Tajikistan E-visa Q&A

[arsenal901]

Is it not possible to purchase two e-visas before entering Tajikistan, and then using one of the visas on first entry and the second during the next? OR does the second application need to be made after your first entry into Tajikistan?

I would be interested to know if this is possible or not.

I heard from some friends that they did it this way last year: they showed the first evisa at the first entry, exited to Afghanistan and reentered the second time with the second evisa (with different dates than the first one).

For anybody planning a visit to Afghan Wakhan this looks like the best option, but I'm reading the following lines in the caravanistan visa page and would like to know more:
"However, do note that you cannot buy a second e-visa before you enter Tajikistan for the first time: border guards will stamp the newest visa, rendering the older e-visa invalid. This means that you will have to buy the second e-visa while you are already in Tajikistan. Print it, and hide it in your bag.

Note that this is against the rules, but that everyone, including tour operators who manage tours to the Afghan Wakhan, do it."

Simplifyig, the main questions are 2:
Is it possible to obtain 2 evisas valid (with different dates) before entering the first time? Yes or No?
If the answer to the first question is Yes, is it possible to show just the first evisa to the border guards at the first entry and hide the second one in the bag? Will they recognize this?

Anyone with more insight into this? I wanted to understand whether I will be able to end up making my trip to Afghanistan or not, especially with the delays in getting e-visas recently. My plan for now is to land in Osh on July 4th and take a 8 day/7 night trip from Osh to Dushanbe with day 5 being reserved for a trip to Ishkashim in Afghanistan. We cross into Tajikistan on day 1 itself but I am being told that I wont have access to internet this day.

[Chintoz]

Just got my approval as well. Applied on 11th, so 6 days. Guess the backlog is starting to clear up.

[Baschdl]

Thanks for all the feedback. Short update:

I still have not received the eVisa. Traveled back to Tashkent and just came back from the Tajik Embassy (skipping a line of at least 30 people trying to apply for a regular visa), but the only information I got was that they can't help me with visa issues. Requests to forward my issue to Dushanbe were denied.

So almost three weeks have passed now. I will wait until about 4pm, if I somehow magically receive the eVisa I will try to get onto the bus to Khujand (hope that still runs every day at around 6pm from Olmajar), if not I will buy a train ticket to ferghana or Andijon (any recommendations? Ferghana is probably more beautiful? ), skipping tajikistan altogether.

I bet I'll receive the eVisa either tomorrow or on Wednesday right after the point of no return. But some part of me doesn't even really care anymore, I just want to continue traveling with only one week left here in Central Asia.

[Baschdl]

I have been waiting almost three weeks now for my E-Visa, as stated in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10238

I lost several days of traveling being stuck in Uzbekistan and now I looks like I will have to skip Tajikistan entirely.

Good luck to everyone else waiting for their visa.

[arsenal901]

I have been waiting almost three weeks now for my E-Visa, as stated in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10238

I lost several days of traveling being stuck in Uzbekistan and now I looks like I will have to skip Tajikistan entirely.

Good luck to everyone else waiting for their visa.

Did you email [email protected] ?

[Baschdl]

Yes I did, no answer.

However, I just received the visa, two hours after I decided to give up on Tajikistan and bought a train ticket to Ferghana and booked a (non-canceable) hostel in Ferghana... I knew it, it's ridiculous how everything turned out.

Now I am in Tashkent with a train tomorrow morning at 8am to Ferghana, not knowing what to do *facepalm*

[bwv812]

I'd rather eat the train ticket and hostel booking than miss out on a place you actually wanted to go to.

[Baschdl]

Sure, I will do that and certainly go to Tajikistan, if only for a short amount of time. If was just "funny" how the visa arrived right after I made the reservations after waiting for three weeks an having given up a few hours before.

However, I am trying to figure out what makes sense time wise as I have to be in Bishkek in one week from now. Will I simply go to Chudschand and continue from there towards Osh, or will a take a big risk and head down towards Samarkand/Panjikent again.. A lot to figure out.

[Kwongeroo]

Received my visa last night the 17th, having applied on Friday the 14th. Seems like visa processing times are nearly normal again.

[Baschdl]

My E-Visa finally arrived yesterday late evening after 20 days of waiting, so the issue has been resolved. Lost several days waiting at the border and a lot of nerves, but I am in Tajikistan now, albeit having to rush though all of it.

Thread can be closed, thanks for all the help I received.