Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business.

Sunni Muslim 85%, Shia Muslim 5%, Other 10%

Tajikistan has one of the lowest per capita GDPs among the 15 former Soviet republics. Only 7% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the most important crop, but this sector is burdened with debt and an obsolete infrastructure.

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Mobile Force.

A valid passport and visa are required to enter and exit Tajikistan, as well as for registration at hotels. The visa should be valid for the entire period of stay in country, through departure, and travelers should ideally request visas that allow for changing travel dates. Failure to produce a valid visa will require the traveler to leave the country immediately. Travelers planning to arrive in Tajikistan from countries that have Tajik embassies or consulates must obtain Tajik visas abroad prior to their travel. Tajikistan is represented by embassies and consulates in the following countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, Afghanistan (Kabul, Mazori Sharif), Austria, Belarus, Belgium, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), and Uzbekistan.  Travelers arriving in Tajikistan from countries in which there are no Tajik embassies or consulates must have Tajik visa support, in the form of a letter from the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) confirming that a visa may be issued, in order to receive a Tajik visa at the Dushanbe International Airport upon arrival. Travelers also need to have two passport-size photos, a visa application form (2 copies), and a passport valid for at least six months following the duration of the planned stay in Tajikistan. Travelers arriving without these documents may be denied entry and deported from Tajikistan. Visas issued at the Dushanbe airport are normally valid for only 45 days. This “upon arrival” visa service does not apply to any other Tajik airports or land borders. Receiving a visa at the airport may also entail some waiting time at the Consular bureau at the airport, which in rare cases may not even be staffed.
Most travelers staying in Tajikistan three days or longer must, within three days of arrival in Tajikistan, obtain registration stamps at the MFA or the Department of Visas and Registration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (OVIR), depending on whether the purpose of the visit to Tajikistan is for official or personal travel. The only exception to this rule is holders of “tourist” visas (normally marked on visa stickers with a letter “T”), who are staying in Tajikistan for up to 30 days. Tourists do not need to register with OVIR, unless they decide to extend their stay, in which case they should register prior to the 30 day limit. Holders of all other visa categories must register with the MFA or OVIR within three days of arrival in Tajikistan. A few hotels in Dushanbe are also allowed to register foreign citizens staying at those hotels. Immigration authorities may deny the departure of travelers who failed to register their visas until after they have paid a fine and obtained the registration stamps at the MFA or OVIR.
In order to receive visa support, an organization inviting a traveler to Tajikistan must submit a request to the MFA at least two weeks in advance of the planned travel date to Tajikistan. Persons planning to arrive in Tajikistan at the invitation of a private Tajik resident (e.g., a friend or relative in Tajikistan) need to obtain a notification letter from OVIR. According to OVIR, it may take up to 45 days to obtain the notification letter.  The MFA will issue Tajik visa support on the basis of the OVIR notification letter. The inviting party should send a copy of visa support to the traveler. The original MFA visa support will be sent to the Consular bureau at Dushanbe airport.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, persons traveling at the invitation of Tajik organizations or travel agencies, who are applying for visas at Tajik embassies or consulates abroad, will be able to obtain single-entry Tajik visas valid for 45 days upon direct submission of their visa request to the Tajik embassy or consulate (without a visa support letter). With the issuance of visa support, travelers applying for visas at Tajik embassies or consulates abroad will be able to obtain multiple-entry visas valid for a longer time. Visa validity depends on what is written in the visa request and the MFA visa support form and on the visa type. For example, staff of international organizations in Tajikistan can receive visas valid for up to one year; individuals who are going to visit friends or relatives in Tajikistan can receive visas valid for up to three months; those applying for “student” visas can receive visas valid for up to nine months.
Travelers who would like their visas extended need to apply for extension in advance through the MFA (official travelers) or OVIR (tourist or commercial travelers). Entry into the Gorno-Badakhshan region, both from inside and outside of Tajikistan, requires special authorization in advance in addition to a valid Tajik visa. Travelers can obtain this authorization at Tajik embassies and consulates abroad, or by applying to the MFA or OVIR once in Tajikistan. Tajik authorities advise that sponsoring organizations in Tajikistan submit requests for travel authorization for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region at least two weeks in advance of the planned travel. The Tajik MFA or OVIR will list the names of the settlements and cities in Gorno-Badakhshan which the traveler plans on visiting in the travel authorization stamp. The Gorno-Badakhshan travel authorization is not written on the Tajik visa; it is a separate notation placed in the recipient’s passport.
The government of Tajikistan requires visitors who remain in country for more than 90 days to present a medical certificate showing that they are HIV-free, or to submit to an HIV test in Tajikistan. 
Visit the Embassy of Tajikistan website for the most current visa information.

Airports: 26,   Airports w/paved runways:  18

Dushanbe Airport, Tajikistan, Titov 32/1, 734012 Dushanbe, TAJIKISTAN
Tel:  (Information Service) +992 47 4494229
Fax:  (Call Centre) +992 372 218685
Email: info@tajikairlines.com

Supporters of terrorist groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU), al-Qaida, and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement remain active in Central Asia, as do anti-Western, anti-semetic extremist organizations such as Hizb’ut-Tahrir. 

Criminal groups and terrorists do not distinguish between official and civilian targets. 

Travel to, from, and within Tajikistan is difficult and unreliable.

Emergency phone numbers in Tajikistan:  police – 02, ambulance – 03, state traffic control (GAI) duty officer – 235-45-45.

Tajikistan has a cash-only economy.  International banking services are limited, but ATM machines have been installed in several locations.  Cash is dispensed in both U.S. and local currency.  Few establishments in the country accept credit cards and none accepts traveler's checks. 

Tajikistan is an earthquake-prone country. 

General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov/.

Infant MR total:  42.31 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:  TOTAL 64.97 years  (male 61.95/female 68.15.) 

Required: None
Recommended: Hep A & B, Typhoid, Rabies
Boosters: MMR, DPT, Polio 

Areas of Tajikistan with Malaria: All areas <2,000 m (<6,562 ft).
Primaquine is the preferred antimalarial drug (only after G6PD testing) in Tajikistan. Atovaquone/proguanil, chloroquine, doxycycline, and mefloquine are alternative choices.
HIV is a growing health threat in Tajikistan.
Tickborne encephalitis (TBE) is widespread, occurring in warmer months in the southern part of the nontropical forested regions of Europe and Asia. Most intense transmission has been reported in Russia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. The annual incidence rate of tuberculosis is high in some countries in the region. High rates of drug-resistant TB are found in Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of Russia, and Uzbekistan. Cases of diphtheria have declined (after a large outbreak in the 1990s) with improved rates of immunization.

The quality of Tajikistan’s medical infrastructure is significantly below Western standards, with severe shortages of basic medical supplies, including disposable needles, anesthetics, and antibiotics. Many trained medical personnel left the country during and following the civil war. Elderly travelers and those with pre-existing health problems may be at particular risk due to inadequate medical facilities.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has been documented in wild birds or other avian species in several of the countries in Eastern Europe. Human cases and death were reported from Azerbaijan in 2006.  Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry (such as chickens and ducks) and wild birds and avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept. For a current list of countries reporting outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry and/or wild birds, view updates from the updates from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and for total numbers of confirmed human cases of H5N1 virus by country, see the World Health Organization (WHO) Avian Influenza website.

Country Code:  +992 
Internet Code: tj