Dear All
I learnt that it's quite a struggle to get a Tajikistan visa in Tashkent. Is it possible to get one from a travel agency in Tashkent? How much and how long to get it?
I'm thinking of an alternative: to take a flight from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan so that I could get a visa on arrival at the Dushanbe airport. Does it work? Is there any flight connection between the two countries?
Thanks!
Tse
Is there any flight connection between the two countries?
There aren't direct flights between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Hey,
getting a Tajik visa in Tashkent is a bit of a drama - it took us 11 days all up. Keep in mind however that everyone has a different experience- just depends if you get lucky or not. The scenes of locals at the gate in the morning is like some mob scene in a movie, and you have to fight your way through to the front. I'd recommend you go the travel agency and if you have the $$, pay them to do it for you. I overheard an American couple talking to their agent, and she said it would be ready in 3-4 days.
We went to the Fan Mountains and had fun while we waited, and hoped to zoom back to Dushanbe and take off to the Pamirs that day. We were told to return the following morning, which added yet another 1.5 days to the experience!
If you can, get the Tajik embassy to organise your GBAO permit at the same time - as getting it in Dushanbe is almost the same hideous experience as getting a visa!! If you're not Aussie (like us - we had no choice but to get our visas along the way as we have no embassies here) - I'd heartily recommend you get the Tajik visas - in fact all Central Asian visas - from your home country.
Of course if time is no problem then you should be fine!!
Here is our experience for the Tadjiek visa. We applied for it yesterday with two Belgian passports.
Location: as said in Lonely Planet (near Grand Tashkent Hotel). The embassy can easily be found because there is a huge crowd of Uzbek people standing/pushing in front of the gate. Make clear that you are tourist and they will let you in, if you can fight your way through the crowd.
Opening hours: 9-12 Monday to Friday
Application: you need to fill in the form (which can be found online, google) and one picture. GBAO permit has to be done in Dushanbe.
Time: It takes ONE WEEK to get the visa. No possibility of shortening the procedure! You get to keep your passport.
Did anyone get a Tajik visa in Tashkent through travel agency? I read that travel agency no longer helps!
