Embassy report: Tajik visa in Bishkek

[kimomydog]

Since I've benefitted so much from these forums, it's time to give back!

SUMMARY:
-Tajik visa + GBAO permit = $50 usd + $20 usd. No additional fee.
-Arrived at embassy at 9:30am September 13, 2018 (Thursday) and picked up/paid visa on the next day at 10:00am.
-Didn't complete any forms (physical or online) previously.
-Needed passport, forms the embassy gave me, and small facial photo to attach to the form...and fingers for digital fingerprinting (in person at the embassy).
-Asked for double entry visa for a total of 30 days, but was only given single entry for 30 days with the explanation that this particular embassy only gives out single entry visas.
-Tajik visa is a page-sized signed sticker, and the GBAO permit is just a signed stamp.
-USA citizen.

MORE DETAILS:
The embassy is located in the southeastern part of the city quite a ways from the city center. It took me about 20-30 minutes on a marshrutka each way. Marshrutka #212 leaves from the big bazaar, passes through the city center, and can drop you off within 0.5 km (or less) from the Tajik embassy at the intersection. 10 som per person per direction. From the marshrutka bus stop, it's a straight residential road from the main street direct to the embassy. If you walk the road you cannot miss it as the street leads into the walls of the embassy. There is a little guardhouse and a door. If there is a guard just say "visa" and he'll let you in. If no guard, just open the door and proceed forward to the building ahead. I got there at 9:30am and only one group of travellers was before me being helped.

For me, there was a super nice young/middle-age-ish gentleman at the window helping people get their visas. He speaks English really well with a soft voice. Tell him if you want the visa and the GBAO permit (if you are travelling between Osh and Khorog, you need the GBAO permit). He will hand you two forms...one is the official Tajik visa form with all the boxes you need to fill out that looks like all the other visa applications out there, and the other is a simple form for the GBAO permit. He will tell you what to write for the GBAO permit. "Pamir travel." He is the same guy that processes the visa, so it's best to simply write what he tells you to write. When I was finished with the forms, I gave it to him, my passport, and my photo. He made a copy of my passport, gave it back to me, and told me to come back the next day at 10:00am. He told me to pay the next day.

I arrived there around 9:30am, and I was done around 10:30am. By that time, several other groups of people have entered, so it's important to come early if you don't want to wait in line. I walked back to the main intersection to catch #212 marshrutka back to the city center.

The next day, I returned at 10:00am. This time, no one was there before me. I gave him my passport, and it took a while for the same gentleman to insert all the information. Then he took digital fingerprints from my fingers.

Before he puts the visa in your passport, he will show you the visa sticker. If not, request to do so. He accidentally put my entry and exit date as 2028, which is super far from now and not good for my travel plans!!! He then took another 20 minutes to remove the sticker and then make a new one. Once he gives you the sticker (and the GBAO stamp), you pay $50 usd for the visa and $20 usd for the permit. Bring usd! Once you have paid, you are free to go. It was about 11:00am when I left, and there was actually a line of people waiting to be serviced, so again...show up early!!!

I hope this helps!

[eomsaa]

Two Norwegians applying for 30 day single entry Visa with GBAO permit.

You have to fill out 1 form for visa and 1 short form for GBAO. They will help you with anything you're unsure about.
They asked us if we wanted to pick up the visa the day after or over the weekend, and we chose the latter because the day after was Women's Day.

When we came back things took really long because one of us had an older Norwegian Visa, so there was some problems with the database or something, but after a couple hours everything was ready. We paid 50 usd for the visa+20 for permit each.

The official in the kiosk was really nice and we had a friendly conversation with him while we waited for everything to sorry itself our.

All in all the most easy and straightforward embassy experience imaginable.

[Kit.law.70]

Best experience I can have in embassy.
HKSAR passport holder applying for 30-day single entry tourist visa without GBAO permit.
Picked visa up after 1 day and everything is really smooth.
I even got a little postcard of Tajikistan for welcoming.

According to embassy, tourist visa can only grant a single entry at most cases.
If anyone is going to other countries(e.g. Afghanistan) and back to Tajikistan, do 2 e-visas.