Includes information on business customs, travel advisory, visa requirements, currency, language, health, local time, business hours and holidays, acceptable business etiquette, dress, business cards, gifts, temporary entry of materials and personal belongings,etc.
Last Published: 2/15/2019

Business Customs

Traveling to Tajikistan remains difficult for international travelers.  Private airline Somon Air is based at Dushanbe Airport and began operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow and Dubai.  Somon Air has since been gradually expanding with new routes to Frankfurt, several Russian cities, and more.  The only major international carrier to fly into Tajikistan is Turkish Airlines, which operates three weekly overnight flights between Istanbul and Dushanbe.  Other carriers connect Dushanbe to Moscow (several flights daily), Almaty (four times a week), Dubai (twice a week), and Urumqi, China (twice a week). 
 
Local telephone services are good, reliable and inexpensive.  International calls can be made through VoIP or direct dial – which is quite expensive.  Express mail is available through DHL and UPS. 
 
Hiring a car and a driver is recommended to travel inside and outside of Dushanbe. 
In general, business etiquette in Tajikistan is a mixture of European and Asian styles.  For men and women business attire is recommended.  Most businessmen print their business cards in English and Russian; government officials print business cards in either English, Tajik, or, depending on the agency, Russian. 
 
Few Tajik businesses have English-speaking staff.  Local companies tend to have one email address, usually through free services, such as mail.ru, on the .ru domain.  It is best not to use email as an introductory means of communication because your email may not reach the decision maker. 
 
Be patient in corresponding with potential partners.  Companies may not respond to an email or fax request within 24 hours simply because the company’s director may be away on a trip and other staff are not authorized to make decisions.  If your potential partner has not responded in a timely manner and a follow-up call is needed, do not expect whoever answers the phone to be aware of any specifics about the issue.
 
Explain the purpose of your call and patiently request to be transferred to the director’s office.  Local phone manners may seem brusque by western standards; do not take this personally. 
 
Tajik businesses may express their hospitality by inviting their partners “for a cup of tea.” Such invitations often mean a full course dinner with alcoholic beverages such as vodka or cognac.  Offering a toast and quoting Tajik poetry is very common.  An experienced and competent interpreter can be very helpful. 
 
Although the official language is Tajik, Russian remains the language of business.  When it comes to promotional and advertisement campaigns, it is necessary to comply with the Law on Advertisement that requires use of the Tajik language in advertising content (many billboards in Dushanbe include two or three languages: Tajik, Russian, and English). 
 
When scheduling meetings with government officials, it is better to avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons.  It is harder to make business appointments and contacts in Tajikistan during major holidays like New Year’s and Islamic holidays.  The work week is 40 hours (Monday through Friday); some companies and government offices are also open a half-day on Saturday.

Travel Advisory

U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html
 
State Department Visa Website
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html  

United States Visas
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html
 
U.S. Embassy Dushanbe Consular Section
https://tj.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/

Tajikistan - Visa Requirements
 
A valid passport and visa are required to enter Tajikistan.  American citizens can obtain Tajik visas at Tajik embassies and consulates abroad.  It is possible, but difficult, to obtain a visa at the Dushanbe airport, provided that the traveler has a valid letter from the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Up-to-date information about obtaining visas is listed on the State Department’s website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html
 
U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States should be advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process.  Visa applicants should go to the following links.
 
State Department Visa Website
http://travel.state.gov/visa
 
U.S. Embassy Dushanbe Consular Section
https://tj.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/
 

Currency

Tajikistan’s national currency is Somoni. As of July 11, 2018 official Somoni to USD exchange rate is $0.107 or USD to Somoni is TJS 9.43. 
 
Tajikistan - Telecommunications/Electric
 
Tajikistan’s country code is 992.  In order to dial internationally from Tajikistan, dial 810 + country code + number. 
 
The national telecommunications company is Tajik Telecom, which provides domestic and international phone communications, as well as email and Internet access, broadcasting, telegraphy, and telex.  More than 90 per cent of the public telephone switch networks are digital.
 
Mobile phone usage in Tajikistan is very extensive.  As of 2018, there are four private mobile phone companies and nearly 7.3 million registered mobile phone subscribers.  Technologies used include GSM, CDMA, 3G, and 4G networks.
 
Internet is available in major cities through DSL, dial-up, and WiMAX.  There are several private internet providers.
GSM network coverage information: http://www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_tj.shtml 
 
DHL: +992 (37)221-0280; http://www.dhl.com 
 
UPS: +992 (37) 223-5414; http://www.ups.com
 
(Note: DHL and UPS were banned in Tajikistan since July 2017.  Official reason for banning was that both companies allegedly did not comply to do their postal operations according to

Transportation

There are no direct transatlantic routes to Tajikistan.  Other carriers connect Dushanbe to Moscow (several flights daily), Almaty (five times a week), Dubai (twice a week), and Urumqi, China (twice a week).  Western type carrier to fly into Tajikistan is Turkish Air, which operates three weekly overnight flights between Istanbul and Dushanbe. 
 
Tickets for Turkish Airlines can be purchased online at https://www.turkishairlines.com/
  
 The national carrier is Tajik Air, which, in addition to several international flights, operates Tajikistan’s few domestic routes.  Buying tickets from abroad is difficult.  Tickets on Tajik Air can generally only be purchased in person or through an agent.
 
Tajik-owned private carrier Somon Air flies weekly between Dushanbe and Frankfurt, and also services routes to Dubai and Istanbul.  The latest information for Somon Air can be found on their website: http://somonair.com/ 
 
An official timetable is available online for Dushanbe airport (IATA code: DYU) at www.airport.tj.
 
Tajikistan – Language
 
The official language of Tajikistan is Tajik, although Russian is the international language of communication, according to Chapter Two of the Tajik Constitution.  Russian is widely used in major cities and is the language of business.  Tajik is closely related to Farsi, although Farsi speakers should be aware that Tajik uses the Cyrillic script.  Very few Tajiks can read the Arabic-origin Persian script.

Health

There are no health restrictions on travel to Tajikistan, although travelers should be aware of the very limited health care options in the country.  Food and waterborne diseases are the number one cause of illness.  Viruses, bacteria, or parasites that contaminate food or water can cause diarrhea.  Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting, fever, or liver damage (in the case of hepatitis).  Make sure your food and drinking water are safe. 
 
Malaria is a fatal, but preventable and treatable, infection.  There is some risk of malaria in the south of the country, including both rural and urban areas.  Travelers should consult a health care provider for advice on prophylactic measures.  Visitors should protect themselves against mosquito bites.
For additional information on malaria risk and prevention please visit https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/diseases/malaria
  
Be sure to check State Department’s Travel page: http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad.html.
 
Medical information for Americans traveling abroad is located at: http://travel.state.gov/travel/abroad_health.html.
 
We advise against drinking tap water in Tajikistan.  Bottled water is available at grocery stores.  Fruits and vegetables bought in local markets should be washed thoroughly.
 
American travelers are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at https://step.state.gov.  This will help a consular officer contact you in case of an emergency.
 
The privately-run Prospekt Medical Clinic has a Western doctor and international over-the-counter drugs available.  Prices are accordingly high.  To reach an emergency doctor, call (93) 503 99 03.  For in-clinic appointments, please contact reception at (+992 37) 224 3092.  Website: http://www.prospektclinic.com/ .  There are no other private western clinics in Tajikistan offering health services at international standards.
In case of a serious emergency, visitors should contact the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe.
 
U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe
109 A Ismoili Somoni Ave.
Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734019
Tel: +992 (37) 229-2000
Fax: +992 (37) 229-2050
Email: DushanbeConsular@state.gov 
https://tj.usembassy.gov
 
In the case of a life or death emergency involving a U.S. citizen, call the consular section at +992 (37) 229-23-00 and press 9.  During normal working hours, from 8:00 to 17:00, the call will go straight to the consular section.  After working hours and on holidays, the call will be transferred to the Marine Guard at Post 1.  For life or death emergencies involving U.S. citizens, you may also call the duty officer at (992-917) 70-10-32.  The duty phone is only monitored after working hours and on holidays.  For emergencies during working hours, please call the consular section directly.
 
Local emergency numbers are as follows:

Fire: 01
Police: 02
Ambulance: 03

Local Time, Business Hours, & Holidays

The local time zone is five hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  Tajikistan does not observe daylight savings time.  Local business hours are 8am to 5pm.  Lunch breaks are typically from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
 
The following is a list of national holidays observed in 2017
January 1 – New Year
March 8 – International Women’s Day
March 21-24 – Navruz
May 9 – Victory Day
June 26 – Idi Ramazan (End of Ramadan)
June 27 – Day of International Unity
September 1– Idi Qurbon
September 9 – Independence Day
November 6 – Constitution Day
 
Tajikistan - Temporary Entry of Materials and Personal Belongings
 
A foreigner can temporarily bring in audio/video equipment, transport, and other equipment by filling in a customs declaration.
 
Travel
 
Somon Air (http://www.somonair.com/)
Turkish Airlines (https://www.turkishairlines.com/)
Fly Dubai  (https://www.flydubai.com/)
Air Astana (https://airastana.com/global/en-us/)
S-7 (https://www.s7.ru/ru/)
Tajik Air (http://www.tajikairlines.com/en/index.php)
Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow: http://www.domodedovo.ru 
Almaty International Airport, Almaty: http://www.alaport.com/ru/

Prepared by the International Trade Administration. With its network of more than 100 offices across the United States and in more than 75 markets, the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.