What you need to enter Tajikistan with a North Korean passport

Gorno-Badakhshan (Pamirs): different entry rules

The Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region requires a special permit on top of the visa or exemption. It can be requested with the e-Visa, by ticking the relevant box, at a Tajik embassy or, once in the country, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or OVIR. The permit lists in the passport the places you may visit and does not cover Lake Sarez. The Government sometimes stops issuing it at short notice for security reasons.

Source: exteriores.gob.es (recomendaciones de viaje para Tayikistán) y gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tajikistan, comprobado el 02/10/2026

Afghan border in the Khatlon region: different entry rules

Going within 20 kilometres of the Afghan border in the Khatlon region, including Panj and Kumsangir, requires a permit from the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dushanbe, requested before travelling there. The land border with Afghanistan is closed.

Source: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/tajikistan y exteriores.gob.es (recomendaciones de viaje para Tayikistán), comprobado el 02/10/2026

Authorisation system

e-Visa (evisa.tj) or visa on arrival with prior application

The e-Visa is requested at evisa.tj, the official portal of the Consular Department of Tajikistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, only from outside the country and for short stays of up to 60 days. Once approved it arrives by email; carry it printed or on your phone, together with the original documents the system asked for. A visa can also be obtained at a Tajik embassy or at Dushanbe airport, but both require a prior electronic application first, and the airport visa may involve a wait. Tourist and business visas allow up to 45 days in a 90-day period and cannot be extended. The e-Visa details must match the passport exactly: otherwise the visa is invalid and not refunded. Entering the Gorno-Badakhshan region also requires a special permit.

Apply on the official site →

Visa, e-Visa, or electronic authorisation? What's the difference →

Fee

The e-Visa consular fee can only be paid in US dollars; the bank charges the equivalent in the card's local currency. The portal does not publish the amount outside the application form.

Processing time

The UK Government recommends allowing at least two weeks for processing. An approved e-Visa is only valid for 60 days from approval, so it is best not to apply too far ahead.

Required documents

• Passport valid for at least six months beyond the visa's expiry date (or beyond arrival, for visa-free travellers) and with two blank pages.
• The e-Visa printed or on your phone, plus the original documents the electronic system asked for.
• For some tourist visas you may be asked for a hotel booking or a letter of invitation from a Tajik sponsor.
• A special permit for Gorno-Badakhshan, and for the 20-kilometre strip along the Afghan border in the Khatlon region, if you plan to go there.

Transit rules

Tajikistan applies a unilateral 30-day visa exemption to citizens of 52 countries; beyond those 30 days a visa is needed. Within ten working days of arrival you must register at the Visa and Registration Office (OVIR) in Dushanbe; without registration you may be stopped from leaving the country until you pay a fine. Crossing the country requires a transit visa, usually for three days. Always carry your passport with the visa: police can ask for it at any time and not having it usually means being taken to a police station. Spain's Foreign Ministry recommends entering through Dushanbe airport and avoiding land border crossings, and advises against the Pamir Highway because of the roadworks under way.