Tajikistan goes visa-free in 2022

[Christian77]

Tajikistan is going visa-free for 52 countries in 2022. The maximum stay is 30 days, which is good for most people (not for me, but for most tourists).

http://asiaplustj.info/ru/news/tajikist ... n-52-stran

Notable exclusions: UK(!), Pakistan, India, Israel, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brazil, Ireland, not every EU country. Many of the former Soviet countries already have their own type of visa-free entry (with some additional bureaucratic headaches).

The countries (not in alphabetical order):

1. Australia
2. United Arab Emirates
3. Luxembourg
4. Brunei
5. Kuwait
6. Qatar
7. New Zealand
8. United States of America
9. Iceland
10. Canada
11. Switzerland
12. Malaysia
13. Hungary
14. Austria
15. Argentina
16. Germany
17. Dominican Republic
18. Indonesia
19. Italy
20. South Korea
21. Cuba
22. Latvia
23. Lithuania
24. Maldives
25. Poland
26. Portugal
27. Singapore
28. Turkey
29. Philippines
30. Finland
31. France
32. Croatia
33. Czech Republic
34. Chile
35. Sri Lanka
36. Ecuador
37. Estonia
38. Greece
39. Liechtenstein
40. Monaco
41. Saudi Arabia
42. Bahrain
43. Belgium
44. Denmark
45. Spain
46. ​​Netherlands
47. Norway
48. Thailand
49. Jordan
50. Sweden
51. Jamaica
52. Japan

[matt2matt2002]

Good news but strangely ( for me ) no UK!
Any reason for this?
And also, given recent events close by, why have these changes happened?

[adi]

Yippiee!
Now it it will be possible for Europeans to travel from Samarkand to Osh AND pass though all those exclaves in southern Kyrgystan visa free.

No I'm not a masochist. Uzbek customs controls are fun!

[Christian77]

Good news but strangely ( for me ) no UK!
Any reason for this?
And also, given recent events close by, why have these changes happened?

Why no UK? Maybe they forgot it existed. Maybe it's an accidental exclusion. Maybe they are still angry at the UK (a few years back many in the security services believed the UK was directing a plot to dismember Tajikistan). Maybe they don't like the British Muslims who visit. Maybe... who knows? It's Tajikistan, everything is super opaque and doesn't always make sense with the available information.

As for "recent events," this visa policy can be seen in one aspect as more restrictive, since they reduced the maximum tourist stay from 60 days to 30 days. Or, this policy change was in the works long before Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, and the recent events didn't scare Tajikistan enough to shut down tourism.

[Christian77]

Yippiee!
Now it it will be possible for Europeans to travel from Samarkand to Osh AND pass though all those exclaves in southern Kyrgystan visa free.

No I'm not a masochist. Uzbek customs controls are fun!

Theoretically, yes. In practice, I would not count on it... But give it a try and let us know if it works out.

[PanNL]

Really exciting news! Does this mean that a GBAO permit is also not needed?

Now just waiting for the borders between Tajikistan - Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyzstan - Kazakhstan to open.

[Christian77]

Really exciting news! Does this mean that a GBAO permit is also not needed?

We're still waiting for the full details. Visa-free entry that doesn't include GBAO would be super annoying. You wouldn't be able to enter via Osh/Pamir Highway, and a visit that direction that starts in Dushanbe would require 1-2 days wasted getting a GBAO permit in Dushanbe.

[gerardborghuis]

I got confimation of the Ambassy in Bruxelles, 4-1-2022:
Dear Gerard Borghuis,
Thank you for contacting us!

We do inform you, that from January 1, 2022, citizens of the Netherlands for tourism purposes can come to Tajikistan without a visa for 30 days. Which means, you are welcome to travel to Tajikistan.

Regards,

Shahlo eVisa Team

[Christian77]

There is a possible problem with the 30-day visa free entry - it requires OVIR registration according to one source (US Embassy Dushanbe). Here's the excerpt:

Visa-free entry: Beginning January 1, 2022, U.S. citizen tourists will be eligible for visa-free entry into Tajikistan for stays lasting no more than 30 days (non-extendable). Registration within 10 days of arrival at the nearest Department of Visas and Registration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (OVIR) is required. Failure to register can result in fines and delay your departure. Tourists should seek registration assistance from their hotel.

Travelers planning to spend more than 30 days in Tajikistan should obtain an e-visa online or a E-visa from the Tajik Embassy to the United States.

Tourist e-visas: Tajikistan offers two types of e-visas: single entry and multiple entry. Visas are issued for a period of 90 days and are valid for stays up to 60 days. The e-visa is non-extendable and you can apply for it only if you are outside of Tajikistan. Registration with the Department of Visas and Registration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (OVIR) is not required.

OVIR police registration is no fun to do on your own (time consuming, $$). In the past, hotels handled this for a set fee, and it looks like they are expected to do so once again. Will small guesthouses and hostels offer this service? I really doubt it. I personally do not want to waste 1-2 days of my time getting police registration.

Maybe this is a copy & paste error that mixes some old and new information. Maybe OVIR registration is not required. If it is, then the regular e-visa system should be your first choice (it will be mine).

As for the visa free entry, I have only seen one anecdote, a European guy who said it didn't work at the airport a couple of days ago. Maybe they didn't get the memo... As usual, this will be sorted out after a few months worth of stories and accounts flow onto the internet.

[couchpotato]

OVIR police registration is no fun to do on your own (time consuming, $$). In the past, hotels handled this for a set fee, and it looks like they are expected to do so once again. Will small guesthouses and hostels offer this service? I really doubt it. I personally do not want to waste 1-2 days of my time getting police registration.

Maybe this is a copy & paste error that mixes some old and new information. Maybe OVIR registration is not required. If it is, then the regular e-visa system should be your first choice (it will be mine).

As for the visa free entry, I have only seen one anecdote, a European guy who said it didn't work at the airport a couple of days ago. Maybe they didn't get the memo... As usual, this will be sorted out after a few months worth of stories and accounts flow onto the internet.

Hey, Christian77

Do you have information regarding to the situation in Khorog and GBAO? Since 26th November last year, I can't contact my friends in Khorog. And possibility of traveling to GBAO sometime soon?