Tajikistan has revoked visa-free access for Turkish citizens in retaliation for Türkiye’s recent decision to end visa-free travel for Tajik nationals. This change will take effect on April 20, 2024.
According to the National News Agency of Tajikistan (NIAT), citizens of Türkiye can obtain a visa for the Republic of Tajikistan at embassies and consulates abroad, VisaGuide.World reports.
Tajikistan & Türkiye Introduce Visa Requirments in Mutual Response
Based on a statement accompanying Tajikistan’s government decree dated March 28, 2024, the decision aims to enforce reciprocity in visa regulations between the two countries.
On April 6, a decree was issued reinstating the visa requirement for Tajik citizens traveling to Türkiye. Starting April 20, citizens of Tajikistan will have to apply for visas from Turkish diplomatic missions. Visa fees will range from $60 to $190.
As reported by VisaGuide.World, citizens of Tajikistan holding ordinary passports must obtain visas before traveling to Türkiye. The availability of visas on arrival at Türkiye’s borders remains to be determined.
Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry has indicated that they have yet to receive official notification from Ankara regarding the termination of the visa-free agreement that has been in effect since 2018. This agreement allowed Tajik citizens to stay in Türkiye for up to 90 days without a visa.
Tajikistan had previously introduced a unilateral visa-free travel policy for nationals from 52 countries, including Türkiye, starting January 1, 2022. The policy allowed citizens of these countries to stay in Tajikistan for up to 30 days without a visa.
Tajikistan Recorded Over 1.35 Million Visitors in 2023
The Tourism Development Committee of Tajikistan, part of the country’s government, has reported that in 2023, Tajikistan welcomed a total of 1,358,000 visitors.
Of these, 1,256,200 individuals, accounting for 92.5 per cent, were from Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations. Meanwhile, 101,800 visitors, or 7.5 percent, arrived from more distant countries.
Of the foreign visitors, 1,201,000 were classified as tourists. This represents a notable increase of 201,000 tourists, or 20.2 percent, compared to the previous year. The top five leaders in the number of tourist entries were:
- Uzbekistan with 805,900 people (15 percent more than the previous year)
- Russia with 262,400 people (92.8 percent more than in 2022)
- Kazakhstan – 31,500 people (31.8 percent more than the previous year)
- China – 13,000 people (490 percent more or 4.9 times more than in 2022)
- Türkiye – 10,800 people (61.2 percent more than in 2022)
The most significant growth, however, was from China, which saw a staggering 4.9-fold increase, sending 13,000 tourists to Tajikistan in 2023.
