Pamir & Wakhan - Permits<title> </head> <body bgcolor="#666666"> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="600"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" width="50"> </td> <td colspan="2"> <div align="left"> <font color="white" size="5" face="Verdana"><b>Permits</b></font></div> <div align="center"> <p></p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="white">A permit to enter into the Wakhan corridor is not strictly necessary but is highly advisable as it is a restricted area. First you need to go the Afghan Tourist Association (ATO). The ATO is located near Kabul International Airport, around 100 m before the airport roundabout (where there is an old airplane) on the right hand side when coming from the city. The ATO shares a building with the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation (the building looks anything but a government's building!). Ask to see Hadji Safat Mir, the senior-chief guide, or, better, the President of the ATO (who is also the Minister). You will need to motivate your project (where you are going, who is going, why, how you will get there, what you will be doing, etc.) and demonstrate your seriousness. He should then give you a letter that you will bring to the Ministry of Home Affairs.</font> <p><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="white">The Ministry of Home Affairs is located in Shar-e-Now. There you will need to request a police authorization to get into the Wakhan. You then may need to go back to the Ministry of Tourism although it may not be necessary. Anyway, you can get any information about the process from the President of the ATO.</font></p> <p><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="white">In Faizabad, you need to introduce yourself to the Governor of the Province of Badakhshan (<i>wali</i>) and show him the letter your have from Kabul. He should give you a letter of introduction to the military commander of the Wakhan area. The latter lives in Eshkashem. In 2005 his name was Mir Abdul Wahed, he is the main commander of the Wakhan and Pamir, from Eshkashem eastwards to the Chinese border. He should give you a <i>laissez-passer</i> for all the subsequent sub-commanders and security officers in the valleys (we met one in Khandud, one in Qala-e-Panj, one in Sarhad-e-Boroghil and one in Elghonouk in the Big Pamir). </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="white">Although it is possible to show up in Eshkashem and get the permit from Mir Abdul Wahed without any document from Kabul/Faizabad, there is no guarantee that he will not ask you to travel back to Kabul to get the proper permit so it is highly advisable to get the red-tape done in Kabul before leaving for Faizabad. Allow a couple of days in Kabul to complete the process.<br> </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="white">Note: the ATO might propose you to hire an official guide/interpreter. Be aware that the rates proposed by the ATO (US$ 60 per day in 2005) are outrageous and you can pay much less by finding an interpreter yourself. Anyway, you do not need a guide as no guide will have the experience of Wakhan and Pamir.</font></p> <p><font face="Verdana" size="2" color="#33ff00">Important: on all permits, make sure it is written Wakhan AND Pamir. A French traveler recently had problems getting into the Pamir because his permit only mentioned Wakhan.</font></p> <p></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><font color="#666666">vvvvvvvvvv</font></td> <td colspan="2"> <div align="left"> <p></p> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td> <p></p> </td> <td> <div align="center"> <p></p> </div> <p></p> </td> </tr> </table> <p></p> </body> </html>