The mandatory authorisation for the Pamir Highway, the Wakhan and Bartang valleys, Murghab, Khorog and Lake Karakul, everywhere in Gorno-Badakhshan. Order online and receive it as a digital PDF before you head into the Pamirs.
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One permit for the whole Pamir
The GBAO permit for Gorno-Badakhshan
A single document opens the entire Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, from the Panj river along the Afghan border to the high plateaus around Murghab and Lake Karakul. Valid for one month, delivered as a digital PDF.
25€ per person
One permit, the whole region. The GBAO permit covers every open area of Gorno-Badakhshan, so you can plan and change your Pamir itinerary freely. You receive it as a digital PDF, valid one month.
Validity
1 month
Ready in
4 working days or 1 to 2 days, Urgent 48h option
Delivery
Digital PDF by email, no paper original
Order
Up to 5 months ahead
What the GBAO permit covers:
Pamir HighwayThe M41 from Qalai Khumb to the Kyzyl-Art pass
WakhanWakhan valley and corridor, Ishkashim, Langar
BartangThe Bartang valley and its remote villages
East PamirMurghab, Lake Karakul, the Ak-Baital pass
KhorogThe GBAO capital and the road along the Panj
LakesZorkul reserve and Lake Sarez (subject to local rules)
The only permit service that secures your ID documents
Do not hand your passport or ID card around by email or WhatsApp. Once a copy sits in a mailbox, it becomes a target.
To issue your GBAO permit, we hold your documents to a standard the rest of this industry does not.
Identity theft
Fraudulent bank accounts
Credit taken out in your name
Watermarked on upload
The moment you upload them, your documents are digitally watermarked with "For GBAO Use Only", which makes them unusable for any other purpose or by any third party.
Encrypted transmission
Your files travel through an end-to-end encrypted channel, so interception is not possible.
Permanent deletion, zero trace
Once your permit is issued, the copies of your ID are irreversibly destroyed from our servers. We keep no archive.
Protected, processed for your permit, then permanently erased.
✓ Secure payment (Stripe and PayPal)
✓ Transparent all-inclusive price
✓ 99.7% delivered on time (2024 to 2025)
✓ Trusted by hundreds of travellers
The document
What is the GBAO permit?
The GBAO permit is an official travel authorisation for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, the Pamir region that covers nearly half of Tajikistan. Because these mountains sit along the borders with Afghanistan, China and Kyrgyzstan, access is controlled and every foreign traveller needs the permit in addition to a visa or visa-free entry.
It is not a visa, and it does not by itself authorise a border crossing. The digital permit is fully accepted at checkpoints, so you do not need the paper original, but you should print several copies because some checkpoints keep one. A permit is mandatory for travellers of every age, children included.
4 working daysStandard processing, or 1 to 2 days with the Urgent 48h option. Weekends and holidays not counted.
Digital PDFReceived by email and valid at every checkpoint. Print several copies.
Not a visaIt opens the Pamir region, but visa rules are separate. Many nationalities are visa-free for 30 days.
Order earlyYou can order up to 5 months ahead and choose your own start date.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the GBAO permit?
It is an official travel authorisation for the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), the Pamir region of eastern Tajikistan. It is issued by the Tajik authorities (OVIR) and is mandatory for every foreign traveller, on top of a visa or visa-free entry. It is not a visa itself.
Do I need a GBAO permit for the Pamir Highway?
Yes. The Pamir Highway (M41) from Qalai Khumb to the Kyzyl-Art pass runs through GBAO and requires the permit. It is also mandatory for the Wakhan valley, the Bartang valley, the Zorkul reserve, Lake Karakul, Murghab, Khorog, Ishkashim and Lake Sarez.
How far in advance should I order?
Standard processing takes up to 4 working days, and the Urgent 48h option delivers it in 1 to 2 working days. Weekends and public holidays are not counted. You can order up to 5 months in advance.
How do I choose the entry date?
If you are not sure of your exact entry date, it does not matter. The permit is valid for one month from the start date you choose, and you can enter and leave the GBAO zone several times while it is valid.
Is the digital permit valid at checkpoints?
Yes. The permit is 100% digital and you receive it by email as a PDF or JPG, fully accepted by the Tajik authorities. You do not need the paper original, but print several copies because some checkpoints keep one.
What are the cancellation terms?
In case of cancellation, for any reason, no refund is possible. Once the procedure is launched, no change to the name, dates or start date is possible either.
Do I need extra documents to enter from Kyrgyzstan?
To enter Tajikistan via the Kyzyl-Art pass from Kyrgyzstan, the GBAO permit is required, because that border area already belongs to Gorno-Badakhshan.
Should I order the GBAO with my visa, or separately?
You can add the GBAO permit to the Tajik e-visa on the official site (total around 70 USD). But many nationalities, including France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada, are visa-free for a 30-day stay. If you travel visa-free, ordering the GBAO permit separately is usually the better option.
Is the permit required for children?
Yes. A GBAO permit is mandatory for every traveller of any age, children included. Each permit is nominative.
Also crossing into Kyrgyzstan?
Kyrgyzstan border permit
The 5-zone permit for the Kyrgyz mountains
Heading to the Kyrgyz side of the Pamir, or continuing on to Kel-Suu, Song-Kol and the Tien Shan? The Kyrgyzstan border permit opens every restricted zone, on a dedicated site run by the same team.
