Message to U.S. Citizens: Possible Flight from Tajikistan to Frankfurt

March 30, 2020

Location: Tajikistan

Event: The Dushanbe International Airport remains closed. However, the U.S. Embassy is aware that Somon Air is planning an outgoing flight to Frankfurt that may be available for American and other citizens seeking to repatriate to their home country. The date of the outgoing flight has not yet been determined.

International travel at this time is challenging. Connecting flights may be unreliable and cancelled at the last minute. For the upcoming flight to Frankfurt, it is important to note that the German government is not allowing foreign citizens to enter Germany. All travelers are required to remain in transit, which means that cancelled international connections may leave passengers stranded at the airport.

The German government has implemented enhanced screening and quarantine measures. Travelers may be subject to quarantine and should be prepared for additional travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice.

On March 19, the Department of State issued a global Level 4 – Do Not Travel advisory, advising U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. U.S. citizens who live abroad should avoid all international travel.

Possible Somon Air Flight to Frankfurt: U.S. citizens who would like to travel to the United States via Frankfurt, should contact Somon Air immediately to add their names to a waitlist and make a reservation for an outbound flight. Be prepared to provide to Somon Air the names of all travelers, nationality of travelers, contact email addresses, and phone numbers. The cost of the flight has not yet been determined.

Somon Air will contact travelers once the flight is confirmed to provide the departure date for the flight, pricing information, and instructions for purchasing tickets. Travelers will be required to purchase a separate flight from Frankfurt to the United States prior to boarding with Somon Air. Please be aware that the travel situation is constantly evolving. Flights that are available as of today may have limited seat availability or may be cancelled with little advance notice.

Somon Air Contact: Firuz Davlatov

Personal Mobile Phone: 908 085 666

Office Duty Phone: 937 777 459

Update on checked baggage: Somon Air does not have a baggage transfer agreement to transfer bags for onward flights. Therefore, passengers who travel with Somon Air will need to pick up checked bags in order to re-check them for onward fights. Passengers must have a printed itinerary of a booked onward flight from Germany to the United States in order to clear German immigration, before being allowed to collect baggage and transfer terminals.

Important: Please notify the U.S. Embassy at DushanbeConsular@state.gov that you have contacted Somon Air to be added to the waitlist. Provide the full names of all U.S. citizen and Legal Permanent Resident travelers and non-U.S. citizen family members and include a screen shot of the biographic information page of the travelers’ passports. As a courtesy, the U.S. Embassy will prepare a transit letter to provide to German immigration officials.

U.S. Passport and Tajik Visa: Please take this time to check your travel documents to ensure that your U.S. passport and Tajik visa are valid. If you need assistance with obtaining a new U.S. passport, please contact DushanbeConsular@state.gov immediately. NOTE: You must have a valid visa to exit Tajikistan. If your visa has expired and you plan on traveling on the Somon Air flight, contact the Main Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately at 227-6363 or 227-3838 located on 34 Pushkin Street, Dushanbe to resolve any visa issues. You will not be allowed resolve visa issues at the airport.

Actions to Take:

Book tickets on the next outgoing flight if you wish to depart Tajikistan.
Confirm Tajik visa is valid prior to traveling. Contact the Tajik Main Consular Department at 227-6363 or 227-3838 to resolve visa issues.
Prepare to shelter-in-place for an extended period of time if remaining in Tajikistan.
Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.