Tajikistan Travel FAQ

All foreign nationals are required to obtain an entry visa to Tajikistan. Moreover GBAO (Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast) permit is necessary for any travel to the Pamirs. The entry visa may be obtained at Tajikistan diplomatic/consular institutions, if they exist in the country where you would like to apply for or at the airports of Dushanbe and Khujand upon arrival. At the airport, it is mandatory to show your visa support or Letter of Invitation (LOI) prepared in advance by a travel agency, before they stamp it in your passport. The border crossing points do not provide visa.
According to Tajikistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs citizens of the following countries can apply for a single-entry tourist visa valid for up to 45 days at Tajik embassies or consulates abroad on the basis of personal application and letter of invitation from a travel agency without visa support letter.

Visa to Tajikistan can be collected at the airport of Dushanbe in the presence of letter of invitation from a travel agency. Moreover the tourists can get Tajikistan visa at the airport of Khujand upon arrival.

Tajikistan diplomatic/consular institution abroad issue GBAO permits. You should request for the permit separately from the visa and pay extra for it.
If you are already in Tajikistan, the permit will be issued by OVIR departments.

Group visa is a visa issued for a group. A group is defined as 5 or more applicants traveling to the same location for the same purpose. If the group enters the country by land, visa will be delivered to the border. There is no additional charge for the delivery.

All foreigners who do not hold Tajikistan visa (the list of nationalities who do not need visa to enter Tajikistan is available here) should obtain registration at the local police station (ask for OVIR or OVD) in the department of visas and registration of foreign citizens/OVIR/) within 72 hours.
Tourist visa holders are released from registration, if they stay in the country not more than 30 days.

The best time to visit Tajikistan is from April till mid-autumn. However, if you are planning a trip to Pamir Mountains we would recommend penciling it in between mid-May and mid-September.

The most convenient and fastest way to get to Tajikistan is taking a flight to Dushanbe, its capital city. The international airport of Dushanbe receives international flights from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Almaty, Bishkek, Istanbul, Dubai, Urumqi, Teheran, Frankfurt-am-Maine, and other big cities of the world. There are dozens of foreign air companies based in Dushanbe: Flydubai, Turkish airlines, China Southern, Air Astana, S7 Airlines. Apart from Dushanbe, there are international airports in the cities of Kulyab and Khodjand. Local flights are run by Tajik Air and Somon Air. These air-carriers also operate flights to Europe. It is also possible to reach Dushanbe by train, but this is less comfortable, rather expensive and takes long time. Road from Moscow, for example, takes 4,5 days. Moreover, the railway to Tajikistan lies through Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and it will require obtaining a transit visa.

You can also get to Tajikistan by land. Click here for the list of Tajikistan border crossings.

In Tajikistan you can subscribe to the following mobile operators: Tcell, Megafon, Beeline, Babilon Mobile.

It is possible to exchange USD, Euros and Russian roubles to Tajik somons at the Dushanbe airports, banks and exchange offices in hotels. Exchange offices and banks accept the banknotes if they are not old, torn, wrinkled, worn out or written on.

It is possible to pay with the credit card or use ATM machines to withdraw money at the hotels, banks, trade centers in Dushabe and Khujand, big cities of Tajikistan. Travelers’ cheques are not in use in Tajikistan.

Tap water is not recommended for drinking. Boiled water usually serves as an alternative. Bottled water can be bought throughout the country.

Vegetarian food is not so popular in Tajikistan; you can find some cafes with vegetarian food in Dushanbe and Khujand.

Local SIM card can be bought in official service centers or in trading centers, markets. It will cost you around 2 USD.

Major hotels and some restaurants provide free Wi–Fi.

The Tajikistani Somoni is a national currency of Tajikistan. 1 Somoni is equal to 100 Dirams. It is issued in banknote denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 Somonis. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 3, 5 Somoni coins; and in denominations of 10, 20, 25, 50 Dirams.

The voltage is 220 V. In order to use 110/120-Voltage devices in places where there is only a 220/240V power you need to use step-down voltage converter or a combination converter.

People in Tajikistan speak Tajik and Russian languages.

Generally, there are no strict limitations on clothing, especially in Dushanbe and other major cities, where particularly young people enjoy full liberty with clothing. You can frequently encounter young ladies wearing traditional Islamic covers, but this is a personal preference rather than a must.
It would be better to avoid wearing shorts when visiting religious places, mosques, mausoleums, etc. Also, ladies should cover their shoulders and chest and preferably wear a hat or a headscarf.