UZBEKISTAN

Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings

Visa procedure at the airport no longer takes two hours but more or less five minutes. You pay for the visa at the bank counter (next to the visa counter) and in the meantime your visa is ready. Of course you have to arrange your visa beforehand with one of the travel agencies in Uzbekistan. Uzbek embassy in Austria has moved to a new location and is now at : Porzellangasse 32/5, 1090 Wien, Austria (tel : (1) 315 39 94, 315 39 95; fax (1) 315 39 93. They claim that they can issue visa on the spot if you bring an invitation letter with you (original and not a fax or a photocopy).
Toncek Kos (Sept 98)

Since there is no Uzbek embassy in Bishkek, we arranged an invitation letter with IMTC Tien Shan and their partner in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). When we arrived overland from Osh (with five days to go on our Kyrgyz visa) in Tashkent, they told us the Uzbek government just changed the visa rules and at present they don't issue visas at the airport for travellers overland. Sairam tourism discovered this just two days before with other overland travellers and they didn't want to help us after this incident. The only way to obtain an Uzbek visa in Tashkent is arrival by air. For the future this means it is better to travel from Bishkek to Almaty on your Kyrgyz visa, to obtain your Uzbek visa in Almaty (Kazakhstan).

The Kazakh embassy in Tashkent do not issue transit visa in one day. It takes two days - the first day with application form, copies of your Uzbek and onward visa (China) photo and a letter. The next day to collect your visa. (3-5 hours). Costs for transit visa are US$15 + $5 for administration and an additional US$15 if you want to have it within seven days.
Jurjen Berends, The Netherlands (Aug 98)

For travelling to Tashkent for a few days from Almaty, I learned that you do not need a multiple entry Kazakhstan visa, as long as your single-entry one is still valid (based on its dates). When you fly to Tashkent from Almaty, the airport personnel (at the domestic/CIS terminal) do not stamp your passport, but only check to see that you have an Uzbekistan visa. You leave Tashkent from the older building and are not stamped out. On arrival at the domestic terminal in Almaty, they simply checked my single-entry Kazakhstan to see whether I was within the allowed dates and that I had been registered properly.

The moral of the story is that to travel to Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan for a few days from Kazakhstan, you do not need a multiple-entry Kazakhstan visa. You also do not need a Kyrgyzstan visa if you only go there for the day. However, you should not attempt to enter Uzbekistan (at least not by air) without a visa for that country.
Michael L. Wyzan (Aug 98)

The British Embassy in Tashkent has moved to Ul Gogolya 67, Tashkent 700000 Uzbekistan. Tel : (7 3712) 406 288 / 406 451 (Int. ), 339847 (local) and fax : (7 3712) 406549 / 406 575. (Postal address : c/0 FCO (Tashkent), King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH)

Uzbek and Tashkent telephone codes will change in the autumn. Our telephone number will then become : (7) (371) 120 6288 or 120 6451 and the fax number (7) (371) 120 6549 or 120 6430.
Barbara Hay, British Embassy, Tashkent (Aug 98)

The embassy of Kyrgyzstan in Tashkent, Uzbekistan has moved. It is now next to the Kazak embassy at Holida Samatova. Since 1997 a visa costs US$65 and is valid for one month. If the consul is at work he'll process the visa while you're waiting. He speaks German. If he's away there is nobody else who can give you a visa.
Martyn Rasche (June 98)

A kind woman called Fatima R Mukimova at Tacis Business Communications Centre, can arrange visas and accommodation for independent travellers. She gave us a copy of a new law:

The law stated we did not have to register in every town as long as we only stayed three days in each. We also did not have to register at all as we were in Uzbekistan less than two weeks. Here is the law as we translated it from Russian (we are students in St Petersburg):

Article 12, Agenda 2, Cabinet of Ministers 21 Nov 1996, No 408
Those not needing to register:
* Foreign citizens who are visiting Republic of Uzbekistan as tourists for a period of up to 15 days; and
* Foreign tourists who are making a trip if the time period of their stay in each city does not exceed three days.
Natalie Slawinski & David Mallette - Russia (June 98)

I got the necessary visa from the Turkmen and Uzbek embassies in Bonn, Germany. For both visas letters of support (invitations) were needed. This was quite hard in the case of Turkmenistan, as telephone and especially fax connections were poor. Even emails could not be delivered. So give yourself plenty of time in advance to make the necessary arrangements - as, at least coming from Uzbekistan - no visa can be obtained on arrival at Ashgabat airport (new regulation since the end of March 98).

On arrival at Ashgabat airport one custom's declaration form had to be filled out which was kept by the custom official in contrast to Uzbekistan's two forms one of which had to be kept till departure. At the border crossing near Dashkovuz, the visa was checked more thoroughly by Turkmen than by Uzbeks. As I had a double entry visa for Turkmentistan (though not for Uzbekistan, but the Uzbeks did not care ), this was no problem.

I continued the trip by train to Andijan (Ferghana valley). The line goes through Tajikistan which went unnoticed by me in the night - no controls whatsoever. At the time when I passed there were no buses running directly from Samarkand to the Ferghana valley. You always had to go through Tashkent for destinations in the Ferghana valley.

From Andijan I made a day trip to Drygyzstan ie Osh and Gul'cha. The latter lies on the road to Sary Tash. I entered Kyrgyzstan with my Uzbek visa. At the Turbaza in Osh no definite information could be given regarding the possibility of entering China on the Sary Tash-Irkeshtam road. The trip ended by going back to Andijan and from there by plane to Tashkent where I spent one day.
Mathias Metzdorff (Apr 98)

The Polish embassy is at- ulitsa Narodnaya 27; phone : 54-24-68 Tashkent Department of Registration and Visa Office 9OVIR) at ulitsa Yusupova - phone : 41-83-40 (commendante Zakhir).
Wojciech Kwarcinski & Krzysztof Obara - Poland (Jan 98)

Getting an Uzbek visa does not have to be an ordeal. I recommend Visit Bukhara, run by Mila Akhmedova, email visit@b1.silk.glas.apc.org (thats b1, ie. the number 'one', not L). I entered under the '3 day rule' using my Kazak visa. I had made my arrangements with Mila via email. I phoned her the day I arrived, my visa was waiting for me at the Bureau of Foreign Affairs and the whole thing took less than an hour.
Dale Myers - USA (Dec 1997)

The main difficulty here was to get a visa: we needed to have an invitation from an accredited intermediary booking in advance our hotel or guest house nights but this may have changed since then (it was May 97) and depends on your nationality (we are French). If you do not sleep in a hotel booked by tour official intermediary, you have to register at the OVIR and it costs US$20 per person per night; not much less than the room through the intermediary. It seems to be much easier to get a business visa.
Eric Poupon - France (Dec 1997)

Visa extension on a transit visa (5 days). A 10-day extension took 15 minutes in Esfahan. Visa office is now at police headquarters, just opposite the gate of Esfahan University. Service is erratic, so get there early - many others were rejected later the same day or only got 3-days extension. The office opens at 7am.
Mr. Inge Sollerud - Norway ( Dec 1997)

There is no Uzbek embassy in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. I didn't realise that until I'd left Kazakstan and couldn't return. In the end, I arranged an invitation through Kyrghyz concept in Bishkek ($20 for the letter and no vouchers required) and flew into Tashkent to get it on arrival. Flying standby I also arrived four days earlier than the letter stated, but that was no problem. In fact the friendly official gave me a one year multiple entry tourist visa for $50. He said that was now standard for American visitors though usually only for business visas.
Stephen Winterstein - USA (Dec 97)

Train travel is loads of fun; rather uncomfortable at times but a great way of meeting the local people. We travelled over 10,000 kilometres through China, Central Asia and Russia and most of the time were the only westerners on the trains. We had taken photos of our home, family, gardens, cars, etc, and maps of the country in relation to where we were travelling, as well as a few glossy photos and touristy books of New Zealand. These were very popular and a great way to break the ice with fellow passengers.
Kate Frost - New Zealand (Jan 98)

The Uzbek language is close to Turkish. Usually the "real" Uzbek people understand Turkish. The Taddjik minority (Samarkand, Bukhara) speaks Uzbeck and Farsi but not Turkish; the Russioan minority (most in Tashkent) speaks no Central Asian language. Everyone speaks Russian.
Eric Poupon - France (Dec 1997)

We enjoyed Tashkent despite it is not an old town, and mostly the enormous Chorsu market, the mayn gardens and the "terasse" restaurants in the Center of town.
Eric Poupon - France (Dec 1997)

At Marghilan, visit the silk factory at 138 Imam Zahiriddin to see traditional methods of hand-looming and to buy silk in the old designs. These traditional ikat weaves are difficult to find elsewhere and the factory does need support.
John McKinnon (Nov 97)

In the new Uzbekistan, the major sites have an increasing number of private B&B's opening up. At the very least, these offer a basic standard of politeness and service that can't be guaranteed at any price elsewhere. At best, in a family house traditionally built around a courtyard, you can be absorbed in to the family, fed when mama decides you're looking hungry (perpetually) and have help with local information.
Jon Aldridge (Sept 97)

Take US dollars. The government's fixed the interest rates at an artificial level (around 70 som to the dollar), while the black market rate is closer to 150 som. Thus, people with travellers cheques or DM (ú or Yen) were paying twice as much as those with dollars. Alternatively if you are staying in private accommodation is might be best to overpay and arrange an exchange rate with your change.
Jon Aldridge - (Sept 97)

In November 1996 by the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan simplified the visit procedure and visa regime for foreigners. Visa duties have been essentially reduced and the procedure of their receiving have been simplified. If previously a visa was necessary to visit each city, at present it is issued for free travel along the whole Uzbekistan.

As in any other country, one can receive entry visa in consular departments of Uzbekistan abroad, but in case of emergency you are is sued a visa in consular bureau at "Tashkent" airport and also in other airports of Uzbekistan, which have communications with foreign count ries.

The term to issue a visa for those who want to visit Uzbekistan by invitations of juridical persons or permanent missions of foreign countries, international organizations accredited in the Republic of Uzbekistan will not exceed 10 days. The term to issue an entry visa to Uzbekistan on private affairs will not exceed 15 days.

One can purchase tourist vouchers at the representations of national company "Uzbektourism" abroad, but in case of absence of a such ones-one can purchase them in tourist firms cooperating with "Uzbektourism". The vouchers' price are fixed, depending on stay, boarding, excursion service conditions and other types of service. Issue of a tourist and transit visa will not exceed 3 days (not including holidays and week-end).

In order to receive a transit visa it is necessary to fill up vi sa forms and show a passport, country's visa (countries) of move and also passing through documents, with confirmed exit date from Uzbekistan.

Entry, exit and transit visas of other CIS countries are functioning in Uzbekistan. It enables their owners without any impediments to have a transit via Uzbekistan within the 72 hours.

Heads of parliamentary and governmental delegations, members of their family, technical personnel of these delegations, persons arrived in Uzbekistan with UNO passport and also foreigners arriving in Uzbekistan for the period up to 15 days and persons who are not reached 18 years old, are exempted from registration.

Consular duties for Uzbek visas are defined in the following rates:
entry-exit visa up to 30 days ($60); up to 3 months ($80); up to 1 year ($160); transit visa (from $20 up to $40); for registration of multiple visa tariff rate increases for $10; a group visa up to 15 days from each person ($15) (a group not less than 10 persons, not including children up to age 16); a group visa for the term of 30 days and more from each person ($25).

For prolongation visas validity duties are collected in the following rates: up to 24 hours - $15; up to 30 days - $50.
Ministry of Foreign affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan (19/8/97)