馃晫 Uzbekistan

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

The rules for you depend on your passport, and details are on the official site linked below. Either the nearest Uzbek embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can confirm them before booking. Anyone needing a visa should find out whether an application can be made through the official portal for e-Visa. An onward ticket is likely to be needed, along with a passport that has 6 months of validity. Registration of foreign guests with the authorities is normally done by hotels, and the slip should be kept. Guests in private housing should ask their host about registration.

Culture - take note

Uzbekistan has a Muslim majority; it is relatively secular and the people are hospitable. Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand have mausoleums, mosques and madrasas that call for modest dress, with shoulders and knees covered. The greeting is a hand on the heart or, for men, a handshake. Non (bread) is sacred, so it must not be placed upside down or discarded. When offered tea, accept. Cards work in cities, yet cash (som) is needed for markets and villages, and bargaining is normal. Military and government buildings must not be photographed. Halal food is everywhere. The best seasons are spring and autumn, as winters are cold and summers very hot. Early booking is advised for high-speed trains.

Emergency

Police 102. Fire 101. Ambulance 103.

Good to know

Cards, cash machines, exchange

The currency is the Uzbek som. UK advice says few cash machines outside the main cities take international cards, and that foreign credit cards are not widely accepted outside Tashkent and the main cities. Canadian advice says most machines pay out only local currency and often run out of cash, and that changing money on the black market is illegal. The national tourism site lists exchange offices in banks, airports and hotels.

Local laws and customs

ID, photography and drugs

UK advice says visitors must carry a passport at all times, as police often check and fines or arrest can follow; Canadian advice also says to carry photo ID. Both warn of severe penalties for illegal drugs. Photography of any kind can upset the authorities, particularly of government buildings, says UK advice. Canadian advice adds that covering the face in public is illegal, with some exceptions, and that medicines are tightly controlled at customs. Both advisories state that same-sex sexual relations are illegal.

Taxis and scams

Licensed taxis and apps

Where possible, UK advice is to use licensed taxis, including official airport taxis and ones ordered through apps such as Yandex or My Taxi, though unlicensed taxis remain common, it notes. Canadian advice says it is hard to tell licensed and unlicensed taxis apart, that apps in major cities give fixed fares, and that you should confirm the fare beforehand and not share a taxi with strangers.

Fake police and card fraud

People posing as police officers have robbed foreigners, says Canadian advice, and anyone approached should ask to see police credentials. The advice also reports fraud with credit cards and ATMs, most often outside reputable establishments and banks, and recommends well-lit public places, banks or stores for using ATMs.

Who can help

local government

Tourist Police (Department of Tourism Safety)

Helps with: Police units set up to keep foreign tourists safe, based in tourist information centres in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and other cities, and patrolling large tourist sites, stations and airports. No phone is given for them.

Who qualifies: Foreign tourists in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and other cities with such units.

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Unified Safe Tourism Call Center 1173

Helps with: Tourist helpline named on the national tourism information site. The site does not describe the service further; its contact details come from the National PR-centre, a state enterprise running the site.

Who qualifies: Tourists in Uzbekistan seeking help or information.

Phone: 1173

Address: 18 Oybek St., Tashkent 100015

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan

Helps with: The state tourism body. Its contact page lists a main office phone, a hotline and an email, with office hours Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00 and a lunch break from 13:00 to 14:00.

Who qualifies: Anyone with a tourism question or complaint in Uzbekistan.

Phone: +998 71 205 06 00

Email: info@uzbektourism.uz

Address: Amir Temur Avenue 17, Tashkent 100084

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Police emergency number 102

Helps with: Emergency numbers listed on the national tourism site: 102 for police, 103 for an ambulance and 101 for the fire service. The site advises calling 102 to contact the police.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Uzbekistan who needs the police urgently.

Phone: 102

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Ministry of Emergency Situations

Helps with: Uzbekistan's emergency situations ministry. Its contact page lists phone lines 1050 and 101, a hotline 1101 and an email, without saying what each line is for.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Uzbekistan affected by an emergency or disaster.

Phone: 1101

Email: info@fvv.uz

Address: 4 Kichik khalka yoli, Tashkent 100084

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan

Helps with: National Red Crescent society. It trains disaster response teams, teaches first aid, runs blood donation and caring services, and helps reunite families separated by emergencies.

Who qualifies: People in Uzbekistan needing its emergency, first aid, health or family tracing services.

Phone: +998 78 150 81 11

Email: secretariat@redcrescent.uz

Address: Yusuf Khos Khodjib Street 30, Tashkent 700031

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Uzbekistan

Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Uzbekistan since 2015. It works on migration management, crisis response and counter-trafficking, and community projects that reduce the risks of irregular migration.

Who qualifies: Migrants and migration-affected people in Uzbekistan, including trafficking victims. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +998 78 120 31 40

Email: iomtashkent@iom.int

Address: 4 Lomonosov Street, Mirzo Ulughbek District, Tashkent 100077

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

embassy

Foreign embassies and consulates in Uzbekistan (official list)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The foreign ministry's Diplomatic Corps page lists embassies, consulates general and others with addresses, phones and emails, and was updated 3 November 2026.

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Samarkand SamarkandThe Shah-i-Zinda tombs, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Registan Square, with its tiled madrasahs, are what make this Silk Road city famous.Photo: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0 Bukhara BukharaWalking slowly is the best way to see this living old town, with the Kalyan Minaret, domed bazaars, madrasahs and mosques.Photo: Euyasik, CC BY-SA 3.0 Tashkent TashkentThe Hazrati Imam complex, the ornate metro stations and Chorsu Bazaar belong to the modern capital, also the main air gateway.Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 Khiva KhivaMinarets and palaces crowd Itchan Kala, the small walled inner town of Khiva, which has the feel of an open-air museum.Photo: Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy, CC BY-SA 2.0 Shakhrisabz ShakhrisabzAk-Saray Palace has a giant ruined gateway, and the town is both the birthplace of Amir Timur and a simple excursion from Samarkand.Photo: Normuratov7, CC BY 4.0 Fergana Valley Fergana ValleyThis fertile valley is known for the blue ceramics of Rishtan, Margilan's silk weaving and lively traditional bazaars.Photo: Bobyrr, CC BY-SA 4.0

City selection based on: Uzbekistan Tourism Committee reports (via Uzbek press), Wikipedia Tourism in Uzbekistan, booking-platform rankings

Festivals and events

culture

Navruz (spring new year)

21 Mar 2027 路 Samarkand

Music, fairs and sumalak go along with this spring festival.

culture

Independence Day (1 September)

1 Sep 2027 路 Tashkent

Fireworks and concerts take place.