Safety in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan

Hi there, We're planning a trip from Astana to Dushanbe. By train across Kazakhstan, then using public transport in Kyrgyzstan (circling Lake Issyk-Kul) and Tajikistan, taking the northern route in the latter (from Khujand to Dushanbe). Have any of you been to these regions recently, and what do you think about the safety aspect? Thanks in advance! :)

Hello,

When I read about your experiences on your profile, it’s not clear what could make you worry about such a trip to Central Asia. What exactly do you mean by "safety"? One thing though—coming from Tajikistan is frowned upon during border checks and customs in many countries, including Kazakhstan, for example.

Michel

Hello, One thing though, coming from Tajikistan is very frowned upon during border checks and customs in many countries, including Kazakhstan, for example. Michel

Surprising this comment that coming from Tajikistan causes problems. Our multiple trips back and forth between Tajikistan and the other Stan countries never caused us any issues or remarks. For us, the last crossing was autumn 2024.

Hi Christian,

In any case, Kazakhstan, especially at airports, keeps a close eye on passengers coming from Tajikistan. It's considered a "high-risk" country.

Michel

I only have experience with land borders when traveling by vehicle, and there were no issues at all.

Thanks everyone! I was mainly wondering about the general vibe between Osh and Dushanbe, since I hadn’t found any recent updates.

Would anyone else have been to this area recently and be able to share their impressions? :)

Hi there! We just got back from a month-long road trip through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and we didn’t run into any particular issues between Osh and Dushanbe. Dushanbe itself seemed especially pleasant—cool people, green city, calm vibe, and reasonable traffic...

Would anyone else who’s been in this area recently be able to share their impressions? :)

The Osh-Dushanbe road doesn’t pose any security issues. It’s just long and tiring. As for the Tajik visa, I’ve never had any problems with it anywhere in the region.

To get from Osh to Dushanbe, you can go directly into Tajikistan, avoiding Uzbekistan via the Kyzyl Bel border post, which is just north of Batken. No problem traveling between Osh and Batken—no special permit needed. There are just 20 km of roadworks on the way out of Osh. No visa is required for European citizens to enter Tajikistan. This border post is open to foreigners in both directions. Just one caveat: if you have a right-hand drive vehicle, the Tajik border won’t let you enter (though you can exit).

Thanks so much to both of you for this fresh info! We’ll be using public transport, so no worries on that front :) But I’d read that a permit was needed for 4 or 5 zones in Kyrgyzstan, and that the Tajikistan border near Batken was one of them—is that no longer the case?

Good evening No license is needed to access the Bakten region if you stay on the Osh > Bakten route.

Thanks so much! 😊