Afghanistan’s embassy in London will close on September 27, Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul confirmed on September 8, following a request by the UK's Foreign Office to vacate the building.

The sources reported that the British Foreign Office invited Zalmai Rassoul, the former Afghan government ambassador in London, on September 6 to inform him of the decision officially and asked him to close the Afghan embassy within 20 days.

Rassoul wrote on social media platform X on September 8, “The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in London is scheduled to officially close and will cease its operations on September 27, 2024, at the official request of the host country. This decision has been made based on the requirements of the host country's authorities.”

Britain has also reportedly given the embassy staff 90 days to decide whether to leave the UK or stay in the country and claim asylum.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 shortly after the US withdrawal of its forces, but have failed to gain global recognition so far. They have been striving to convince Afghan embassies, run by diplomats of the former government, to cooperate with their foreign ministry, but their efforts have not been successful.

The London embassy effectively became the last remnants of the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan which collapsed in 2022 to the Taliban.

In late July, the Taliban-controlled foreign ministry declared that documents issued by Afghan diplomatic missions in Canada, Australia and several European countries, including the UK, are no longer valid as they have refused to engage with Kabul.

The measure appears to have influenced the British government's decision to close the embassy in London.

The UK is among the European countries with a high population of Afghan immigrants and the closure of the embassy makes it difficult for these immigrants to access consular services.

The Taliban have suggested that Afghan and foreign nationals seeking consular services in Europe can visit missions in Spain, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, and Munich in Germany.