Everything you need to know about Uzbekistan Visa

As of February 1, 2019, the Embassy of Uzbekistan has granted visa free entry to British passport holders, for a stay not exceeding 30 days. You can avail this facility if you are entering the country for tourism, business, private or transit purposes.

A transit visa is not required if you are air-transiting via the nation and are staying there for a maximum period of up to three days.

Note: for a private visit, you need to consult with your tour company and arrange for a Visa Support Letter. You should submit it directly to the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent.

For this, you need to contact the Embassy of Uzbekistan in London and share all the used pages of your passport along with its biodata pages. You may also need to visit the consular section for a personal interview. The officials will inform you if such a situation arises.

Things to know before you plan your travel to Uzbekistan

• You must hold an official British passport that has a minimum validity of six months following your entry date into Uzbekistan.
• You must also ensure that your passport has at least two to three blank pages so that there is enough space for placing the required stamps during arrival and departure.
• Lastly, if your travel plan involves multiple countries, make sure whether a transit visa is required for any connections. Additionally, if your journey to Uzbekistan involves connecting flights, then do not forget to confirm if the countries you pass through require a separate transit visa.

Note: if you are planning to stay in Uzbekistan for more than 30 days or your travel purposes differ from those outlined above, you must clarify about the entry requirements with theEmbassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in London. You might have to apply in person for the specific type of visa as per your end purpose.

Visa free regime for UK citizens below 16 years

British nationals up to the age of 16 years are eligible for a visa-free regime, provided they have an official British passport or a biometric travel document.

It is mandatory that they are accompanied by their legal guardians. Their stay period depends on the validity period of the entry visa of the accompanying person.

However, under any case, this period cannot exceed 90 days from the date of entry into Uzbekistan. Again, if the individual’s age exceeds 16 years during his or her stay in the country, he or she can be issued an exit visa by the migration and citizenship registration offices.

Note: Under any scenario, your visa-free stay in Uzbekistan should not be more than 30 days. If you overstay this limit,you face the risk of being fined or even deported.

Registration

It is mandatory to register yourself in Uzbekistan within three days of your arrival in the country. This period is inclusive of Saturdays and Sundays.

After you arrive at your hotel, you would need to submit your passport at check-in. The staff shall retain it for a short while, finish all the required registration documentation, and then return you your passport.

Again, if you are travelling for private purposes and are staying in a house, your host would need to register you with their local district OVIR (Department of Foreign Travel & Exit). They deal with the registration of foreign citizens.

Another method to register is via the electronic registration system, named Emehmon. Additionally, if your travel itinerary involves you travelling to another city and planning to stay there for longer than three days, you have to register again.

This is necessary because you will have to present the full record of your travels within Uzbekistan when you exit the country. Failure to do so might lead to being fined to deported.

On the other hand, if visitors enter Uzbekistan and plan to spend their vacation in recreational vehicles, tents, or camps, they need to do their own registration.

This process should be completed online on the electronic registration system Emehmon within three days of entry into the nation.

The registration process involves payment of a certain amount as tourist tax charge for each day of their stay. This can be paid by credit or debit card.

Dual Nationality

If you hold passports of both the UK and Uzbekistan, you should know that the government of this country does not recognize dual nationality.

UK Emergency Travel Documents

The immigration officials in Uzbekistan do accept UK Emergency Travel Documents for entry (if you accompany it with a valid Uzbek visa), direct airside transit and exit from the country.

If you obtain your ETD from Tashkent, you have to secure an exit visa from the OVIR (Department of Foreign Travel & Exit) prior to leaving Uzbekistan. This entire procedure comprises a time frame of up to five business days.

Customs rules after arrival

Uzbek officials are quite strict and through with their custom declaration rules. Once you arrive at the airport, you need to fill two copies of the customs declaration form.

Ensure to get both these copies stamped by the customs officers. One of the copies has to be presented to the customs officer at arrival and the other during departure.

If the officials discover items or currency that has not been declared, they might confiscate them.

Medication regulations

Please note that Uzbekistan has certain regulations for foreigners entering with medicines, which can be either prescription or non-prescription drugs.

You must know about which medicines are prohibited in the country and what is the legal quantities allowed to be imported within the borders.

For any doubt, you can always consult with the Uzbek Embassy in London prior to your travel plans.

Additionally, if you are carrying medicines, remember to accompany them with a doctor’s prescription. You must also declare such items on your customs declaration form.

Certain non-prescription drugs in the UK are considered problematic in Uzbekistan and you may face criminal charges if you do not declare them after arrival, do not have a prescription, or are carrying more than the allowed quantities.