Uzbekistan is one of the most attractive countries in Central Asia. It has a mix of Turkic and Russian culture combined together, ready to be experienced by you! We are sure that you are going to have a wonderful time in Uzbekistan, but are you sure that you can travel to Uzbekistan without a visa? To prevent any misunderstandings and assure you of getting an Uzbekistan visa, we have made a comprehensive guideline for Uzbekistan visa application.
Guidelines for Uzbekistan visa
The Uzbekistan visa policy is quite different compared to other countries in Central Asia. There are some visa exemptions and Uzbekistan visa requirements you should know before you travel to Uzbekistan. Also, if you need an Uzbekistan visa, there are several ways to apply for an Uzbekistan visa. Not to mention that Uzbekistan visa on arrival and Uzbekistan transit visa processes are different than applying for a regular Uzbekistan visa. As you continue reading, we will be answering all your questions regarding the Uzbekistan visa.
Do you need an Uzbekistan visa?
Just like most of the countries, Uzbekistan has also some visa exemptions for some nationals. So, The Ministry of Uzbekistan's Foreign Affairs has formed a list of visa-exempt countries. According to this list, if you are a citizen of the following countries you can travel to Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 90 days: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine.
Also if you are a national of the following countries, you can stay in Uzbekistan for up to 30 days without having to apply for an Uzbekistan visa: EU Member States, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the Vatican.
Lastly, if you are a citizen of China or Hong Kong, you can stay in Uzbekistan for up to 7 days without having to get an Uzbekistan visa.
How can you apply for an Uzbekistan visa?
If your country is not listed above, do not worry! You can always apply for an Uzbekistan visa, and you have two ways to apply for it.You can apply for the Uzbekistan visa online through the Uzbekistan eVisa platform.Also, you can apply for the Uzbekistan visa through the Uzbek consulate or embassy if you are not eligible to apply for the Uzbekistan visa online.We have explained how to apply for an Uzbekistan visa in two of these ways below, in detail.
Uzbekistan eVisa
If you are from the following countries, you are eligible to apply for an Uzbekistan visa online: Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, India, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Morocco, Nauru, Nepal, North Korea, North Macedonia, Oman, Palau, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Tonga, Tunisia, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Note that you will be asked to submit your personal information, the dates of your travel alıng with your intentions in Uzbekistan, and the processing time for the Uzbekistan eVisa is around 3 days after you submit your Uzbekistan visa application. While waiting for your Uzbekistan visa, you can always check your Uzbekistan visa status through the official website of Uzbekistan. When you see your Uzbek visa is approved, you can print it out and carry it with you throughout your stay in Uzbekistan.
You are also expected to upload an Uzbekistan visa photo and pay the Uzbekistan visa fee which is $20 for the Uzbekistan eVisa.
Lastly, bear in mind that your Uzbekistan visa is valid for a maximum period of 30 days within 90 days. So, you can apply for a single-entry visa or a multiple-entry visa, but you can stay in Uzbekistan for only 30 days with the Uzbekistan eVisa.
How to apply for a visa through the Uzbekistan embassy?
Uzbekistan visa policy is similar when applying for an Uzbekistan visa through the Uzbekistan embassy/consulate. However, there are some main differences between these two methods. For example, when applying for an Uzbek visa through the embassy, you are going to need a sponsor in Uzbekistan to get visa confirmation on your behalf at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After this, you are eligible to apply for an Uzbekistan visa at the Uzbek embassy. Note that every embassy/consulate may have different requirements and may require a specific document. For this reason, we advise you to contact the embassy/consulate before your Uzbek visa interview and ask for the documents needed for your Uzbekistan visa application.
Uzbekistan visa requirements
When you are submitting your Uzbekistan visa application, you should be extra careful about the Uzbekistan visa requirements. So, we have listed all the Uzbek visa requirements you should know of:
- You are required to download the Uzbekistan visa application form from the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and carefully fill it yourself, or your hosting company should fill it for you.
- Submit the electronic visa form. Note that this is not the same as eVisa.
- You are required to have a valid passport for at least 6 more months and your passport should have a minimum of 2 blank pages.
- You must submit a copy of your round-trip flight tickets.
However, if you are being sponsored for your trip to Uzbekistan, then if your sponsor is an individual you are required to provide these documents below:
- A copy of the host’s passport.
- Proof of relationship with the guest.
If you are sponsored by an organization or a company, then you are required to provide these documents below:
- A copy of the passport of the head of the company or the authorized person submitting the application.
- License and certificate of the company/organization.
- A copy of the “Power of Attorney” for the authorized person.
- Employment certificate of the guest.
After all these steps above, if your Uzbekistan visa application gets approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, you are required to submit these documents below to the nearest Uzbek Consulate/Embassy:
- Your valid passport
- Two Uzbekistan visa photo that fits the Uzbekistan visa photo requirements
Two Uzbekistan visa application form filled by your name.
Uzbekistan visa processing time
When you know for sure that you have submitted all the required documents in the correct way, you should not be worried about getting your Uzbekistan visa at all! That being said, shady documents may lead to a long visa processing time or even worse, a visa refusal! If you are sure about the transparency of your Uzbekistan visa application, you should expect 10 days of visa processing time. Even so, this period of time depends on various factors such as the number of applications during that time and your nationality along with the type of visa you are applying for.
Uzbekistan visa on arrival
If you have your Uzbek visa application approved by the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you can always apply for an Uzbekistan visa on arrival at Tashkent airport. We strongly advise you to get an Uzbekistan visa on arrival, if there is no Uzbek embassy/consulate in your country.
Make sure to double-check if you are eligible for an Uzbekistan visa on arrival by calling or emailing an Uzbek embassy/consulate. When you get a confirmation that you are eligible, you can apply for an Uzbekistan visa on arrival without a doubt!
Uzbekistan visa fees
Uzbekistan visa fee depends on the visa duration you are applying for. Here’s the list of Uzbekistan visa fees you should know of:
- Uzbek eVisa – $20
- Single-entry visa up to 7 days – $40
- Single-entry visa up to 15 days – $50
- Single-entry visa up to 30 days – $60
- Single-entry visa up to 3 months – $80
- Single-entry visa up to 6 months – $120
- Single-entry visa up to 1 year – $160
- Multiple-entry visa up to 6 months – $150
- Multiple-entry visa up to 1 year – $250
- Single-entry transit visa up to 72 hours – $40
- Double-entry transit visa – $50
Duration of Uzbekistan visa
Generally speaking, an Uzbekistan visa is considered to be a tourist visa, and it only allows you to stay in the Uzbek territory for up to 30 days. However, you can always apply for a longer period of visa to Uzbekistan. For this, you have two options:
- Single-entry visa
- Multiple-entry visa
A single-entry Uzbekistan visa allows you to stay in Uzbekistan for a maximum of 180 days.
However, if you apply for a multiple-entry Uzbekistan visa, you can stay in Uzbekistan for a maximum of 365 days.
Extending your Uzbekistan visa
Extending your Uzbekistan visa is possible. To extend your stay in Uzbekistan, you must contact the Department of Diplomatic Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Then, you will be expected to reason your visa extension and after proving why it is necessary for you to extend your visa, you can get your Uzbek visa extension approved.
How to transit through Uzbekistan?
You can always transit through Uzbekistan without having to get a visa confirmation from the Uzbek consulate/embassy. Though it can be issued for a less amount of time, the Uzbekistan transit visa is issued for up to 72 hours. When applying for an Uzbekistan transit visa, you are expected to submit your passport, a passport-size photo, and proof of onward travel, such as a travel ticket or a visa.
Furthermore, if you are a citizen of the following countries you can transit in Uzbekistan without a visa for up to five days: Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Bhutan, China (including Hong Kong), Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Kuwait, Lebanon, Macedonia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisian Republic, Turkmenistan, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Uzbekistan visa for US citizens
Uzbekistan visa requirements for US citizens are the same as for anyone else. As an American, you are required to apply for an Uzbekistan visa. You can apply for an Uzbekistan visa on arrival, or you can choose to apply through the Uzbek consulate. You can apply for your Uzbek visa in Washington, D.C, or New York. Keep in mind that you are required to apply for an Uzbekistan visa in person. So, make sure to choose the one that is the closest to your home.
