There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet about whether you can obtain a visa on arrival in Tajikistan. If you’re flying into Dushanbe International Airport (DYU), the answer is YES.
I am shocked at how much misinformation lurks on the internet concerning Tajikistan visas. Even some of the top google search results — which I will not dignify with a link — are flat out wrong.
e-Visa or Visa on Arrival?
There are two easy ways to obtain a visa to Tajikistan. The first is apply via the Republic of Tajikistan’s remarkably easy e-Visa website. The application is rather simple, payment is processed via credit card (American Express, MasterCard, or Visa), and your decision is instant. Once the payment is processed, a .pdf file is generated which you can download, print and present to border officials upon landing. The cost is $50USD for the nationalities listed below. Tajikistan does not have a reciprocal visa fee of $160 for U.S. citizens like many neighboring nations do.
The second option, if you are flying into Dushanbe International Airport (DYU), is to obtain a visa on arrival. Once you land and enter the international terminal, you will see windows on the left in which you can purchase your visa.
When I was there, I had to wait about 10 minutes for someone to show up to the office. But once there, the process was very straightforward. You do not have to bring any passport photos. Digital photos are taken and added to your passport. Payment was $40USD and only cash (USD) was accepted. Crisp/new bills only.
A British man who had gone through the e-Visa process and had a confirmation printout joined us as we waited for our visas to be prepared. An immigration agent sent him over to the visa counter, where a full-page visa sticker like the one below was printed for him.
With visa affixed to the passport, I was quickly stamped into the country.
Here’s a helpful list of nations exempt from visa required and those whose citizens are eligible to apply for an e-Visa or obtain a visa on arrival.
No Visa Required
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Moldova
- Russia
- Ukraine
e-Visa or Visa On Arrival
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- China*
- Cuba
- Egypt
- European Union nations (28)
- Hong Kong*
- Iceland
- India*
- Indonesia
- Iran*
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
- Macao*
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan*
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal*
- Singapore
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- United States
- Uzbekistan*
- Vatican City
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
*Note the starred nations are only eligible for an e-Visa and cannot apply for a visa upon arrival at Dushanbe International Airport.
Country Not There?
If your country is not listed above, it means you must apply for an visa prior to departure via a local embassy or consulate.
CONCLUSION
The visa process for Tajikistan was much easier than neighboring Uzbekistan. Cheaper too. Be careful what you read online. Don’t get scared into thinking you’ll need letters of invitation and other unnecessary documents for a tourist visa. The e-Visa portal is simple and easy to use.
Just a correction, e-visa’s take around 1-2 business days to process, they’re not instant. That said it’s not a huge wait, one of mine took around 16 hours and another around a day and a half. Though you do have to be careful of holidays and weekends.
I also find it interesting that I’ve never received a full sized visa in my passport, just a stamp at the immigration counter.
Thanks.
Hi dear this is Asma Farhang and I want to some information about traveling to Tajikistan. I’m from Afghanistan and I’m in a very bad situation right now. Because it’s war going on my country and me and my family are not save at all. I was wondering if we can travel to Tajikistan? And can you please tell how many days it will take to get visa for my self and family. Can you please answer my question as soon as possible! Thank you.
How would you travel there? Through the land border near Panjshir?
why you afghans are only to complain? and ask for help from anyone anywhere
Hello Matthew and thank you very much for these precious information.
I don’t see Italy in the VOA list, is it sure italian citizens must apply for a visa through an embassy?
Thanx a lot in advance.
Best regards
R.
Hi Roberto, you can obtain a visa on arrival. No problem.
Hello Matthew,
I just applied through the e-visa system and when my application was processed on January 30, 2018 the entry date was January 31, 2018 which was not the date of 4-27-18 I had entered. Something happened. Anyway, I am unable to apply for a corrected e-visa because the system says my passport already has one. Not sure if I should proceed with flight purchase. Reading your article it appears that I should be able to obtain a visa on arrival. I am a US citizen and would be flying from Hamburg on Turkish via IST.
Thoughts?
I would proceed with your ticket. If there is any problem with your visa upon arrival, you can purchase a new one at the window. Have a great trip!
Hello Matthew,
I am from Cambodia. And my country is not listed above to get eVisa or VOA. Do you any information as we don’t have Tajikistan embassy in Cambodia too.
Thanks
@SOthea:
That’s a difficult one. It appears you have to visit the Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to get a visa. Not sure how easy it is to get to Malaysia for you.
Hi,can i obtain electronic visa to Tajikistan from Tanzania
@John: It does not appear so.
Hi dear I have a Canadian Travel Document I am refugee I apply 2 times for evisa the reject my visa my question is if I go Thajikstan whiteout visa in the Airport the gonna give me on arrival visa or not I really want to go please help me thanks
Hello Mathew,pls how can a Nigeria citizen coming from Nigeria get a visa to Tajikistan for tourism?
It does not appear so.
And does Tajikistan have an embassy in Nigeria?
No. The closest one is in Cairo.
Hi mattiu kumar
Thanks for great help , I’m from egypt and my country listed for visa upon arrival, but I’m confused because at online there is an option for visa upon arrival then if it is upon arrival why should I fill online form . Thank you so mush
I read your guideline on Tajikistan visa on arrival which is dated September of last year. Very clearly explained and encouraging. Thank you for being helpful to your fellow travelers. Can I confidently assume that said visa on arrival is still effective as of today May 4 2018?
I am US passport holder. .
Hi Fernando, yes, you can plan on obtaining a visa on arrival.
Hi I have a mauritian passport from Mauritius not Mauritania.
People often get confused between the 2 countries.
I reside in South africa , no tajik embassy or consulate here, how do I get a visa? Any help would be appreciated.
On arrival.
Hi. My name is Arezoo. I am from Afghanistan. I want a visa for Tajikistan. Can you help me?
Please call the Tajik embassy in Kabul:
https://www.embassypages.com/missions/embassy22762/
Hi this is Ilona from Germany,
my husband and I ( both German ) and my 3 sisters in law ( US citizen) going to Dushanbe on June 2018.
We need a double entry and a GBAO permit for Pamir.
Our travel agency applied for us and we two German went to the embassy in Berlin to finish the process.
Takes us 4 weeks to get an appointment and today we nearly finished the process.
Our 3 sisters from US have no chance to go to Washington from California ( 3700 km ) to visit the embassy.
They get in contact with the embassy, they told them to apply a e visa – single entry with GBAO and optain a dounle entry at the arrival in Dushanbe.
Will that work??
The travel agency from Dushanbe apply also by the MFA in Dushanbe a double entry for them.
What do you think will be the best way.
Regards Ilona
Dear Ilona, I was surprised at how relaxed the process was at Dushanbe.
I would like you to have official clarification, but it would not surprise me at all if you could obtain the double entry permit you need at the airport upon arrival.
But in the interest of peace of mind, perhaps your sisters use a service like Allied Passport or Travisa to procure the visas on their behalf from the embassy in Washington?
Thanks Matthew,
I was yesterdax in contact with the embassy in Washington. Talk to two person and get two different information 🙂
You are right the interest of peace is important, we will enjoy the tour.
So now they will apply for an visa on arrival with multiple entry and one of the person from the embassy promised to approve the visa when he get the ID numbers after registrartin for the visa.
I hope it will work, I will let you know.
Regards Ilona
Hi Matthew, there is no Tajik consulate in S. africa , where I live. I have a Mauritian passport, Do you have any advice for me please?
Obtain on arrival.
I am a nigerian. how do we apply for visa to tajikistan?
Apply online here: https://www.evisa.tj/index.evisa.html
Information as of 25JUN18 / 0420 UTCNational Nigeria (NG) /Embarkation Nigeria (NG)
Destination Tajikistan (TJ)
Tajikistan (TJ)
Passport required.
- Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be
valid on arrival.
Visa required.
Visa Issuance:
- E-visas can be obtained before departure at
https://www.evisa.tj
. Passengers must have a printed e-visa
confirmation.
Tajikistan (TJ)
Vaccinations not required.
Recommended:
- Malaria prophylaxis: malaria risk, mainly due to P. vivax
exists from June to October inclusive, particularly in
southern areas (Khatlon Region), and in some central
(Dushanbe), western (Gorno-Badakhstan Autonomous Region),
and northern (Leninabad Region) areas. Recommended
prevention in P. vivax only risk areas: B; in southern risk
areas near the border with Afghanistan: C.
Am from Nigeria and I have already gotten my confirmation of invitation letter from the consulate of foriegn affairs in Tajikistan, are mine allowed to enter the country with it, and how many dollars do I have to pay on arrival at the airport of Dushanbe for my visa to be stamped in my passports and what are the requirements for that…. Thanks!!
You can obtain the visa upon arrival for 40USD.
Hi Matthew,
Im working in dubai and want to visit tajikistan. i dont have time to get visa here in dubai, I am a philippine passport holder. For us as a Flipino ,. can we get visa on arrival? Thanks
Hi Levi,
You can obtain a visa upon arrival. Here’s the exact language:
https://www.evisa.tj. Passengers must have a printed e-visa
confirmation.
Visa required, except for Nationals of Philippines can obtain
a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 45 days at Dushanbe
(DYU).
Tajikistan (TJ)
Vaccinations not required.
My brother wants to visit Dushanbe in December for 5 days. He’s a U.S. citizen. He’s applied online for a visa. Does he need to get his visa in U.S. or at the airport? It would be a disaster if he gets there and they turn him away. Thanks.
Hi, Matthew – this was a very useful article. Would you know if one can get a visa on arrival on the UNLP – United national Laissez Passe? This is a UN diplomatic passport?
This is not a listed country, but it would not surprise me if you could also receive a visa on arrival. Do report back if you find out.
What does it mean of “Petition Letter of the tourist organization” in applying for evisa? Can i just simply attach my hotel confirmation?
In my case, yes. I just used my Hyatt confirmation.
Nazir
Hi Mathew ,I am from Afghanistan but live in Germany and have Travel Document.
What is required to get the Visa ?
Thank you
Dear Nazir, You can obtain an e-visa prior to arrival. Here’s the official word:
Hi Mathew,
Your site is very useful..
Im a Filipino citizen, me and my husband wants to travel/ tour in Takistan Dushanbe, how can we apply, theres no Takistan embassy in the Philippines.
Hi Lea, have you tried applying for a visa on arrival using the e-visa link above?
HI,
I’m former Tajikistan citizen, US citizen presently. Can I get visa on arrival. I will go to Khujand not to Dushanbe. Please let me know. Thank you
hi. how about for Philippines Matthew?
No problem.
https://www.ivisa.com/tajikistan-visa?nationality=PH
Hi Matthew
You are very optimistic about Tajikistan.
I’m Swiss frequent traveller to Tajikistan for more than 20 years, I even have business over there.
Recently the situation has changed a lot. For no reasons, many times myself and many of my European friends did not get entry visa , neither throught the internet site nor at the airport.
To be on the safe side, make sure to have your visa printed , before making any plans to travel to Tajikistan.
Hi, I’m from the US and it says I can apply for a VOA. But my flight lands in Dushanbe at 3:30 am. Do you think the VOA office will be open to receive me?
My hunch is an immigration officer will always be available, you may just have to wait a bit. When I arrived, the office was closed but they fetched someone to come over.
Matthew, I am a Nepali citizen who lives in Cambodia and will need to travel to Tajikistan this summer. What are my options. The IATA website tells me I have to have a visa prior to travel. This, I assume means that I have to visit a consulate. The closest one to Cambodia is Kuala Lumpur. Is this my only option. On the VOA website, I encountered some conflicting advice. I was was able to enter Nepal in the VOA form and it led me to an online application. Would that still lead me to receiving a physical stamp at a consulate location like KL or would that result in a letter/pdf I can produce at the airport to get my VOA. Complicated situation. Please advise.
Thank you.
Hi AB, that’s a complicated situation. Have you reached out to the consulate in KL?
Here is the official rule, which says an e-visa is available for you:
Hi Matthew, I am still in limbo. An e-Visa option is not available for Nepal in the system (it doesn’t show up in the drop down menu). I have been advised by the Delhi mission that I have to come to Delhi because I am a Nepalese citizen, but I have also spoken to the KL embassy who have insisted that I use the Visa on Arrival option, even when I have told them that I am willing to come to KL for the visa. I am kinda lost on what to do. Is there a definitive answer to whether I can get the visa on arrival? In your list in this article, Nepal is not listed in the countries that are eligible. Going to KL is the easiest option for me but the Consular officer is telling me just get the VOA.
Hi,
Just to confirm the price for tajikistan visa at the airport still $40 for eu members?
thanks
basically since we are and eu nationals we do not need e-visa online? we can obtain the visa upon arrivall?
Also do children under the age of 16 pay same rate?
thank you so much
Correct. And same rate for youth.
hi,
Is visa on arrival in Dushanbe Internation Airport given only for 1 month or can I ask for 45 days And what would the price then?I am a UE citizen.
Thank you
Hi,
As a Philippine Passport holder, i can obtain visa on arrival in Dushanbe?
I am Canadian citizen can i get visa on arrival in Tajikistan airport?
yes.
Hi Matthew! Thank you for your informative and direct addressing of the issue. I am a Kiwi and my nation is among those that can obtain a visa on arrival. I just called the Tajikistan Embassy in Seoul to inquire about getting a visa on arrival without having to go through the e-visa process. The gentleman with whom I spoke confirmed what you have asserted. A visa on arrival can be issued when arriving at Dushanbe Airport. There is no need to apply for an e-visa. So that puts that issue to bed. Much appreciation for your clear position on this matter. Cheers!
Hi Matthew: THank you for the info. I applied for an evisa yesterday. I put in all the proper info and as I was putting in the credit card info I mistakenly pushed the wrong button and the application was sent without all the credit card info. I received an email that they received the request and it would be processed upon payment. The email said to go back to Manage Applications and following the other instructions a Web portal would pop up where we could put in the info to pay. That didn’t happen. SO, one, do you know a way to get in touch with them? I sent an email to them on their site. Two if I am not able to resolve it using the evisa site, from what you said I will be able to get the visa upon arrival at the airport. by the way we arrive at 4 in the morning. THanks Larry
Hi: will the visa at the airport have_ GBAO as well? THanks
Hello
My friend from Libiya (who lives in Germany, and we both studied in the UK) applied for evisa and got rejected 2 days later :/ Libiya is not on your list , but I saw it on other websites. Can she get visa on arrival? Do you think it’s worth risking it?
I don’t recommend the risk unless you can get a note from a Tajik embassy or consulate authorizing her to purchase a visa on arrival.
Hi,
I am french and applied for an evisa on the 13th of August but the application is still in progress. I need to cross the border from Samarkand to Dushanbe tomorrow and I don’t know what to do. Is it possible to apply for a visa upon arrival at the land border?
Thank you for your help
Good question and I unfortunately don’t know. Please let me know how it turns out. I’m quite curious.
Hey Matthew,
Is there an ATM or money exchange booth on site at the Dushanbe airport that will give USD? Thanks
I did not see one.
Dear Sir
I would like to know more detail about how to apply visa for Tajikistan
from Lao PDR.
Thank you
What would you like to know?
I am a Nepalese citizen and working in Afghanistan near Tajik Border. I wonder if I can get VISA to visit Tajikistan during my Vacation, as I cannot see my country in the list. Can you please tell me the process to get visa and how much will it cost?
I have no info on land borders, but would love to hear your experience. All I know is that you could get one upon arrival in Dushanbe.
Hello Matthew, i applied for my tajik evisa 2 weeks ago, and i am supposed to fly next week (Paris – Doshanbe – i am a French passport holder).
Do you think that if i print my evisa currently « assessed » application, they will print my visa on arrival in Doshanbe intl airport (will i have to pay again there ?)
Thank you !
Carine
I hope they will approve in time. As a backup, you can buy a new one three. That may not even be necessary if you are in their system.