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本文由律咖网社群读者 NanDouXingJun 投稿分享。
为了方便大家阅读，律咖网编辑 JingJing（微信：lvga2015）对原文进行了细致的逻辑润色与合规性整理。希望能给正在 阿富汗 创业路上的你带来真实的参考。

I didn’t come to Kabul to apply for a payment license.
I came because my electric SUVs — small batch, no branding, just white boxes with Chinese charging ports — were sitting in a warehouse in Herat, and someone said, “Maybe if you register locally, people will trust them more.”

So I did.

Three months later, I still don’t know if I’m closer to a license.
But I know what I wasted: time.

The Background: Why Payment Licenses Even Matter Here

In Kabul, cash still rules. But the ones who are trying to move — telecoms, fintech startups, even some NGOs — they’re all whispering about “digital wallets,” “mobile money,” “payment gateways.”

I thought: if I can get a local payment license, I could integrate my chargers with local platforms. Maybe even let users pay via MTN or Etisalat.

Turns out, no one actually has a clear map.

There’s no Ministry of Digital Finance. No public portal. No checklist. Just a few guys in offices near Deh Afghanan, wearing suits that cost more than my entire inventory.

I asked one guy: “What’s the legal framework for payment service providers?”
He handed me a 2018 draft regulation. Printed. On A4. No stamp. No signature.

I took it.

The Variables: What Actually Changes When You Try

Here’s what I learned from talking to five people who claimed to “know the process”:

  1. You need a local sponsor. Not just a partner. A sponsor. Someone with a registered company, a bank account, and a visa history.

    • I tried using my Afghan translator’s company. He said yes. Then he said, “My lawyer says you need a commercial license first.”
    • Then he said, “Actually, the Central Bank doesn’t even accept foreign-owned entities for this.”
    • Then he didn’t answer my calls for two weeks.

  2. Documentation? Maybe.

    • One person said: “You need notarized articles of incorporation, audited financials for the last two years, and a letter from your home country’s central bank confirming you’re legitimate.”
    • Another said: “We just submit a letter on company letterhead and pay $2,000 in cash to the compliance officer.”
    • The third said: “You need biometric verification. And a police clearance from your home country. And proof your shareholders aren’t on any sanctions list.”

    I don’t even have audited financials. My “company” is a single bank account in China.

  3. The rKhous platform?
    I saw a post online — someone said if you’re applying for a license, you have to register on rKhous. Cost: Dh600.

    I Googled “rKhous Afghanistan.” Nothing. No website. No contact. No government link.

    I asked a guy at a café in Wazir Akbar Khan.
    He said: “That’s Dubai. You’re thinking of the UAE.”

    I didn’t know.

    That’s the information gap.
    I spent three days trying to find rKhous.
    Three days.

    Time is the only currency here that doesn’t devalue.
    And I ran out.

The Framework: How I Think About This Now

I used to think: apply → get license → scale.

Now I think:

  • Is there a legal pathway? → Unknown.
  • Is there a practical pathway? → Maybe. Through a local partner who’s already in the system.
  • Is it worth my capital? → Probably not. Not yet.

I’m not here to build a fintech empire.
I’m here to sell electric SUVs.

If I can’t get a payment license in six months, I’ll just let customers pay with Wise cards.

I already have one.

We all like this a lot.

It works.

No license needed.

No sponsor.

No rKhous.

No waiting.

The Reflection: I Thought I Was Being Smart

I thought I was being strategic.

I thought applying for a payment license was a “move.” A way to legitimize my business.

Turns out, I was just trying to solve a problem that didn’t exist.

My customers don’t care if I have a license.
They care if the charger works.
If it’s cheaper than diesel.
If I show up when it breaks.

I spent weeks chasing a government process that may not even be open to foreigners.

And I forgot: the real license is trust.

You build that by showing up.
By fixing the charger.
By replying to messages.
By not disappearing when the power goes out.

That’s the only compliance that matters here.

Actionable Suggestions (No Promises)

If you’re thinking about this:

  1. Talk to local telecoms first.
    Etisalat and Du use digital verification for address registration. Ask them: “Do you work with any payment service providers?”
    Don’t ask for a license. Ask for a partnership.

  2. Don’t trust Google.
    “rKhous” isn’t Afghanistan. “Ejari” is Dubai. “Wise card” works here — but only if you tell people how to use it.
    Write a simple PDF in Dari: “How to pay with Wise.”
    Print 50 copies. Hand them out.

  3. Use your existing tools.
    You don’t need a license to accept payments via Wise, PayPal, or even Western Union.
    You need to explain it to your customers.
    That’s the real work.

  4. Wait for the right partner.
    Don’t push for a license.
    Push for a person.
    Someone who’s been through this.
    Someone who doesn’t charge you $500 for a coffee meeting.

FAQ

Q1: Is there an official government portal for payment license applications in Afghanistan?
A: No public portal exists. The Central Bank of Afghanistan (DAB) has no online application system for payment service providers.

  • Path: Visit DAB headquarters in Kabul (near Chicken Street).
  • Ask for the “Payment Systems Department.”
  • Bring: Passport, business registration from home country, letter of intent (in Dari or English).
  • Tip: Go on a Tuesday. Fewer people. More patience.

Q2: Do I need biometric verification for a payment license?
A: Possibly. Some applicants report being asked for fingerprints and facial scans.

  • Path: The National Directorate of Security (NDS) may require this — but only if your sponsor requests it.
  • Not mandatory. Not published.
  • Key: Ask your sponsor. Don’t assume.

Q3: Can I use a foreign company to apply for a payment license in Afghanistan?
A: Unlikely. Most systems require a locally registered entity.

  • Path: Register a local LLC through the Ministry of Economy.
  • Cost: ~$1,200–$2,500 depending on capital declared.
  • Time: 3–8 weeks.
  • Note: Foreign ownership is allowed, but the legal representative must be Afghan.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t get the license.
I didn’t even get a clear “no.”

I got silence.
And a few coffee meetings.

But I did get something better:
A list of people who actually work here.
A sense of what’s real.
And a Wise card that still works when the banks don’t.

Sometimes, the best compliance isn’t paperwork.
It’s showing up.

💡 If you’re in Kabul and thinking about payment systems, fintech, or just trying to make a business work without a roadmap —
I’ve been there.
I still am.

If you want to swap stories — not advice, not promises, just real talk —
you can reach out to JingJing.

She’s the editor at律咖网.
She doesn’t offer services.
She just listens.

Add her on WeChat: lvga2015.

We’re all just trying to figure it out, one charger at a time.

延伸阅读

🔸 Telecom providers like Etisalat and Du use it to verify your home address. If your landlord tries to raise the rent illegally or evict you without notice, the Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC) will only hear your case if you have a registered Ejari. 🗞️ 来源: Lvga.com – 📅 2026-04-23
🔗 阅读原文

🔸 rKhous digital platform will cost around Dh600. For GCC citizens who are no longer residents of a Gulf country, the rules change. If they are from a nation not listed among the 52 countries eligible for direct license exchange, they must pass both the theory and road tests to obtain 🗞️ 来源: Lvga.com – 📅 2026-04-23
🔗 阅读原文

🔸 Stricter fines for violations and overstaysThe new law updated fines for a number of violations, including failure to obtain residency after entry on a residency-type visa, overstaying visit visas, failing to notify birth registrations on time, and expiry of residency without departure. 🗞️ 来源: Lvga.com – 📅 2026-04-23
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