In Search of Identity: One Woman’s Journey Accessing Tazkiras and Passports in Afghanistan
Nafiza, a displaced woman in Afghanistan recounts her challenges in accessing legal identity documents; and shares recommendations on making the process more accessible.
By Nafiza (name-changed) as told to the Samuel Hall Team
I’m Nafiza, a 35-year-old woman from Kandahar, now living in Herat with my husband and five children. Our life took a sharp turn a year ago when the Taliban took over, and my husband, a goldsmith, lost his job. We fled to Herat, seeking a better future, but found ourselves in a tougher situation. In Kandahar, we lived decently, but here, with my husband unemployed, our lives have worsened.
For a long time, my days were largely confined within the walls of our home. In our community, women like me are expected to stay indoors; I have not even attended school. We can’t step out without a male companion. This restriction has shaped much of our lives, especially in handling official matters like obtaining documents. Our family has the basic paper Tazkiras — the national identity card- and the electronic version, e-Tazkiras, which is crucial for legal matters and job opportunities. However, most of my children, except the youngest, still need other significant documents like passports and birth certificates. The absence of a marriage certificate further complicates matters. Moreover, I was unaware of the process of getting these and was dependent on my husband.
The journey to get these documents has been laden with challenges. For the e-Tazkiras, we were asked to travel back to Kandahar for confirmation and biometric processes. This was a financial strain, as we had to borrow money for travel expenses and document fees. The cost of acquiring documents like e-Tazkiras has been a burden, especially with the recent fee hike. Previously, we paid 100 AFN for each Tazkira, but we now have to pay 300 AFN for each e-Tazkira. With my husband unemployed, every Afghani spent weighs heavily on us.
However, obtaining these documents is vital not just for legality but for accessing basic life necessities like education for my children. Two of my daughters couldn’t attend school this year due to the lack of Tazkiras — however, after receiving them, we enrolled them in school. Holding a Tazkira is crucial, even for primary healthcare access. When I was pregnant and needed to go to the clinic, they immediately asked for my Tazkira. Fortunately, my neighbours came to help at that time, but other times, the lack of this ID has created issues for us. Our journey to Kandahar cost us 30,000 AFN — a significant amount. However, we finally did manage to get our e-Tazkiras after a five-month wait.
In the midst of this, I took up a job at a company packaging saffron to support our family. It’s a shift from my usual role as a housewife, but it’s necessary. I go to work at 8 AM and return home at 5 PM. My children, as well as my husband, stay at home. When I was employed, I had to provide my Tazkira. My husband and children, unable to contribute, stay at home.
We also had to use our Tazkira to rent our house. So, it is more than just an ID; it’s proof of our identity and family ties, which is especially important in matters like receiving inheritances. And when it comes to passports, which we desperately need, it’s clear: no Tazkira, no passport.
But even though we successfully obtained our Tazkiras, our quest to secure passports still needs to be fulfilled. Our application for passports is in limbo, as we’ve recently learned that our request has yet to be confirmed.
The government’s decision to close passport offices has left many trapped and hopeless. Without passports, we’re unable to leave the country. My brother lives in Iran and is out of our reach, as my family lacks the passports needed to visit him. My husband, who could potentially find work in Iran, can also not explore this opportunity. The centralisation of passport issuance in Kabul poses a significant problem for us. With the added burden of travel expenses, travelling there is beyond our means. Issuing passports in Herat would greatly help our situation.
Information on how to navigate these bureaucratic processes is scarce. My husband gathers what he can from friends and those knowledgeable about filling out applications. The government should provide clear information to the people about these procedures.
There’s a pressing need for greater awareness and respect for women’s rights. A Tazkira is crucial for women, as it’s the first step towards acquiring a passport. Without a Tazkira, women like myself cannot even think of travelling abroad. This was evident when my sister, trying to cross the border, was stopped and questioned about her male companion.
This need for documentation extends beyond travel; it’s about accessing fundamental rights and opportunities. Women can tackle their legal issues and explore employment opportunities only if they possess these documents. Many female students in our community missed school this year because they lacked Tazkiras. This disparity affects women heading single-parent households the most. If my husband hadn’t been there to handle the procedures, my illiteracy would have made it impossible for me to acquire these documents.
Our community, with many internally displaced persons (IDPs) like us, needs more dedicated offices to address our specific needs. Establishing such offices would be a significant step in helping displaced families. As of now, we’ve yet to receive financial assistance or guidance in obtaining these crucial documents.
Providing job opportunities for the unemployed, like my husband, would also offer relief. Additionally, reducing the fees for Tazkiras and passports to more affordable levels is essential.
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Unlocking Protection and Essential Services: The Way Forward
In 2022–2023, Samuel Hall worked with the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, and NRC as part of the Interagency Working Group on Legal Identity (TWG) to publish a research study that provides actionable recommendations to enhance the protection of all Afghans across the country. As efforts to strengthen access to legal identity and civil registration take place, there is a need, simultaneously, to ensure that Afghans are able to access aid, employment and other essential services.
Our research makes the following recommendations:
- Integrating remittances into humanitarian policies. In the past, organisations like the UN and NGOs have successfully collaborated with mobile money platforms to transfer funds securely in Afghanistan. These approaches should be amplified further.
- Integrating community leaders and local councils in the identification of vulnerable groups.. Let them vouch more for residents’ identities to ensure aid reaches the right hands. Moreover, manuscripts maintained by community heads detail each resident’s lineage. These can be a goldmine for identity verification. If not already in place, there’s a need to create and update such records regularly.
- Integrating cash assistance and collaborating with legal offices to establish formal assistance programmes. They can also consider offering cash assistance to help individuals cover the costs of obtaining documentation.
- Easing the identification process. This includes accepting alternate, less formal IDs like birth or vaccination cards to access services. This can significantly benefit women and children and those internally displaced. Aid cards could be a game-changer for families with proper documentation.
Finally, we close this blog with the need to facilitate more legal pathways for Afghans outside of Afghanistan — where their rights are protected and respected and their voices — especially those of women — are heard and acknowledged.
*Names changed to protect identity
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Interested to know more about access to legal identity in Afghanistan. Read this blog that illustrates how inaccessibility to legal identity can be addressed and this story — that explores the complexities of legal identity in Afghanistan and the potential solutions to improve identity management for Afghanistan’s citizens.
Find the research brief here.
