From: owner-travel-advisories Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Tajikistan Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1997 18:16:43 GMT Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Xref: world wstd.travel.advisories:1446 Path: world!crb Message-ID: <970825181642_76702.1202_CHN42-1@CompuServe.COM> Precedence: bulk Sender: crb@world.std.com (daemons) Distribution: wstd Approved: usenet@world.std.com Lines: 149 STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Tajikistan ============================================================ Tajikistan - Consular Information Sheet April 18, 1997 Country Description: Tajikistan, a newly independent nation in Central Asia, has been undergoing profound political and economic changes since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Since the civil war in 1992, sporadic fighting has continued, largely in remote areas, but with some incidents in Dushanbe. Tourist facilities are undeveloped and many of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries are unavailable. The U.S. Embassy is very limited in the services it can provide outside Dushanbe. Entry Requirements: A passport and visa are required. Entry into Tajikistan at points along the Gorno-Badakhshan border requires special authorization in advance. Without a visa, travelers cannot register at hotels and may be required to leave the country immediately. In the U.S., visas for Tajikistan are issued by the Russian Embassy, Consular Division, 1825 Phelps Place NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 939-8907, or the Russian Consulates in New York, San Francisco or Seattle. Tajik visas granted by these offices are valid for a stay of five days in Tajikistan. Visas issued for other CIS countries (except Turkmenistan) are also valid for up to a five-day stay in Tajikistan. If travelers plan a longer stay, they may apply for a longer visa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after arriving in the country. Note: Travelers who intend to visit Tajikistan should obtain double entry Russian visas, or apply for an additional single-entry visa in Dushanbe for the return flight through Russia. Travelers should obtain Uzbek visas if planning to transit Uzbekistan. Internal Travel: Travel to, from and within Tajikistan is difficult and unreliable. Flights may be cancelled or substantially delayed. Return commercial charter flights are frequently overloaded with merchandise. International train connections are dangerous because of criminals operating on board. Road Conditions and Traffic Safety: Road travel can be made difficult by checkpoints, where police or soldiers are generally armed and will shoot if vehicles do not stop. Vehicles with Tajik license plates have frequently been refused permission to enter Uzbekistan and vice-versa, so a change of vehicles at the border may be required. The U.S. Embassy recommends that road travel should be done only in daylight hours, and on routes known to the traveler or a reliable escort. Areas of Instability: Although the security situation in the capital and environs is currently quiet, in February 1997, two United Nations vehicles were hijacked in broad daylight and their occupants taken hostage. There also has been a series of murders of ethnic Russians including seven murders in one night. Outside Dushanbe, there have been sporadic nighttime fighting in Tursunzade and demonstrations in several cities. To date, Americans have not been targeted, but bystanders have been hurt in some of these attacks. Because of this unpredictability, U.S. travelers should avoid demonstrations, crowds, and places where military personnel congregate. The U.S. Embassy recommends Americans remain inside during hours of darkness. In 1996, fighting occurred between the government, Russian border guards and opposition forces, mainly in remote sections along the Afghan border, and between the government, opposition, and bandit forces, mainly in the Gharm (Karotegin) Valley and Tavildara. Checkpoints and, occasionally, dangerously unsettled conditions exist in the Gharm Valley, Tavildara and portions of the autonomous region of Gorno Badakhshan (the eastern mountainous half of Tajikistan). Travel within 15 miles of the Afghanistan border is tightly controlled and potentially dangerous. Security forces are visible in the capital and the southern half of the country. U.S. citizens should check with the U.S. Embassy for current information before traveling outside of Dushanbe. The situation in the northern part of the country, Leninabad Province, has been generally quiet. Medical Facilities: The medical infrastructure of Tajikistan has deteriorated significantly. Many trained medical personnel have left the country. There is a general scarcity of medical equipment and medicines, and a potential for significant disease outbreaks due to population shifts and the breakdown in immunization activity. There have been outbreaks of typhoid in the Dushanbe area and in the south, and the risk of cholera and water-borne illnesses is high. U.S. medical insurance is not always valid outside the United States. Travelers have found that supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas coverage, including air evacuation, has proved useful. The government of Tajikistan has recently passed legislation requiring visitors who will remain in country for more than 90 days to present a medical certificate showing that they are AIDS-free, or to submit to an AIDS test in Tajikistan. This testing requirement has not been implemented, but could be at any time. Because of the lack of medical supplies, submitting to an AIDS test in Tajikistan could be risky. Further information on health matters can be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) international travelers' hotline, telephone (404) 332-4559 or via the CDC home page on the Internet: http://www.cdc.gov. Crime Information: Tajikistan is a country with a struggling economy and widespread unemployment, which have resulted in high street crime. Travelers should not travel alone or on foot after dark. The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The Department of State's pamphlet "A Safe Trip Abroad" provides useful information on guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad. Additional information on the region can be found in the brochure "Tips for Travelers to Russia and the Newly Independent States." Both publications are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402. Currency Regulations: Tajikistan is a cash-only economy. International banking services are not available. Credit cards and traveler's checks are not accepted. Travel with large amounts of cash can be dangerous. Although some private shops continue to accept Russian rubles, Tajikistan has introduced its' own currency, the Tajik ruble. It is illegal to trade in any currency but the Tajik ruble. The Tajik ruble must be used in all state shops and to purchase airline tickets on Air Tajikistan. Drug Penalties: U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the country in which they are traveling. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines. Registration and Embassy Location: U.S. citizens are urged to register with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy and obtain updated information on travel and security within Tajikistan. The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe is temporarily located at the Hotel October, 105A Prospekt Rudaki; telephone (7) (3772) 21-03-56. No. 97-067 This replaces the Consular Information Sheet for Tajikistan dated November 18, 1996 to lift the Travel Warning and add information on Areas of Instability. ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- The "travel-advisories@stolaf.edu" mailing list is the official Internet and BITNET distribution point for the U.S. State Department Travel Warnings and Consular Information Sheets. 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