appreciating steadily, gaining 8 percent against the U.S. dollar between end-March 2004 and end-July 2004. This appreciation, at a time of increasing inflation, appears to reflect a greater willingness by the population to use the Afghani as a medium of exchange and as a store of value.
This trend appears to be attributable to the relative stability of the exchange rate since the introduction of the new currency, administrative measures aimed at promoting its use, such as the requirement that shopkeepers must price goods in Afghani. Donors are increasingly making payments in Afghani instead of U.S. dollars and this appears to be widely accepted.