Shir Khan Bandar Border Crossing: Tajikistan to Afghanistan

Updated October 2026, How to Cross the Shirkhan Bandar Border Crossing Between Tajikistan & Afghanistan and Get an Afghan Visa on the Border was originally published in July 2023

The Shir Khan Bandar-Panji Poyon border crossing is the main land border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, connecting Tajikistan’s Khatlon region with Kunduz Province in northern Afghanistan via the Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge.

I crossed from Tajikistan into Afghanistan here and put together this guide to the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border crossing, including how to get to Panji Poyon from Dushanbe, what happens on each side of the border, getting an Afghan visa at Shir Khan Bandar, costs, opening hours, and onward transport to Kunduz.

Border procedures and entry rules can change quickly, so treat the practical information below as a firsthand account rather than a guarantee of current requirements.

This was my first time back to Afghanistan since my summer 2021 trip which included running a tour, summiting Shah Foladi, and going on an epic road trip to Daykundi Province. But an opportunity presented itself and I set off towards the Tajik-Afghan border. Just before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan again.

We arrived in Qurgonteppa in about 90 minutes from Dushanbe. The shared taxi driver said there might not be shared cars going to the border until after lunch and offered up the option to drive me the rest of the way for the cost of the remaining seats.

Seeing how hot it was that day (Khatlon Province is absolutely boiling in June) I took him up on the offer, only to have spend the next hour and a half declining his pleads on why I should let him kiss me (wasn’t the first time this has happened, surely won’t be the last, but come on guys I’m now closer to 40 than I am 30- not a spring chicken anymore.

I never budged, the answer had been a firm no, but hey I made it to the border. I gave him my WhatsApp number so that he would leave, waited for his first kissy-face emoji and blocked his number.

I was going back to Afghanistan.

Need Travel Insurance?

Start shopping for travel insurance plans over at IATI Insurance. Readers of the Adventures of Nicole get a 5% discount off your plan.

Shop IATI insurnace plans

Shir Khan Bandar-Panji Poyon Border Crossing at a Glance

Countries	Tajikistan ↔ Afghanistan
Tajik side	Panji Poyon
Afghan side	Shir Khan Bandar
Nearest major city	Kunduz
Bridge	Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge
From Dushanbe	About 3 hours by private car
Afghan visa	Available at the border based on my experience
Crossing time	About 2–4 hours in my experience
Main route	Dushanbe → Panji Poyon → Shir Khan Bandar → Kunduz

Tajikistan to Afghanistan by Land

The main overland route from Tajikistan to Afghanistan is via the Panji Poyon-Shir Khan Bandar border crossing. From Dushanbe, travelers can take a private car or shared taxis to Panji Poyon, cross the Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge, complete Afghan immigration at Shir Khan Bandar, and continue to Kunduz.

Crossing the Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border at Panji Poyon-Shir Khan Bandar

Getting to Panji Poyon from Dushanbe

Rudaki Park, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Adventures of Nicole — Rudaki Park, Dushanbe

Getting from Dushanbe to Panji Poyon is straightforward, although shared taxis can add significant waiting time. You can either hire a private driver directly to the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border or take shared taxis via Bokhtar (formerly Qurgonteppa).

Hiring a Driver from Dushanbe

The easiest way to get from Dushanbe to the Panji Poyon border crossing is by private car. Hotels, hostels, and guesthouses can usually help arrange a driver. When I traveled, I was quoted around $100 USD for the journey.

If going directly to the border the drive should take roughly three hours.

From Sakhovat Bazaar in Dushanbe, ask for a shared taxi to Bokhtar (Qurgonteppa) and negotiate with a driver there (still expect a price of 800 – 1000 TJS).

Taking a Shared Taxi to Qurgonteppa and Panji Poyan

If trying to keep your budget low, you can opt to head to the taxi stand at Sakhovat Bazaar. Likely drivers will find you before you find them.

State that you wish to go to Qurgonteppa and you will quickly be taken to a car waiting to fill up (usually 4 passengers total).

This should cost 50 TJS per seat with the option to hire the entire car for 200 TJS.

Once in Qurgonteppa ask for Panji Poyan. These taxis will take longer to fill and seem to either go in the morning or after lunch.

Expect to pay 50 TJS for a seat in the shared taxi to Panji Poyan.

I would factor in 4-5 hours travel time to reach the border accounting for time spent waiting for the taxi to fill with passengers both in Qurgonteppa and Dushanbe.

Exiting Tajikistan at the Panji Poyon Border

At Panji Poyon, the Tajikistan side of the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, your driver will drop you at the first checkpoint before you continue by vehicle to Tajik immigration.

The guard at the gate will look at your passport and then he’ll tell you to get in a car or van when it rolls up.

You’ll pay 10 TJS or 100 AFS to the driver and he will drive you to Tajik immigration.

At the Panji Poyan immigration and customs building you’ll hand over your passport and be asked to put your luggage through an X-ray machine. The officers may ask to search your bags by hand.

After you’ve gotten your stamp and exited Tajikistan you’ll get in another car or van and pay another 10 TJS or 100 AFS and they will take you across the bridge over the Panj River and to the Shirkhan Bandar immigration and customs post on the Afghan side.

Entering Afghanistan at Shirkhan Bandar

Amu Darya, Shirkhan Bandar Border crossing, Tajikistan Afghanistan Border, Adventures of Nicole — Crossing the Panj River

After crossing the Tajik-Afghan Friendship Bridge over the Panj River, you arrive at Shir Khan Bandar, the Afghan side of the border crossing.

On arrival, you’ll get dropped at a small covered seating area where there will likely be some Taliban soldiers present, they may flip through your passport or wave you on.

Go inside the building just beyond and they will search your bag by hand and then ask about the visa. Note that women will go behind a curtain for their pat down and search.

Once they’re done searching your bags you will either be stamped into Afghanistan provided you already have a visa or you will be directed to go purchase a visa.

Afghanistan Visa on Arrival at Shir Khan Bandar

You can obtain an Afghan visa at Shir Khan Bandar based on my experience crossing the border. The visa office is located just outside the Afghan immigration building through a blue and green metal door in a mudbrick wall, and the process involves an application, a letter of responsibility, passport photos, and payment of the visa fee.

Inside, they’ll ask about your trip and start the process.

You will need to fill out a visa application, write a letter of responsibility, and provide four passport photos.

How Much Is an Afghan Visa at Shir Khan Bandar?

When I crossed, the Afghan visa cost $100 USD.

Afghanistan Entry Stamp at Shir Khan Bandar

Once you’ve gotten your Afghan visa, return to the immigration building and the officer in there will stamp you officially into Afghanistan- but know that you’re not quite done yet as you’ll need to get another stamp in Kunduz City.

Expect the border crossing to take anywhere from 2-4 hours in total.

It took me three hours to enter Afghanistan at Shirkhan Bandar, however, one hour of this was spent waiting as the $100 needed to be deposited into a bank account at a branch nearby and they happened to close for midday prayer for about an hour.

How Long Does the Shir Khan Bandar Border Crossing Take?

Allow 2–4 hours to cross the Shir Khan Bandar-Panji Poyon border. My crossing took around three hours, including an approximately one-hour delay while the visa payment was processed during midday prayer.

Getting from Shir Khan Bandar to Kunduz

Kunduz City, Kunduz, Afghanistan, Adventures of Nicole — Kunduz City

Kunduz is the main city on the Afghan side of the Shir Khan Bandar border crossing. If you have arranged a driver or onward transport, have them meet you at the border. Otherwise, cars are available nearby at Shir Khan Bandar Bazaar, just across the street from immigration.

Getting Your Afghan Visa Stamped in Kunduz

Once into Afghanistan, you’ll need to go to Kunduz’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs where you’ll receive another stamp on your visa (this is just a formality stating that the Kunduz MFA has approved your entry visa).

Once you’ve gotten this second stamp you’re officially in Afghanistan.

From Kunduz City, most travelers will continue onto Pul e Khomri where you can continue to Mazar e Sharif or to Kabul, or head east to Taloqan en route for Badakhshan Province and the Wakhan Corridor.

Crossing from Afghanistan to Tajikistan at Shir Khan Bandar

Returning from Afghanistan to Tajikistan through Shir Khan Bandar and Panji Poyon is essentially the same process in reverse.

At the Shirkhan Bandar border post, you’ll probably be asked about your trip, how Afghanistan was, etc, and stamped out. You’ll again go through the pat down and bag search.

Once finished, go outside to the covered seating area and wait for the car/van to come. Pay the driver 100 AFS or 10 TJS and hop out on the other side of the river at Tajik immigration.

Tajik immigration will have you place your bags through the scanner and search them by hand while they process your passport.

Once this is all completed, you’ll stop at a small office on the way out the door where a nurse will record your passport info into a notebook and take your temperature.

Outside the building, you’ll wait for the car/can again and pay another 100 AFS/10 TJS to reach the gate.

Just outside the gate, you will find taxis waiting to take passengers back to Dushanbe. They charge 250 TJS for a seat or 1000 TJS for the entire car (you can get it down to 800 TJS with some haggling).

Shir Khan Bandar-Panji Poyon Opening Hours

Border hours can change, so confirm the schedule locally before setting out. When I crossed, I was advised to arrive around 9am, which also seemed to be when transport was most readily available.

What to Wear When Crossing the Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border

Dress conservatively when crossing into Afghanistan. Women should wear loose clothing covering the arms and legs and carry a headscarf. Men can dress in ordinary clothes, although wearing local clothing such as a shalwar kameez is practical once in Afghanistan.

Shir Khan Bandar Border Crossing Safety

The security situation in northern Afghanistan can change quickly. Check current conditions and border eligibility immediately before traveling, as these things can change with little to no notice.

I also recommend arranging onward transport to Kunduz in advance if you aren’t confident in your Dari skills, carrying enough cash for the crossing, and allowing considerably more time than the driving distance suggests.