Sex and the Central Asian Visa
Filed Under: I just want to go home. I’m tired of all this visa stuff.
– A distressed traveler at the Kazakh embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
So what does sex have to do with Central Asian visas? Simple, really. Thinking about, planning around, and procuring visas for Central Asian countries begins to dominate one’s time and mindspace — almost to the point of obsession. We’ll leave it to you to do the rest of the comparison.
Bureaucracy War Stories
There’s something universal about bureaucracy. Each of us has a war story or two to tell, from home and abroad. When all is said and done, however, a special place in the Bureaucracy Hall of Fame will be reserved for the former Soviet Union.
For those of you who plan to travel to Central Asia, the practical details are for you. For others interested in what life is like for citizens of these countries, consider that what we endured likely represents the tip of a formidable iceberg of lingering Soviet-style rules and regulations.
When you DIY (Do it Yourself) bureaucracy manage, you’ll receive the full thrust of the process and begin to appreciate the ability of these governments to make tourists - and often their own citizens - feel like unworthy insects.
As you read and plan, keep in mind that what may apply in one embassy may not apply at the same country’s embassy in another country. Consistency is unknown and embassy employees themselves are often unsure of the regulations.
With all warnings and caveats, you are now ready to throw logic out the window and put your best bureaucratic foot forward into Central Asia.
Skip Ahead:
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Tajikistan
Note: All prices below are for American citizens. We learned, to our dismay, that most countries seem to charge American citizens the most. We’re not certain if that’s a reflection of foreign policy and diplomatic relations or if it’s due to the lingering impression that all Americans are loaded to the tune of guys like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. EU citizens and others normally enjoy a 20-50% discount.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:57 am
ahh this reminds me of the days spent at the foriegn police at Olsanska in Prague… However that was probably much more civilized that what you dealt with.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Brian: Ugh, the dreaded Olsanska. I shudder at the name. Same inhumanity and bureaucracy, if memory serves. I’ve tried to suppress those memories. The Czech Republic has had ample time to detangle the spaghetti processes and dismantle the corruption factory that is the Foreigners’ Police. It is in the European Union after all, isn’t it?
What made the Central Asian countries difficult is that we decided to arrange all of our paperwork ourselves (except Turkmenistan). It also seemed like we had to arrange another country every couple of weeks. Think “Groundhog Day” meets Soviet-style bureaucracy.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Dan, Audrey,
Could you tell me how long it took to obtain your Tadj visa in Bishek?
Many thanks,
Marc
February 12th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Marc: Tajikistan visa and GBAO permit together take three working days to process at the Tajik Embassy in Bishkek. Good luck, have fun.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Sorry about that guys. Kazakhstan (and post Soviet Union) bureaucracy is like a science you cannot comprehend it in a short time.
Most probably that council at Kazakh embassy wanted money from you. It sounds ridiculous but I cannot find any other explanation of that. Although you could have saved your time by offering some (and that what everyone does in our states) it’s good you didn’t.
btw, I am a student at Rochester Institute of Technology, originally from Kazakhstan. Days ago I interviewed Eric Limeberg for one of my classes, who is partner of Adam Grossman and this is how I came across you website. I like the concept of your traveling! Way to go!!! Good luck.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
You are so right about post Soviet Union bureaucracy! We realize that what we experienced with visas, OVIR and various registrations is nothing compared with what local people have to deal with all the time when they need a new ID card, etc.
I kind of thought the Kazakh Counsel was hoping for some money to speed things along with our visas, but I have a lot of patience so he just got tired of me. A few days after this experience, we had an another encounter with post Soviet bureaucracy and corruption when we walked across the border from Tashkent to Shymkent. We didn’t pay any bribes then, either, but don’t know what we’d do next time…it was pretty awful.
Good luck with your studies and say hi to Adam if you see him!
February 14th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
” We learned, to our dismay, that most countries seem to charge American citizens the most. We’re not certain if that’s a reflection of foreign policy and diplomatic relations or if it’s due to the lingering impression that all Americans are loaded to the tune of guys like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. ”
Citizens of any country usually have to pay same amount of money for visas as their own country charges. So, in a way it’s a reflection of American foreign policy.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Otto: Whether or not a visa is required is often a function of reciprocal foreign policy. Beyond that, we disagree that the amount of the visa fee is a matter of reciprocity.
For example, although citizens of most EU countries may pay less (than Americans) to visit countries in Central Asia, we’re not under the impression that it’s equally inexpensive for citizens of Central Asian countries to obtain visas to most EU member countries.
Additionally, it has been our experience that the variation in visa rules and fees that exists from embassy to embassy (e.g, Tajik embassy in Tashkent vs Tajik embassy in Bishkek) is wide. Although foreign policy may somehow be at work in these cases, the behavior seems more a a function of relationship between the embassy and host country, not the embassy and the visa applicant.
All this would suggest that there’s more at work than just equivalent foreign-policy tit-for-tat.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
i want to visit karsyzistan. plz guideme and arrange fir visa
March 8th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
I’m afraid we don’t help with visa support and tours. If the country you live in does not have an Embassy of Kyrgyzstan, then I would suggest contacting Stantours (www.stantours.com) as they can assist with visa and arranging tours of Kyrgyzstan. Good luck! It’s a beautiful country!
April 9th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Does anybody know the current situation about picking up a Kyrgyzstan visa in Urumqi, China. I have heard you can get them from the Kazakh embassy, has anyone done this recently and will I need a LOI?
Thanks
April 10th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Anna: While we were in Urumqi, we don’t have any first hand experience about picking up a Kyrgyz visa in Urumqi since we went the other way around (Kyrgyzstan to China). Maybe try posting a question to the Lonely Planet Thorntree forum or contact a hostel in Urumqi. Good luck!
April 12th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Thanks, Yeah I will give Thorntree a try. The response so far seems to be ‘yeah i am pretty sure you can get one in Urumqi’. But if we can’t its a long detour to Beijing! Hence me trying to find reassurance!
Thanks
p.s I am loving your website!
April 14th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
When we stayed at Silver Birches hostel in Urumqi there were signs up about visas, but I don’t remember whether it was only Kazakhstan or also Kyrgyzstan. You could try emailing or calling. Another option (less ideal) is to fly from Urumqi to Bishkek and get the visa at the airport. Glad you’re enjoying the website and good luck with the visa planning!
May 9th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Hai Audrey and Dan! It has been long time and spring has come in Czech Republic:-)! It is nice to catch up with you virtually now and then. Hope your concluding trip in Asia will bring pleasant memories. I have been inspired by your coverage most of the time.
I am still catching up with your older stories.. soon to cover the China pages:-).
Btw, are you sure that US bureaucracy is not comparable with the CIS ones :-)? Arranging visa to USA is also “painful” and is sort of mission impossible for third-class citizen like me:-).
May 10th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Imelda, great to hear from you! Prague in the spring was always my favorite time of year there! We haven’t written much on China (or Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Nepal) yet, but stay turned for this summer when we will have some time in one place with an internet connection.
You are right, America’s bureaucracy for getting a visa is nightmarish. We’ve heard some horror stories from people from “developing” countries trying to apply for legitimate reasons. It only seems to become more and more difficult.
Bureaucracy is universal - we’ve learned that the more papers with stamps on them, the better. It doesn’t matter the country.