Embassy of the United States Kabul, Afghanistan

OBTAINING A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY IN KABUL:

In order to do business in Afghanistan, both local and foreign investors must apply for and receive a license from the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA), in addition to later applying for and receiving any applicable business license(s) from other governmental entities, such as the Ministry of Commerce.  Before U.S.-based investors can apply for the AISA license, they are required to receive a “Letter of Introduction” from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, which is issued by the Economic and Commercial Section of the Embassy.

For us to issue a letter on your behalf, please e-mail us a request for a Letter of Introduction that includes as attachments scanned copies of the following documentation:
(1) Your company’s articles of incorporation in the United States;
(2) A document showing your federal taxpayer identification number;
(3) A 2-3 sentence description of your proposed business activities in Afghanistan; and,
(4) A copy of the identification page of the passport(s) of the principals of the Afghanistan business.
--  You will need to show us the link between the principals whose passport information you are providing and the company, by way of the company’s articles of incorporation or other documentation.

Please make sure that your letter to us includes your name(s), address in Afghanistan, a telephone number where you can be reached, and a current e-mail address (so we can advise you when your letter is ready for pickup at the Embassy).  Letters of Introduction can usually be obtained within 10 business days of the date all of the required information is received.  Our e-mail address is KabulEcon@state.gov.

If you have questions, please e-mail us at KabulEcon@state.gov.  The telephone number of the Economic Section is [93] (0)700-108-001; however, e-mailed questions may well receive a quicker response, as your question will be routed to someone who can assist, if the primary point of contact is away from the office.

Please note that the Embassy’s regular workweek is Saturday – Thursday from 8:15 AM – 5:00 PM (although we are usually in the office longer than that).  Kabul is 9½ hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States, or 8½ hours ahead of Eastern Daylight (summer) Time in the United States.