VISAS AND PERMITS

Visas are required for travel to Tajikistan; in addition a special permit is required for travel to the Pamirs (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast - GBAO) and other border areas.

GOOD NEWS! April 2009

The Tajik news agency Asia-Plus reported on 11 April 2009 that Lochin Fayzulloyev, the deputy head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, announced at a press conference in Dushanbe on April 10 an easing of visa rules for foreign tourists.

"A new type of visa – tourist visa – will be introduced in the country beginning on April 27," said Fayzulloyev. "Under the new visa rules, to get a tourist visa for foreign citizens or persons without citizenship, it will take tourist companies only to apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) consular department or Tajik diplomatic mission abroad with letter of invitation and the tourist visa will be issued to them."

Moreover, the procedure of registration of tourists is also eased, the official said. "Earlier, tourists had had to register with the visa and registration department of the Ministry of Interior within three days of their arrival in Tajikistan, while in accordance with new visa rules, tourist do not have to register if they stay in the country not more than 30 days," Fayzulloyev said.

Besides, mountain climbing fees have been revoked – before that, foreign mountaineers had had to pay US$50.00 for climbing mountains up to 6000 meters high and US$100.00 for climbing mountains above 6,000 meters high. The fee of US$1.00 for each day of staying in Tajikistan has also been revoked.

The list of countries benefiting from this new visa regime can be found here.

[All this is fine, but the day they revoke the need for a special permit to visit GBAO we shall know that the Tajik government is finally serious about promoting tourism.]

MORE CHANGES: April 2008 - Please read carefully!

The simplified procedure for travellers from some countries (see list below), to obtain a visa at the Dushanbe airport on arrival WITHOUT A VISA SUPPORT LETTER has now been restored.

HOWEVER, citizens of countries where there are Tajik Consulates now have to obtain their visa at these Consulates before travel. This is the reason why some Western countries (e.g. USA) do not appear in the list below.

MOREOVER, UK citizens have to obtain their visa in person (but see note under the list of countries below) at a Tajik Consulate before travel. Fortunately, however, a Tajik Embassy and Consulate has recently opened in London. For contact details see http://www.tajembassy.org.uk/. N.B. a) It is reliably reported that visas are issued by this Consulate to UK nationals not only in person but also by post; b) the prices are higher than at the Vienna Consulate.

Citizens of the 57 countries listed below can obtain a one month entry visa upon arrival at Dushanbe airport. N.B. NO visa support letter is required but in order to facilitate the consular procedure it is recommended (but not obligatory) that your contact in Dushanbe take to the airport prior to arrival a note giving information on the number of travellers, names, passport details and when, from where and on which flight you will arrive - this is to ensure that the airport consular office is a) manned and b) has enough visa stickers!

Visitors intending to go to the Pamirs (GBAO) will still need to get a special permit for this purpose. Since this means waiting for several days in Dushanbe after arrival, we therefore strongly recommend that if you plan to go to the Pamirs, you apply to a Tajik Consulate for your visa and request the GBAO permit at the same time - we know that the Brussels, Delhi and Vienna consulates offer this service, you may want to check with others nearer you. This will save a long and frustrating wait in Dushanbe.

Make certain that your application for the GBAO permit lists all the border areas in Gorno-Badakhshan (Khorog, Rushan, Kala-i-Khum, Ishkashim, and Murghab). N.B. nationals of the countries listed below do not need a visa support letter when applying for a visa.

Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Bahrain
Bulgaria
Brazil
Brunei
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Hellenic Republic
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Korea
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Libya
Lithuania
Luxemburg
Malaysia
Malta
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Thailand
Tunisia
Vietnam

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR UK NATIONALS: Since late 2007, in response to new UK visa requirements for Tajik nationals, Tajikistan introduced a regulation requiring UK nationals to go in person to a Tajik consulate to apply for a Tajik visa.

The Vienna Consulate handles visa requests very expeditiously and in February 2008 they confirmed that they are not currently applying the above requirement - although they now insist on a Visa Support Letter for UK nationals. It is worth checking with them by e-mail.

Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan
Universitätsstrasse 8/1A,
A-1090 Wien
Austria
Consul: Mrs Lola Gaibullaeva
Tel 00 43 1 409 82 66
Fax 00 43 1409 82 66 14
e-mail tajikembassy@chello.at

Normally the following is required and can be sent by registered mail or courier service together with the consular fee.  

• original passport
   

• 1 photo
   

• 1 application form
  
  

Details on visa requirements and a downloadable visa form can be found on http://www.tajikembassy.org/consularservices/visaissues.html

See also the advice given by the US Embassy in Dushanbe here.

The Vienna Embassy website gives a list of countries, the nationals of which do not need a Visa Support Letter (VSL) when applying for a visa. All other nationals need a VSL from a local travel agency that will be sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the consulate processing the visa request.

A list of Tajik Embassies and their addresses can be found on http://www.tjus.org/embassies.htm

Kulma Pass to or from China

There is no official confirmation that it is possible for foreign tourists to cross the Kulma pass into or from China. (If anyone has done so successfully, please send me an e-mail via the link on the Home Page)

Ed Hannam, an intrepid Australian traveller, tried and failed to cross in 2008 coming from Tashkurgan. He reported, however, that the Tajik Embassy in Beijing and local officials in Tashkurgan were courteous and helpful (N.B. the former was unable to deliver a GBAO permit).

Kalmyk Pass crossing from the Alai (Kyrgyzstan) to Rasht valley (Tajikistan)

It is almost impossible to get any information about the Kalmyk Pass (Daroot Kurgan) Ed Hannam (see above) tried it and reported that the Kyrgyz border guards refused to let him cross into the upper Rasht (Garm) valley in Tajikistan. The frontier is porous here and it is physically possible to get into Tajikistan but the potential penalties for being caught are too high to justify the risk. Again, if anyone has relevant personal experience, please send me an e-mail via the link on the Home Page.

Lake Sarez

If you wish to trek to Lake Sarez, you will need yet another permission (propusk), this time from the Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence of the Government of Tajikistan, Lakhuti Str. 26, 734013 Dushanbe, tel: + 992 37 221 1331. Your letter can be addressed to Mr. M. Zokirov, Chairman of this Committee, and should indicate: full names and nationality of the persons and an explanation of the reasons for the visit. The application should be submitted at least ten days in advance of the date of intended travel. Expect the actual issuing procedure to take at least one full day. Without the propusk you will not be allowed to proceed beyond Barchadev, the last village before the lake on the approach from the Bartang Valley. Documents are checked in Barchadev village, and, for those trekking in from Murghab and Shughnan districts, at Usoi dam at the downstream end of the lake. The tour agencies members of the Pamirs Eco-Tourism Association (see section Help for Tourists) may be able to help but will need considerable advance notice.

In addition, the Department of Tourism may request you to take (and pay for) one of their vehicles and driver/guides, but you can overcome this by providing them with the driver name and registration number of a private vehicle in which you intend to travel. A seat in a Russian jeep for the 530 km from Dushanbe to Khorog will cost $20 (slightly more for the longer (620 km) route in winter, when you should allow 2 days), though it may be better and more comfortable to hire the whole vehicle for $140. A ticket in an overcrowded minibus (marshrutka) will cost $20, and approximately $220 for the hire of the whole vehicle (about ten seats). Jeeps and marshrutkas depart Dushanbe early in the morning from Avtobaza 2929, Ahmadi Donish Street, just before the airport - you would be advised to organise this the day before you wish to travel.

Registration with OVIR (office for registration of foreign citizens)

Once in GBAO, if their stay exceeds 30 days, individual tourists must register with the "OVIR" in Khorog (N.B. at all costs don't go by mistake to the "KGB"). If your GBAO permit mentions all border areas - see above - no further permissions should be necessary.

Zorkul and Great Pamir

However, travel to Zorkul in the Great Pamir from the Khargush turn-off on the road from Langar in the Wakhan requires a permit from the Tajik border guards in Khorog. I do not know whether permission can be obtained in Murghab for travel to the Great Pamir. Again, if anyone has relevant personal experience, please send me an e-mail via the link on the Home Page.

Links:
http://www.embassyworld.com/embassy/tajikistan.htm