# List of Afghan flags

This is a list of flags associated with Afghanistan.

## National flag

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| De facto (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) ||||
| | 15 August 2021–present | National flag | The Arabic Shahada in black on a white field in the calligraphic Thuluth script. |
| | 15 August 2021–present | National flag | The Arabic Shahada and "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" in Pashto in black on a white field in the calligraphic Thuluth script. |
| De jure (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) ||||
| | 19 August 2013–present | National flag | Three vertical bands of black, red and green with the National Emblem in white centered on the red band and then slightly overlapping the black and green bands. |
| | 19 August 2013–present | National flag (variant) | Three vertical bands of black, red and green with the National Emblem in white centered on the red band and then slightly overlapping the black and green bands. |

## Standards of the head of state

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| former ||||
| | 2004–2021 | Standard of the President of Afghanistan under Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai. | A black flag with a red circle with a white contour drawing of the national emblem in 2004 version. |
| | 2004 | Standard of the President of Afghanistan under Ashraf Ghani and Hamid Karzai. | A black flag with a red circle with a white contour drawing of the national emblem in 1990s version. |
| | 1974–1978 | Standard of the President of Afghanistan under Mohammad Daoud Khan. | A red flag with a black circle with a red drawing of the national emblem. |
| | 1933–1973 | Standard of the King of Afghanistan under Mohammad Zahir Shah (obverse and reverse). | National emblem on a red background on the obverse and royal tughra on the reverse. |
| | 1931–1933 | Standard of the King of Afghanistan under Mohammad Nadir Shah (obverse and reverse). | National emblem on a red background on the obverse and royal tughra on the reverse. |
| | 1926–1929 | Standard of the King of Afghanistan under Amanullah Khan (obverse and reverse). | Amanullah Khan's emblem on a red background on the obverse and royal tughra on the reverse. The emblem consists of two crossed swords, a headdress called kolah and a star, and all these elements were removed from the national emblem around the coronation of Amarullah as the first king of Afghanistan. |

## Loya Jirga

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| former ||||
| | 2003 | Flag of the 2003 loya jirga. | White flag with emblem. In the green border there are three silhouettes of human heads, turned to the right and imitating the Afghan national colors. Above the profiles is the Arabic Shahada in black, while below is an open book. The profiles are surrounded by a wreath of wheat ears taken from the national emblem. |

## Military flags

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| current ||||
| Link to file | 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan | White flag with the emblem of the Ministry of Defense. |
| former ||||
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan | Red flag with the emblem of the Ministry of Defense in a monochrome gold version. |
| | 2015–2021 | Flag of the Resolute Support Mission | A green flag with the official mission logo. |
| | 2001–2014 | Flags of the International Security Assistance Force | A flags with the official mission logo. |

### Army

| Flag | Date | Use |
| current ||||
| | 2021–present | Flag of the Afghan Army |
| former ||||
| | 1987–1992 | Flag of the Afghan Army |
| | 1974–1980 | Flag of the Afghan Army |
| | c. 1961—? | Flag of the Afghan Army |
| | ?–1973 | Flag of the Afghan Army |
| | 1920s | Flag of the Afghan Army |
| Corps ||||
| | 2007–2021 | Flag of the Afghan National Army Commando Corps |
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the 209th Corps |
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the 205th Corps |
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the 207th Corps |

### Air Force

| Flag | Date | Use |
| current ||||
| | 2021–present | Flag of the Afghan Air Force |
| former ||||
| | 2010–2021 | Flag of the Afghan Air Force |

## Law enforcement
### Police

| Flag | Date | Use |
| current ||||
| | 2021–present | Flag of the Afghan National Police |
| former ||||
| | 2001–2021 | Flag of the Afghan National Police |

### Customs Department

| Flag | Date | Use |
| current ||||
| Link to file | c 2024–present | Flag of the Afghanistan Customs Department |
| former ||||
| | 2021–c 2024 | Flag of the Customs service of Afghanistan |
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the Customs service of Afghanistan |

### Supreme Audit Office

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| current ||||
| | 2020–present | Flag of the Supreme Audit Office of Afghanistan | |

## Ministries

| Flag | Date | Use |
| current ||||
| Link to file | 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry |
| Link to file | c 2024–present | Flag of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Afghan Ministry of Economy |
| | 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Education |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water |
| Link to file | c 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Finance |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Higher Education |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Information and Culture |
| Link to file | c 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Justice |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs |
| Link to file | 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum |
| Link to file | 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice |
| Link to file | 2021–present | Flag of the Ministry of Public Health |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Public Works |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation |
| Link to file | ?–present | Flag of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing |
| Former ||||
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock |
| Link to file | ?–2024 | Flag of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology |
| Link to file | ?-2021 | Flag of the Ministry of Justice |
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing |

## Olympic Committee

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| current ||||
| | 2021–present? | Flag of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | A white flag with the national flag, the inscription "Afghanistan" and the Olympic rings. |
| former ||||
| | ?–2021 | Flag of the National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | A white flag with the Olympic rings and inscription "National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan". |
| | 1930s | Flag of the National Olympic Committee of the Kingdom of Afghanistan | A flag of unknown colors used at the Berlin Olympics contains a kolah and Olympic rings. |

## Historical flags

| Flag | Date | Regime | Description |
| National flags ||||
| | 2002–2004 | Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twenty-sixth flag (2002–2004) |
| | 2002 | Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twenty-fifth flag (2002) |
| | 2001–2002 | Islamic State of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twenty-fourth flag (2001–2002) |
| | 1997–2001 | Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (variant) | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twenty-third flag (1997–2001) |
| | 1996–1997 | Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twenty-second flag (1996–1997) |
| | 1992–2001 | Islamic State of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twenty-first flag (1992–2002) |
| | 1992 | Islamic State of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twentieth flag (1992) |
| | 1987–1992 | Republic of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Nineteenth flag (1987–1992) |
| | 1980–1987 | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Eighteenth flag (1980–1987) |
| | 1978–1980 | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Seventeenth flag (1978–1980) |
| | 1978 | Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Sixteenth flag (1978) |
| | 1974–1978 | Republic of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Fifteenth flag (1974–1978) |
| | 1973–1974 | Republic of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Fourteenth flag (1973–1974) |
| | 1931–1973 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Thirteenth flag (1930–1973)) |
| | 1929–1930 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Twelfth flag (1929–1930) |
| | 1929 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Eleventh flag (1929) |
| | 1929 | Emirate of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Tenth flag (1929–1931) |
| | 1929–1931 | Emirate of Afghanistan, used in Herat | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Tenth flag (1929–1931) |
| | 1929 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Ninth flag (1929) |
| | 1929 and 1926–1928 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Fifth flag (1926–1928) |
| | 1928-1929 | Kingdom of Afghanistan (possible appearance) | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Seventh flag (1928–1929)) |
| | 1928 | Kingdom of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Sixth flag (1928) |
| | 1921–1926/29 | Emirate of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Fourth flag (1921–1926/29) |
| | 1919–1921 | Emirate of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Third flag (1919–1921/29) |
| | 1901–1919 | Emirate of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Second flag (1901–1919) |
| | 1880–1901 | Emirate of Afghanistan | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Black Standard in central Asia and the first flag |
| | 1818–1855 | Principality of Qandahar | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Black Standard in central Asia and the first flag |
| | 1709–1738 | Hotak dynasty | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Black Standard in central Asia and the first flag |
| | 1856–1919 | Flag of the United Kingdom used to represent the Emirate of Afghanistan abroad | Main article: Flag of the United Kingdom |
| Local national flags ||||
| | 1996 | Islamic Emirate of Badakhshan | Main article: [[:Jihad flag]] |
| | 1991 | Islamic Emirate of Kunar | Main article: [[:Jihad flag]] |
| | 1818–1842 | Emirate of Herat | Main article: Flag of Afghanistan § Herat flag (1818–1842) |
| | 1830s | US flag with 23 stars used by Josiah Harlan as Prince of Ghor. | Main article: Flag of the United States |
| Other ||||
| | c. 1842 | Pashtun banner captured at Jellalabad | An example of a Pashtun tribal battle flag. Red triangular banner with Shahada and green frame, woven red and yellow fringes were also present on the edges. |
| | c. 1839 | Pashtun banner captured at Ghazni | An example of a Pashtun tribal battle flag. Written are the names of the first 4 caliphs placed opposite each other (Abu Bakr أَبُو بَكْرٍ, ‘Umar عُمَر, Uthman عُثْمَان and Ali عَلِيّ) |

## Political flags
### Political parties flags

| Flag | Date | Party | Description |
| current ||||
| | 2005–present | Hezbollah Afghanistan | Green field with yellow Arabic calligraphy arranged in an arc. The inscription "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful". Under the arc is also the name of the organization written in white. |
| | 2004–present | Communist (Maoist) Party of Afghanistan | Red flag with a yellow star in the canton. |
| | 2004–present | People's Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan | |
| Link to file | 2003–present | National United Party of Afghanistan | Party emblem on blue background. |
| | 1997–present | Watan Party of Afghanistan | Party emblem on blue background. |
| Link to file | 1992–present | National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan | National flag from 1974-1978 with the party emblem instead of the national emblem. |
| | 1989–present | Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan | Party emblem on blue background. |
| | 1979–present | National Islamic Front of Afghanistan | A black flag with a gold emblem in the canton. The emblem consists of crossed swords, a wreath of wheat and Takbir. |
| | 1972–present | Islamic Society | Green flag with a white emblem. |
| | 1976–present | Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin | Green flag with a white emblem. The emblem contains many symbols of the national emblem, to which the open Quran adds. There is also Shahada under the emblem. |
| former ||||
| | 1975–1979 | Hezbi Islami | Green flag with a white emblem. The emblem contains many symbols of the national emblem, to which the open Quran adds. |
| | 1965–1992 | People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan | Red flag with gold party emblem in the canton. The emblem consists of an ear of wheat superimposed on a gear wheel. The emblem consists of an ear of wheat placed on a gear wheel, symbolizing farmers and workers. Another variant of the party's flag served for a short time as the national flag. |
| | 1965–1992 | Democratic Youth Organisation of Afghanistan, youth wing of the PDPA. | A red flag with the emblem moved towards the mast. The emblem consisted of PDPA symbols, a clenched fist, schematic mountains and a red star. |

### Rebel groups flags

This table does not include flags derived from rebels that became national flags. Such cases occurred once during the Saqqawists period in 1929 and twice in connection with the Taliban takeovers in 1996 and 2021.
| Flag | Date | Group | Description |
| current ||||
| | 2022–present | Southern Turkestan Movement | Red-blue-green tricolor with the white crescent moon and a star on a blue stripe. The star and crescent resembles the Kök Bayraq flag. |
| | 2021–present | National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, used together with the flags of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Islamic State of Afghanistan | A variant of the 1990s of the national flag used by Northern Alliance. |
| | 2021–present | Freedom and Democracy Front, Hazaristan Resistance Front | The front announced its existence in October 2021. It operates mainly in the provinces of Maidan Wardak and Ghazni. It is composed exclusively of Hazaras, both ex-military and civilians. A spokesman for the front announced in a video released in October that the group's goal is to fight the Taliban and the ISKP throughout Hazarajat. |
| | 2015–present | Variant of the Jihadist flag used in Afghanistan by Islamic State – Khorasan Province and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (splinter faction) | The flag consists of the Black Standard with a white text of the Shahada emblazoned across it in depicts the second phrase of the shahada in the form of a depiction of the supposedly historical seal of Muhammad. |
| | 2014–present | Hazarajat Freedom Movement | Two-color white and blue flag divided into 1/3 of its length with a wavy pattern |
| | 2006–present | Jamaat Ansarullah | |
| | 1996–present | Lashkar-e-Jhangvi | The flag is divided into two horizontal sections, where the upper section consists of six equal horizontal black and white stripes. The lower section is red and has a black and white Arabic inscription "We will destroy the infidels". Below the writing is a stylized sword. |
| | 1988–present | Turkistan Islamic Party | White text of the Shahada above a white crescent moon and a star on a blue background. The star and crescent comes from the Kök Bayraq flag, while the Shahada symbolizes Islam. |
| | 1979–present | Variant of the Jihadist flag used in Afghanistan by : Sacrifice Front (2013–present), Al-Qaeda (1988–present) Jamaat al-Dawah ila al-Quran wal-Sunnah (1986–present) Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (1998–2015) Afghan Services Bureau (1984–1988) Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet–Afghan War | The flag consists of the Black Standard with a white text of the Shahada emblazoned across it in calligraphy style writing. |
| Link to file | 1970s–present | Afghanistan Liberation Organization | A red flag with three raised hands, holding a hammer, a sickle and a gun respectively. |
| former ||||
| Link to file | 1987–1989 | Flag of Hezbollah was used by several factions of Tehran Eight | Main article: Flag of Hezbollah |
| | 1979 | Flag associated with the Herat insurgents in 1979. | A green flag with white Takbir inscription. |
| | 1916–1934 | Flag of the Basmachi movement. | Red and white horizontal stripes, on the hoist side there is an orange rectangle with a white crescent moon and five-pointed star symbol. The whole is surrounded by a thin blue border. |

### Other

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 2014 | Proposed flag of Khorosan | Yellow-red-violet tricolor with the inscription "new Khorosan". |

## Red Crescent Society

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1934–present | Flags of the Afghan Red Crescent Society | Red Crescent surrounded by the association's names written in black in Pashto at the top and Dari at the bottom. |
| | 1935 | Rejected red Mehrab-e-Ahmar project to replace the red crescent | A red mosque similar to the national emblem on a white background |

## Corporations
### Airlines

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | 1965–present | Flag of Ariana Afghan Airlines | The flag features a blue Afghan swallow bird from logo on white field. Blue representing precious lapis lazuli stones. |

### Banks

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | ?–present | Flag of Da Afghanistan Bank | Emblem of Da Afghanistan Bank on a light blue background. In the center of the emblem there are stylized riders on horses, cornucopias full of coins. The whole is surrounded by a circle with the name of the bank in Dari and the year 1939, in which the bank was founded. |

## Ethnic groups flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 2013–present | Flag of Hazaristan | Blue-white-yellow tricolor, the colors symbolizes the Hazara people's roots and origin, sky, their loyalty, long winter in Hazaristan, their future and development. |
| 1947–present | Flag of Pashtunistan | Main article: Flag of Pashtunistan |
| ?–present | Flag of Pashayi people | |

## Unknown flags

| Flag | Date | Use | Description |
| | early 19th century | Flags from the Afghanistan Military school at the time of Amir Habibullah Khan | |

## Misattributed flags

| Date | Use | Description |
| 1980s–present | A flag representing the Hazaras in pan-Turkish concepts. | A blue flag with a gold, stylized Sasanian crown found on Hephthalites and Kushan coins. Blue is the traditional color of steppe nomads, it means the blue sky of the god Tengri. This has no direct connection with the Hazaras, but it connects Turks and Mongols. |
| 1969–present | Attributed flag of Ghaznavids, designed by Akib Öbek in 1969 as part of concept of 16 Great Turkic Empires | Green glag with a grey crescent in canton and a peacock. It can appear in many artistic variants. |
| ?–present | A fictitious flag of Ghaznavids spread on the Internet | A black field with a golden full moon. |
| 1969–present | Attributed flag of Hephthalites, designed by Akib Öbek in 1969 as part of concept of 16 Great Turkic Empires | White flag with three yellow stars placed vertically in upper hoist. White may refer to the White Huns, which was one of the terms for the Hephthalites. |
| ? | Alleged alternative variant of the flag of Democratic Republic of Afghanistan | National flag from 1978–1980 in green instead of red. |
| 1970s | Alleged flag used in Nuristan in the 1970s, it is not known if it was an ethnic or political flag. | A white and red flag with stripes separated by a tenfold triangular wave. |