Citizenship in Afghanistan is acquired in two ways

By birth:

• Children born anywhere with at least one parent being a citizen of Afghanistan;
• Children born in Afghanistan to foreign parents who permanently reside in Afghanistan and acquire Afghan citizenship upon reaching the age of majority if they have not chosen foreign citizenship within six months after reaching the age of eighteen;
• Children whose parents are unknown or whose parents are stateless or of unknown nationality.

Through naturalization

Foreigners and stateless persons can apply for Afghan citizenship through naturalization. The general requirements are that applicants are of legal age, have no criminal record in Afghanistan, and have lived in the country for at least five years. Individuals who may harm national security may be rejected. In addition, the citizenship law does not allow adopted children to acquire citizenship through their adoptive parents.

Acquisition of citizenship by a child

Suppose at the time of the child's birth, one of the parents has citizenship of Afghanistan, and the other has citizenship of another country. In that case, the child is considered a citizen of Afghanistan under the following conditions:

• If the child was born in the territory of Afghanistan
• If the child was born outside the territory of Afghanistan, but one of their parents permanently resides in Afghanistan.
• If the child is born outside the territory of Afghanistan and the parents also live outside the territory of Afghanistan, and the parents choose Afghan citizenship for the child by mutual consent.
• Children under 18 of those parents who accept Afghan citizenship also become Afghan citizens.
• Children over 18 living outside of Afghanistan whose parents have acquired Afghan citizenship may apply for Afghan citizenship and be granted citizenship.

If a foreigner marries an Afghan citizen under Islamic Sharia law, their Afghan citizenship can be approved without a review after forwarding an application for Afghan citizenship.

Anyone who renounces Afghan citizenship must sell his real estate within the country. If he does not sell his property within one year of the approval of their request to renounce their citizenship, their property and assets will be sold and the money will be paid to them.

An Afghan citizen who has illegally acquired foreign citizenship does not lose his Afghan nationality but cannot benefit from the privilege of non-extradition to a foreign state and under the protection of Afghanistan.