Australians travelling to Afghanistan have been given a fresh — and grim — warning from authorities against travelling to the war-ravaged nation, with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) advising people that death is possible and to prepare a will beforehand.
DFAT's Smartraveller issued a new alert on Tuesday, issuing travel advice against travelling to the central Asian nation, due to the "dangerous and volatile" security risks and the potential for armed conflict to escalate without warning.
It said Australians had been kidnapped, arbitrarily detained and targeted by terrorist attacks in Afghanistan.
"If you go to Afghanistan against our advice, you're responsible for your own safety," the website said, adding that Australia did not have an embassy in the capital, Kabul, and consular support was severely limited.
"Understand that you could die and make a will before you go."
The advice is an escalation in language from previous warnings issued by Smartraveller.
In June, the site warned travellers not to travel to Afghanistan "due to the extremely dangerous security situation and the very high threat of terrorism and kidnapping".
"If, despite our advice, you travel to Afghanistan, there's a very high risk you could be the target of a terrorist attack or kidnapping. There are no guarantees for your safety in Afghanistan," it said.
Claims of a Afghanistan tourism surge
Despite warnings, travel vloggers have flocked to the central Asian nation, flooding social media with content showcasing the country's vast landscapes, rich history and renowned hospitality.
Since the withdrawal of United States troops in August 2021, Afghanistan's tourism industry has reportedly experienced a surge, with Taliban officials claiming 14,500 foreign tourists visited in the three years to December 2024.
The trend has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups, who argue the creators risk legitimising the Taliban regime, which was deemed by the United Nations in 2023 to be the "most repressive" government for girls and women.
Sydney-based tour guide Paris Hailwood, who runs women-only trips to Afghanistan, previously told SBS News that was important for people to form their own opinions about the country, noting she had been welcomed despite Australia's involvement in the US-led war.
"It's a country that we've heard so much about, and people really now have the opportunity to go and see it free of weapons and tanks and drones," she said.
Human Rights Watch researcher Fereshta Abbasi decried posts by influencers as "very harmful" and misrepresenting life for women under the Taliban.
"It's a very dark picture," she told SBS News.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Abbasi said Afghanistan likely had the worst women's rights record in the world.
Australian traveller Jess Davis also documented her trip to Afghanistan, describing it as "the most amazing time" and among her most favourite travel experiences.
But she also described the treatment of Afghan women as a "massive injustice" that was "seemingly ignored by the world".
"I experienced the same warm hospitality that dominates this region of the world from nearly everyone, and as tourism is being promoted by the Taliban, I also never doubted my safety," she wrote in a July 2025 post.
"It is however, extremely privileged visiting as a western woman as the experience and freedoms I had are completely different than the reality for locals."
DFAT has maintained a 'do not travel' advisory for Afghanistan for many years.
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