Caravanistan

Information that we got from getting SIM cards in Dushanbe on April 23rd, 2019:

Megafon did NOT ask for registration. They did ask for a passport. They no longer have data plans available; you just have to refill your credit. It's something like 30 TJS per GB on top of the 40 TJS for the SIM card (I bet you can find this cheaper...)

TCell DID ask for registration. We did not have it. We asked our hostel owner and he said it costs 200 TJS.

Both the locations we went to were the ones near the big flagpole, on Rudaki Street. Guess we'll get a TCell SIM in Khorog.

We managed to get a TCell simcard in Dushanbe!

We went to the TCell shop just northwest of the Opera Ballet, at the junction of Huseynzade Street and Rudaki Avenue. It looks like the main shop - big and has free WiFi. One of the staff (who spoke good English) first said that according to a new law, tourists can buy a simcard for 10 days without registration, but for longer than that, we need a registration. It may (or may not) be the same as this:

https://mvd.tj/index.php/en/development ... im-karty-2

We figured that since we were going to OVIR anyway, we'd go there and ask about registration too. The officer at OVIR, however, said that he could not register us because tourists with e-visas cannot be registered. He gave us his number and asked us to go back to TCell and ask the TCell staff to call him.

We did just that, and what ensued was the TCell staff spending about an hour trying to sort out the matter, making phone calls here and there and checking our passports and visas. At the end of it all, he finally said that he could issue us a simcard! He took scans of our passports and e-visas and we got a simcard for 45 somoni (5 somoni for the card, 5 for credit, and 35 for a data package valid for 30 days). The simcard itself is valid until the last day of our visa.

We hope that it is now easier for others who want to buy a TCell simcard in Dushanbe!

The TCell shop near the train station in Dushanbe was also happy to sell me a SIM card for the length of my e-visa (without registration) in August 2019. Both of the agents working when I went spoke English and were very helpful. I added the store to Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qjvnZU4gfj8k8bJaA

It's right next to ZET Mobile, but you'll need to look upwards to see the sign.

In Khujand, neither of the two TCell shops I tried would sell me a SIM for more than 10 days past my Tajikistan entry-date, but Megafon was happy too. Prices were also much better in Dushanbe if I'm remember correctly.

I got a free TCell SIM card at the airport (opposite the exit in arrivals hall). The lady took a photocopy of my passport and said the SIM would be active in 10 mins... It never worked.

Today I asked at a TCell office who said the lady didn't activate it. They sold me a new card for 40 Somoni for Gb1.5 valid for 10 days. They took a copy of my passport, landing card and evisa.

When coming from Kyrgyzstan (Osh) on the Pamir Highway, the first chance to get a SIM card is at Murghab in the containers bazaar where we bought ours at Megafon. Very quick, relatively expensive (they have several deals - we took 3Gb for approx. $10; they are all valid one month), you just need your passport.

One of the 2 SIM cards worked on Edge in Murghab and Alichur. The other one started working as well when we reached Yamchun.
We both had no signal in the Wakhan Valley from the eastern start to Yamchun. Then it improved gradually from limited Edge in Yamchun to slow 3G in Ishkashim and decent 3G after Khorog.

rhinomaxil wrote:When coming from Kyrgyzstan (Osh) on the Pamir Highway, the first chance to get a SIM card is at Murghab in the containers bazaar where we bought ours at Megafon. Very quick, relatively expensive (they have several deals - we took 3Gb for approx. $10; they are all valid one month), you just need your passport.

One of the 2 SIM cards worked on Edge in Murghab and Alichur. The other one started working as well when we reached Yamchun.
We both had no signal in the Wakhan Valley from the eastern start to Yamchun. Then it improved gradually from limited Edge in Yamchun to slow 3G in Ishkashim and decent 3G after Khorog.

Could you update after 10 days? Many people are wondering if the cards sold by the Megafon guy in Murghab will work after the legal period of ten days. The Megafon sellers in Dushanbe and Khujand are mostly registering the 10-day version only. But things may be more "flexible" in Murghab...

Christian77 wrote:

rhinomaxil wrote:When coming from Kyrgyzstan (Osh) on the Pamir Highway, the first chance to get a SIM card is at Murghab in the containers bazaar where we bought ours at Megafon. Very quick, relatively expensive (they have several deals - we took 3Gb for approx. $10; they are all valid one month), you just need your passport.

One of the 2 SIM cards worked on Edge in Murghab and Alichur. The other one started working as well when we reached Yamchun.
We both had no signal in the Wakhan Valley from the eastern start to Yamchun. Then it improved gradually from limited Edge in Yamchun to slow 3G in Ishkashim and decent 3G after Khorog.

Could you update after 10 days? Many people are wondering if the cards sold by the Megafon guy in Murghab will work after the legal period of ten days. The Megafon sellers in Dushanbe and Khujand are mostly registering the 10-day version only. But things may be more "flexible" in Murghab...

We bought it on October 5th. Today is the 19th and I’m watching the rugby World Cup on my phone, so no problem

Tajikistan will now hand out free sim cards to all tourists

https://vkd.tj/index.php/en/development ... im-karty-2

steven wrote:Tajikistan will now hand out free sim cards to all tourists

https://vkd.tj/index.php/en/development ... im-karty-2

They didn't seem to follow through on that. I entered twice since the announcement and no sign of free SIM cards anywhere. Other travellers in the hostels didn't get free SIM cards in entry either. But neither I nor the other travellers asked when entering. Maybe they have a magical pile of free SIM cards under the counter and you just have to ask....

They are only for 10 days so pretty useless anyway