Tajikistan long-term vehicle storage

[steven]

This thread gathers all questions and reports surrounding long-term car and motorbike parking in Tajikistan.

We sum up all tips and rules surrounding long-term parking across Eurasia in our article on Long-term vehicle storage on a Silk Road trip.

[steven]

First report, summer 2016, Tajikistan, from my inbox:

After reading Caravanistan, I decided to aim to sell it / dump it in Kyrgyzstan. I found someone in Eastern Tajikistan, a Kyrgyz, to be really helpful in helping me find a mechanic to replace busted shocks, and mentioned to him that I'd be looking to sell my car in Kyrgyzstan in a week or so, for 500$ + them taking car of the import duties, and did he know someone I could talk to.

Turns out he was interested and researched it (calling a friend who is an importer etc.). Import taxes were high (4100$ for a 1.59L right hand drive that was 12 years old. Also, right hand drive will be illegal to sell/transact on (but not drive) in Kyrgyzstan after 2020 (but still tons of right hand drive from Japan, I would estimate Osh is 30% right hand drive).

He's not sure whether he'll actually register it, find a scarpyard with a similar car and buy the plates off of them, or whether he can find a "friend" to smooth things over. If he doesn't register it, he'll still use it for his sheeps/yaks in the mountains, that's no problem he says.

We crossed the tajik border with me leaving the car in Tajikistan no problem (he accompanied me in case there was a problem). I"m not sure if that's simply easy to do, or whether the Osh-Murgab border is one of the only ones that remains to be computerised (on the Tajik side) but for whatever reason, it was easy.

My recommendation for people thinking about leaving a car is:
- if you can't sell it, find someone in a rural area who could use it without registering it
- see if you can leave across a land border, which is likely easier to negotiate than an airport border, and fly out from the neighbouring country.

Not sure that's helpful, but it all worked out for me.

Thanks again for your extraordinarily useful site!

[HamerChris]

3 weeks ago, I had to fly back to collect a new clutch for my motorbike due to current postal problems in Tajikistan. My plan was to return within 2 weeks, however while I was back in the UK, my mother in law sadly passed away. I am therefore not going to return to Tajikistan until July 2018.

Does any one know if this will cause me any issues when I come to exit Tajikistan with the bike? For example, will I have to pay some kind of import tax because the bike has stayed in the country for 12 months
Is there anything I need to do now that will help next year?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[moffy]

Hi Chris. I saw your bike at the "Bikehouse". Nice bike! I've left my bike there for a year twice. When you ride out, obviously your vehicle document will have expired. Last time i did this i tryed playing the dumb tourist at the border, but eventually had to pay a fine/bribe for them to make a new document and let me through.