|
Note!
Regulations and requirements may be subject to change at short notice!
passports & visas
Passports valid required by all
Visa required by all
Note! An invitation, either official or private, is necessary for
visits to Tajikistan. The length of stay should be specified on the invitation,
which must be endorsed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tajikistan. A visa
can then be issued by the nearest Tajikistan Embassy. Special visas must also be
obtained by those wishing to visit the Gorno-Babakhshan region (the Pamir
Mountains).
|
t a j i k i s t a n
|
getting in
Dushanbe Airport is 2km south of the
city. Buses 3 and 12 and trains 3 and 4 run to the city centre
06:00-18:00 (journey time - 20 minutes). Taxis are also available
08:00-20:00 (journey time - 5 minutes). Airport facilities include first
aid, left luggage (08:00-23:59), chemist (08:00-17:00), post office
(08:00-17:00), restaurants (12:00-22:00), snack bars (08:00-18:00),
tourist information (08:00-17:00) and 24-hour nursery.
vaccinations
No vaccinations are required
duty free
The following goods may be imported into
Tajikistan by persons of 18 years of age or older without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes or 100 cigars or 500g of tobacco products; 2 litres of
alcoholic beverage; a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use;
other goods to the value of US$500 for personal use only.
Note! A detailed customs declaration
form must be filled in by all travellers.
Currency restrictions: The import of local and foreign
currency is unlimited, subject to declaration on arrival. The export of
local currency is prohibited except by Tajikistan residents and the
export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.
All currency must be declared on arrival and a customs declaration form
obtained.
exit duty
US$10
time
GMT + 5
money
Somoni = 100 dirams. The Somoni (S) was introduced in
October 2000 replacing the Tajik Rouble. One somoni is equivalent in value to
1000 Tajik roubles. Notes are in denominations of Somoni100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and
1. Dirams, also issued as notes, are in denominations of diram50, 20, 5 and 1.
Note! The Tajik Rouble (TR) has been phased out and
since April 2001 is no longer legal tender.
Note! Visitors using the national currency are advised to carry
plenty of small change as some shops and, particularly markets, may be unable to
accept large denominations.
Currency exchange: The preferred hard currency is the US Dollar
Rate (per $US): 2.55 (January 2002)
Credit & debit cards: Not accepted
Travellers cheques: Limited acceptance
telephony
Country code: 992 (372 for Dushanbe)
Mobile telephone: AMPS network is operated by TajikTel
transport
There are bus and trolleybus services around the
capital
dining
Traditional Tajik meals start with sweet dishes such as
halwa and tea and then progress to soups and meat before finishing with
plov. Plov is made up of scraps of mutton, shredded yellow turnip
and rice, fried in a large wok, and is a staple dish in all the Central Asian
republics. The appetising shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton grilled
over charcoal, served with raw sliced onions) and lipioshka (round
unleavened bread) are often sold on street corners and served in restaurants:
the Vastoychny bar restaurant in Dushanbe (on Prospekt Rudaki near the Hotel
Tajikistan) serves particularly good shashlyk. Manty (large noodle sacks
of meat), samsa (samosas) and chiburekki (deep-fried dough cakes)
are all popular as snacks. Shorpur is a meat and vegetable soup;
laghman is similar to shorpur, but comes with noodles. In the summer
Tajikistan is awash with fruit: its grapes and melons were famous throughout the
former Soviet Union. The bazaars also sell pomegranates, apricots, plums, figs
and persimmons. Little of the food served in hotels indicates its Tajik
heritage: borcht is beetroot soup, entrecote are well-done steaks,
cutlet are grilled meatballs, and strogan is the local equivalent
of beef Stroganoff. Pirmeni, originating in Ukraine, are small boiled
noodle sacks of meat and vegetables similar to ravioli, sometimes in a vegetable
soup, sometimes not. Drink: Tea or chai
is the most widespread drink on offer and can be obtained almost anywhere. Beer,
wine, vodka, brandy and sparkling wine (shampanski) are intermittently
available in many restaurants. If the restaurant is unable to supply it, it is
acceptable to bring your own. Kefir, a thick drinking yoghurt, is often
served with breakfast.
shopping &
souvenirs
Shortages are the norm in Tajikistan; there is a bazaar
and street market behind the Hotel "Tajikistan" where it is possible to buy food
and sometimes handicrafts. Shokhmansur (also known as Zilyoni) Bazaar near
Ploshchad Ayni also sells food. There is a souvenir shop on the corner of
Prospekt Rudaki and ulitsa Ismail Somoni, under an art gallery which exhibits
and sells the work of local artists. Shopping hours:
Food shops open Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00.
working hours & days
State organizations are closed on Saturdays and Sundays and mainly work from
09:00 - 17:30 (18:00). Banks are open weekdays usually Monday-Friday 09:30-17:30.
public holidays
December 31,January 1: New Year
Feb 25: Eid-i-Kurbon
Mar 6: Eid-i-Kurbon
Mar 8: International Women's Day
Mar 20-22: Navrus
May 1: International Labour Day
May 9: Victory Day
Sept 9: Independence Day
Oct 14: Day of Formation of the Tajik Republic
Dec 17: Eid-i-Ramazon (End of Ramadan)
power supply
The electrical current is 220 V,
50 Hz alternating current; wall outlets take continental-type plugs, with
two round prongs. To use US-purchased electric-powered equipment, bring a
converter and an adapter.
weights & measures
Metric: Metric conversions
|
