Tajik borders closed until after 15th September

[wickychicky]

After waiting for a week in Bishkek for our visas and GBAO permit, we were finally informed by the embassy today that

the Tajik borders are currently closed and will remain so until after 15th September.

There is a summit of central Asian presidents on 15th and before that the Independence Day holiday on 9th.

Anyone already in possession of a visa will be refused entry, according to the official here.

Bad luck for us :-(
Wonder if we'll get our Iran visa now, scheduled for pick up in Dushanbe next week...pfffff... Tense times.

[crisidsto]

This is very bad news.

I hope everything is solved soon

[rtwpaul]

i crossed the TJ border today west of Dushanbe into UZ, not a problem at all...besides the bad attitude and the hustle for bribes that is

[wickychicky]

Yes, you were going the right way.. Out, rather than in.

[rtwpaul]

when i was going out i saw seven Mongol rally cars from the UK coming in and spoke with them and none had a problem at all

[wickychicky]

Then I am jealous, because here in Bishkek they won't even give us a visa

[rtwpaul]

i went with people to the embassy to get visas in Bishkek a week or so ago and they were issuing them in 24 hours, Bishkek is now only allowed to offer a 5 day GBAO permit, you can get extensions if you contact patrick at muztoo, he also maybe able to find other options for you as he has good connections...so you may want to take that into account with your plans

[wickychicky]

I will contact him, thanks.
There were at least 50 other passports lying on his desk and not being worked on.
I had a bad feeling when we go there as I had expected same day to 24 hours and he said come back in 3.
I wonder if the statement about the border closures is just an excuse because for whatever reason, they aren't issuing the visas there now.

[rtwpaul]

all i can tell you is what i found out when i was there, i was with Sambor1965 (advrider) and he has been traveling in the area for 21 years taking groups all over and is a regular at that embassy, he asked for a specific lady who used to do the visas and was very on top of things according to him...she no longer works there

when we got there, there was about six people with passports in hand and he (the new guys) couldn't keep up

the following day when the rider went to collect his passport he closed the embassy door in the middle of the day for over two hours for no reason but when he did reopen he handed out passports with visas and permits inside

like i said contact patrick he is your most knowledgable english speaking option, good luck

[holodragon]

I crossed out of Tajikistan via the Denov crossing into Uzbekistan, west of Dushanbe, no problems, interested in me & bike but no attempts for a bribe. Uzbek side the same, much longer to exit due to the customs chaps being quite thorough, apart from a rant about Osh Kyrgyz they were professional but friendly. I too saw a number of Mongol rally cars & heard of no problems.

[wickychicky]

We have just spoken to the embassy again, because it's really annoying to hear of people getting in when we can't.

His statement today was that the borders WILL CLOSE for everyone from 1st September.

His office may not issue visas until after 15th.

We were so close to getting in... We were probably at the embassy only a day or 2 after rtwpaul.

[crisidsto]

Very good info the border is regularly open and the info from Bishkek proven to be wrong, for every traveller in the region, and for the beautiful people living in the area!

wickychicky, don't lose your faith: contact Patrick, contact Chinara, contact everyone you know having connections and you'll find a way to get in!

It's Asia...

[FS]

I was just at Taj consulate in Istanbul today. They said minimum two weeks to get visa (for after 15th Sep) and referred to he same "conference".

I will probably have to leave Turkey and hope to get a visa with not too long wait somewhere on the way through Kaz and Uz...

This bureaucratic visa situation in the region is really disheartening

[Chri8]

Hi

the conference is the SCO meeting (Shanghai five), and seems to be very high ranking. When we ended our holidays mid of august in the Pamirs, we already heard about it. BTW the president should be at the end of august in the Pamirs, another reason for short term border closures there (eg Ishkashim).

[wickychicky]

Imagine if the host country prevented tourist access every time there was s G8 summit


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