Tajik blue-color foreign (international travel) passports are no longer valid for traveling to some countries.
Tajik air companies, in particular, say Tajik blue-color foreign passports are no longer valid for traveling to the Russian Federation.
Now, citizens of Tajikistan wishing to enter Russia will no longer be able to use their blue-color foreign passports, but will instead need to produce biometric foreign passport.
The Ministry of Transport notified airlines and the Tajik Railways to prohibit selling tickets to Russia for Tajikistanis attempting to travel to Russia on blue-color foreign passports.
The Ministry of Transport says Tajik blue-color foreign (international travel) passports are also no longer valid for traveling to Ukraine.
Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry says it stopped issuing blank blue-color foreign passports and only biometric foreign passport are issued in Tajikistan.
Recall, Tajikistan introduced biometric passports on February 1, 2010. German Muhlbauer was granted a contract for purchase of blank biometric passports for Tajikistan. A two-stage tender for purchase of blank biometric passports and appropriate equipment, announced by the Agency for State Purchases at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was held in June 2009. On August 27, 2009, Tajik MFA and German Muhlbauer signed a contract on purchase of the blank biometric passports and appropriate equipment for Tajikistan.
Obtaining an international biometric passport in Tajikistan costs 75 U.S. dollars plus 100 somoni if it is issued in 15 days, 150 U.S. dollars plus a 100 somoni state duty if it is issued in seven days, and 225 U.S. dollars plus a 100 somoni state duty if it is issued in two days.
For comparison, obtaining an international biometric passport in Kyrgyzstan costs 6.00 U.S. dollars, and in Kazakhstan – 26.00 U.S. dollars.
