When planning a trip to Uzbekistan, you have to solve many problems, for example, buy a plane ticket, pack your baggage, get a visa, book a hotel. Moreover, a huge number of questions appear, and it takes a lot of time to find answers to them. In order to save you from wasting time and make your trip easier, we have collected below answers to frequently asked questions related to our country.
There are 28 categories of visas in the Republic of Uzbekistan. For tourism, the following ones are important:
According to the regulation “On electronic entry visa of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, an electronic visa is issued to foreign citizens through the system “E-VISA.UZ” https://e-visa.gov.uz/ Electronic visa is issued to foreign citizens for up to 30 days from the date of entry. Single, double, and multiple entries with an electronic visa are allowed. http://mfa.uz/en/consular/visa/
List of visa-free regime countries:
Azerbaijan Republic, Georgia, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine
List of countries with visa-free entry for up to 60 days:
Republic of Kyrgyzstan
List of countries with visa-free entry for up to 30 days:
Australian Union, Republic of Austria, Argentine Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican City, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Hungary, State of Brunei Darussalam, State of Israel, Hellenic Republic, Ireland, Iceland, Italian Republic, Canada, Principality of Andorra, Principality of Liechtenstein, Principality of Monaco Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Portuguese Republic, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Korea, Republic of Malta, Republic of Poland, Republic of San Marino, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Slovenia, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Chile, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Republic of Turkey, Federative Republic of Brazil, Federal i Republic of Germany, Republic of Finland, French Republic, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Swiss Confederation, Republic of Estonia, Japan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Grenada, Dominican Republic, United Mexican States, Republic of Guatemala, Republic of Honduras, Republic of Costa Rica , Republic of Cuba, Republic of Nicaragua, Republic of Panama, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of El Salvador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Commonwealth of Dominica, Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica
List of countries with visa-free entry for a period not exceeding 7 days:
The people’s Republic of China, including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
List of countries able to apply for an electronic visa to Uzbekistan:
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Arab Republic of Egypt, Barbados, Belize, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Gabonese Republic, State of Qatar, State of Kuwait, Grenada, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, Kingdom of Jordan, Hashemite Islamic Republic of Iran, People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bhutan, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Morocco, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Thailand, Kingdom of Tonga, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanese Republic, Republic of Maldives, United Mexican States, Plurinational State of Bolivia, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Independent State of Samoa, Republic of Albania, Republic of Angola, Republic of Vanuatu, Republic of Ghana, Republic of Guatemala, Res public Honduras, Republic of India, Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cameroon, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Colombia, Republic of Costa Rica, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Cuba, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, Republic of Nicaragua , Republic of Palau, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Seychelles, Republic of Senegal, Republic of Suriname, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Fiji, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Ecuador, Republic of El Salvador, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Commonwealth of Dominica, United States of America, Solomon Islands, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Sultanate of Oman, Tunisian Republic, Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, Federated States of Micronesia, Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Jamaica, South Africa
Foreign citizens and stateless persons can get visas at the diplomatic representations and consular missions of the Republic of Uzbekistan abroad on the basis of the visa support (confirmation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan). Visa support is issued on the basis of application of the inviting organization, company, and persons who are permanently or temporarily residing in Uzbekistan and submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In order to apply for the visa, foreign citizens and stateless persons are to submit the following documents to the diplomatic representation or consular mission of Uzbekistan abroad:
passport or document of stateless person, the expiry date of which must exceed the visa’s period of validity not less than 3 months;
2 copies of the completed visa application form;
2 passport-size colored photos.
Foreign citizens and stateless persons arriving from the countries where there is no diplomatic representation or consular mission of the Republic of Uzbekistan can get visas upon arrival at the Visa Section of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan at the Tashkent International Airport.
For further information https://mfa.uz/en/consular/visa/
The best time to travel to Uzbekistan is spring and autumn, especially the periods from April to June and from September to October. However, a trip to Uzbekistan is also possible in winter and summer. The winter period will be attractive for winter sports lovers as there are several ski resorts in the mountains of Uzbekistan. The summer period is the most unattractive for tourist trips since the temperature can rise above + 40 C.
The choice of clothing depends on the type of tour. However, due to the fact that all tours involve excursions, it is recommended to bring comfortable clothes and shoes with you. If your trip is planned for a warm period of time, it is recommended to take a hat and sunglasses with you. In the autumn, you must bring a waterproof jacket and shoes, as well as an umbrella. There are no restrictions on clothing since Uzbekistan is a secular country, but as respect for the culture of the country, it is preferable to wear modest clothes when visiting mosques, madrassas, and other holy places.
It is allowed to import into the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan:
for personal use without paying customs duties, goods, the total cost of which does not exceed the equivalent of 10 (ten) US dollars, if these goods are imported from the territory of neighboring countries;
for personal use without paying customs duties (VAT, customs duty, clearance fee) goods, the total cost of which does not exceed the equivalent of 1000 (one thousand) US dollars, if these goods are imported from the territory of non-bordering countries;
for personal use goods that are a subject to excise tax, within the limits of excise-free importation, if these goods are imported from the territory of non-contiguous countries (the maximum norms for the import of goods by individuals that are not subject to excise tax are established by the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan).
It is allowed to import alcoholic production (including beer) into the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan in an amount of no more than 2 liters per person at each crossing of the border.
Goods that are prohibited to import into Uzbekistan:
a) drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors (also prohibited for export);
b) works of print, manuscripts, drawings, photographs, films, negatives, cinema, video, and audio products, recordings, audio materials aimed at undermining the state and social order, violation of territorial integrity, political independence and state sovereignty, promoting war, terrorism, violence, national exclusivity, and religious hatred, racism and its variety (anti-Semitism, fascism), pornographic materials;
c) portable laser emitters;
d) explosives and pyrotechnics;
e) unmanned aerial vehicles.
It is allowed to import:
– up to 10 medical products of various names and no more than 5 packages of medical products for each of them;
– medical products in the amount of no more than 5 units.
Moreover, one package should contain:
– for solid (tablets, dragees, granules, powders, capsules) dosage forms – no more than 100 units;
– for powders used for solution preparation – no more than 500 g;
– for homeopathic medicines in the form of granules – no more than 50 g;
– for infusion solutions and solutions taken orally – no more than 500 ml;
– solutions for injections – no more than 10 ampoules or no more than 10 vials;
– for external medicines – no more than 200 ml or 200 g.
Medicines and medical devices must be in the manufacturer’s packaging.
For dogs, cats, and other unproductive animals (no more than two heads) and birds (no more than 10 heads) belonging to persons entering the Republic of Uzbekistan, a veterinary certificate must be issued. In case of importing more than two domestic animals, the veterinary certificate is issued with the permission of the Chief State Veterinary Inspector of the Republic of Uzbekistan or his deputy.
The carriage of animals and birds is not included in the permitted allowance and is paid for at the excess baggage rate. In the passenger cabin of the aircraft it is allowed to carry:
On passenger trains, small pets are allowed in all carriages, provided they are placed in boxes, baskets, or cages. Large pets are transported in luggage cars in special containers https://uzbekistan.travel/ru/pamyatka-turistu/#top9
The amount of foreign currency in cash, equal or not exceeding the equivalent of 2000 (two thousand) US dollars, is not subject to be declared. The entire amount of foreign currency in cash exceeding the equivalent of 2,000 (two thousand) US dollars is subject to be declared.
Export in excess of the established amount is carried out:
By residents – on the basis of the permission of the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
By non-residents – on the basis of a passenger customs declaration filled out upon entry to the Republic of Uzbekistan, in which the amount of foreign currency in cash is indicated.
If you want to live in comfort and use various services (sauna, swimming pool, restaurant, etc.), then we recommend that you choose hotel accommodation (the category of the hotel depends on your desire and budget). If you want to get in touch with the culture of Uzbekistan, you can choose to stay in a guest house, where you will get acquainted with the way of life and traditions of the Uzbek family and communicate with its representatives.
This is an additional fee that is charged to a tourist traveling in a group if he wants to stay in a single room.
Like any situation in our life, the tour does not exclude the possibility of problems. However, we, as DMC in Uzbekistan, recommend that you do not panic and contact us immediately. We will be in touch 24/7 and will take all possible measures to solve your problem. Below are the emergency numbers:
Don’t panic. You must contact the nearest Consular Office of your country and report the loss of your passport. You will receive a temporary ID. In our turn, we guarantee to support and provide you with any assistance you need.
It is possible to rent a car in Uzbekistan, if the driver’s age is at least 21 years, and his driving experience is at least 1 year. International driving licenses are valid for driving vehicles on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan there are 5 mobile operators:
You can buy a SIM card in the offices of mobile operators and in the offices of Paynet. Such offices can be found around the country. For buying a SIM card, you should have a passport. The choice of the tariff plan depends on your preferences. In the offices of mobile operators, you will be offered full information about services.
Using the credit cards (VISA, Master Card) in Uzbekistan is not well-developed and we recommend you have cash local currency to pay for services and to buy the goods. However, some large cities (in some hotels of the high class and in some large restaurants or shops) it is possible to pay with a credit card.
Exchange offices can be found:
In case you do not have cash and you need to withdraw money from your credit card, you will be able to do this using a Cash machine in the banks of Uzbekistan. Then, you can exchange them for the local currency in exchange offices of any banks.
Most of the restaurants in Uzbekistan offer vegetarian cuisine. However, there is no diversity of vegetarian dishes (except in large cities).
In Uzbekistan, tips are the expression of your gratitude for the services, but they are not obligatory. Tourists usually leave tips of 2-10 USD day/person.
Uzbekistan touristic map is offered for every tourist traveling with our company.
There are no restrictions for photo and video shooting while visiting the sights. However, it is possible that there will be an additional surcharge.
From January 1, 2019, it is permitted to export goods from the Republic of Uzbekistan to individuals without filling customs declaration for a total value of 5 thousand US dollars. http://customs.uz/ru/lists/view/6
It is prohibited to export from Uzbekistan the cultural values that were created 50 or more years ago. It is allowed to export from Uzbekistan without certificate the following cultural values created over the last 50 years:
There are restricted rules for the export of certain types of goods. Including rice – up to 3 kg, bread – up to 5 kg, meat and meat products, sugar and vegetable oil – up to 2 kg, as well as fresh fruit and vegetable products, grapes, melons, legumes, as well as dried vegetables up to 40 kg. Certificate of allowance for drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, ozone-depleting substances and their products, cultural values, firearms and ammo, wild plants, their parts, fruits, seeds and botanical collections, wild animals and their parts, zoological collections, life activities products, booty, overcoats, ecologically hazardous products, and waste must be obtained from the competent authorities. http://customs.uz/ru/lists/view/6