[holding answer 11 January 2010]: As stated in our travel advice, conditions in Afghanistan mean we are only able to provide a very limited consular service. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not offer a poste restante service, and although we recommend that British citizens abroad register with our Locate service which we would also use as a key tool in any major crisis, we are aware that many people choose not to and so do not hold records of all citizens in Afghanistan. It is the responsibility of the individual or their employer to ensure that sufficient arrangements are in place for their mail and other support services in Afghanistan.
For civilians working for Her Majesty’s Government, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in common with other UK Government Departments, utilises the British Forces Post Office to get mail to Afghanistan. This is a longstanding arrangement, separate to that for servicemen in Afghanistan, which is also used to supply our other posts across the globe.