Tajikistan Entry Requirements
Tajikistan
A valid passport and
Tajikistan visa are required to enter and exit Tajikistan, as well as for registration at hotels. The visa should
be valid for the entire period of stay in country, through departure, and travelers should ideally request visas which allow
for changing travel dates. Failure to produce a valid visa will require the traveler to leave the country immediately. Travelers
planning to arrive in Tajikistan from countries that have Tajik embassies or consulates must obtain Tajik visas abroad prior
to their travel.
Tajikistan is represented by embassies and consulates in the following countries: United States of America,
United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Turkey, China, Afghanistan (Kabul, Mazori Sharif), Iran, Pakistan, India, Russian
Federation, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates (Dubai). Travelers
arriving in Tajikistan from countries in which there are no Tajik embassies or consulates must have Tajik visa support, in
the form of a letter from the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirming that a visa may be issued, in order to receive
a Tajik visa at the Dushanbe International Airport upon arrival. Travelers need to have two passport-size photos and a passport
valid for at least six months longer than the duration of the planned stay in Tajikistan. Visas issued at the Dushanbe airport
are normally valid for only 45 days. This “upon arrival” visa service does not apply to any other Tajik airports or land
borders.
Travelers staying in Tajikistan three days or longer must, within three days of arrival in Tajikistan, obtain registration
stamps at the MFA or the Department of Visas and Registration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (OVIR), depending on whether
the purpose of the visit to Tajikistan is for official or personal travel. Immigration authorities may deny the departure
of travelers who failed to register their visas until after they have paid a fine and obtained the registration stamps at
the MFA or OVIR.
In order to receive visa support, an organization inviting a traveler to Tajikistan must submit a request to the MFA at least
two weeks in advance of the planned travel date to Tajikistan. Persons planning to arrive in Tajikistan at the invitation
of a private Tajik resident (e.g., a friend or relative in Tajikistan) need to obtain a notification letter from OVIR. According
to OVIR, it may take up to 45 days to obtain the notification letter. The MFA will issue Tajik visa support on the basis
of the OVIR notification letter. The inviting party will send a copy of visa support to the traveler. The original MFA visa
support will be sent to the Consular bureau at Dushanbe airport. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, persons traveling
at the invitation of Tajik organizations or travel agencies, who are applying for visas at Tajik embassies or consulates abroad,
will be able to obtain single-entry Tajik visas valid for 45 days upon direct submission of their visa request to the Tajik
embassy or consulate (without a visa support letter). With the issuance of visa support, travelers applying for visas at
Tajik embassies or consulates abroad will be able to obtain multiple-entry visas valid for a maximum of three months. Travelers
who would like their visas extended need to apply for extension in advance through the MFA (official travelers) or OVIR (tourist
or commercial travelers). Entry into the Gorno-Badakhshan region, both from inside and outside of Tajikistan, requires special
authorization in advance in addition to a valid Tajik visa. Travelers can obtain this authorization at Tajik embassies and
consulates abroad, or by applying to the MFA or OVIR once in Tajikistan. Tajik authorities advise that sponsoring organizations
in Tajikistan submit requests for travel authorization for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region at least two weeks in advance
of the planned travel. The Tajik MFA or OVIR will list the names of the settlements and cities in Gorno-Badakhshan which
the traveler plans on visiting in the travel authorization stamp. The Gorno-Badakhshan travel authorization is not written
on a Tajik visa sticker; it is a separate note put in a passport.
The government of Tajikistan requires visitors who remain in country for more than 90 days to present a medical certificate
showing that they are HIV-free, or to submit to an HIV test in Tajikistan. HIV is a growing health threat in Tajikistan.
Visit the Embassy of Tajikistan web site at
http://www.tjus.org for the most current visa information.
Note: Departure options from Tajikistan may be limited in an emergency. U.S. citizens, their family members, and their dependents
can maximize departure options by obtaining extended visas for travel to countries with reliable connections to Tajikistan,
including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Other destinations, notably Turkey, offer several flights a week
and do not require American citizens to obtain visas in advance. Please note, however, that in emergency situations, flights
may be suspended.
Transit Visas: Travelers intending to transit through Russia en route to a third country must have a Russian transit visa. Even travelers
who are simply changing planes in Moscow or another international airport in Russia for an onward destination will be asked
to present a transit visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate. Russian authorities may refuse to allow a U.S. citizen
who does not have a transit visa to continue with his or her travel, obliging the person to immediately return to the point
of embarkation at the traveler’s own expense.
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IMPORTANT: The foreign entry requirements listed here were obtained from foreign embassies or consulates. This information is subject to change. Verify the data with the consular officials of the countries you plan to visit well in advance. For further information, see our
embassy list.
