Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed that the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Canberra will cease operations on 30 June 2026. The joint statement with the embassy’s diplomatic staff, broadcast in SBS’s national news bulletin on 1 February, notes that neither Australia nor the exiled Afghan mission recognises the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The closure follows months of uncertainty after DFAT advised Ambassador Wahidullah Waissi late last year that his credentials would not be renewed.(sbs.com.au)
For the roughly 46,000 Afghanistan-born residents in Australia—and the thousands more here on temporary visas—the loss of an in-country mission has immediate practical consequences. Afghans will no longer be able to renew passports, obtain notarial services, or access routine consular support on Australian soil. Instead, they will need to send applications offshore or wait for the government to nominate a protecting-power embassy, a process that can add weeks to already lengthy processing times.
In the absence of a local Afghan mission, platforms like VisaHQ can step in to streamline paperwork. Through its Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/), VisaHQ offers real-time visa requirement checks, document apostille and translation services, and end-to-end application assistance—features that can save applicants considerable time and courier costs when consular options shrink.
![Afghan embassy in Canberra to close on 30 June 2026, raising consular and visa questions]()
Education agents and migration advisers say the move could also complicate student-visa compliance and subclass 449 Humanitarian visa pathways. Afghan nationals seeking to extend stays, replace lost travel documents or sponsor family members may face extra costs for document authentication and international courier services. Universities with large cohorts of Afghan students are already advising affected learners to renew passports before the June deadline and to keep certified copies on file.
From a policy perspective, the embassy’s closure underscores the Albanese government’s hard line on diplomatic recognition of the Taliban while maintaining a generous humanitarian intake. Immigration lawyers note that the decision will likely increase pressure on the Department of Home Affairs to introduce streamlined identity-verification alternatives—for example, expanded acceptance of biometric “ImmiCard” documents when passports cannot be re-issued.
Businesses with operations in both countries should prepare staff-mobility contingencies. Corporate mobility managers are being advised to update global-compliance trackers, revisit emergency-evacuation protocols and budget for additional lead-time on any travel or assignment involving Afghan nationals. While Canberra insists day-to-day visa processing for Afghans will continue, the practical hurdles are expected to grow once the mission shutters in mid-2026.
For the roughly 46,000 Afghanistan-born residents in Australia—and the thousands more here on temporary visas—the loss of an in-country mission has immediate practical consequences. Afghans will no longer be able to renew passports, obtain notarial services, or access routine consular support on Australian soil. Instead, they will need to send applications offshore or wait for the government to nominate a protecting-power embassy, a process that can add weeks to already lengthy processing times.
In the absence of a local Afghan mission, platforms like VisaHQ can step in to streamline paperwork. Through its Australian portal (https://www.visahq.com/australia/), VisaHQ offers real-time visa requirement checks, document apostille and translation services, and end-to-end application assistance—features that can save applicants considerable time and courier costs when consular options shrink.
Education agents and migration advisers say the move could also complicate student-visa compliance and subclass 449 Humanitarian visa pathways. Afghan nationals seeking to extend stays, replace lost travel documents or sponsor family members may face extra costs for document authentication and international courier services. Universities with large cohorts of Afghan students are already advising affected learners to renew passports before the June deadline and to keep certified copies on file.
From a policy perspective, the embassy’s closure underscores the Albanese government’s hard line on diplomatic recognition of the Taliban while maintaining a generous humanitarian intake. Immigration lawyers note that the decision will likely increase pressure on the Department of Home Affairs to introduce streamlined identity-verification alternatives—for example, expanded acceptance of biometric “ImmiCard” documents when passports cannot be re-issued.
Businesses with operations in both countries should prepare staff-mobility contingencies. Corporate mobility managers are being advised to update global-compliance trackers, revisit emergency-evacuation protocols and budget for additional lead-time on any travel or assignment involving Afghan nationals. While Canberra insists day-to-day visa processing for Afghans will continue, the practical hurdles are expected to grow once the mission shutters in mid-2026.
