Do You Need a Visa for Uzbekistan? A Complete Guide for Tourists

Most of the people who write to us about an Uzbek visa turn out not to need one. Fly into Tashkent on a British, German, American or Japanese passport, and the officer stamps it, hands it back, and your 30 days begin at that moment.

We are a tour operator in Tashkent and check entry rules for our guests every week. Here is how it works in 2026, and how to tell in two minutes which group you are in.

Visa-free: 30 days for most travellers

Citizens of close to 90 countries enter Uzbekistan without a visa. For most of them the limit is 30 days, counted from the day you cross the border. Among them:

• all EU countries, the UK, Switzerland and Norway;
• the USA (for all ages since 1 January 2026), Canada, Australia and New Zealand;
• Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Israel and the UAE;
• China (30 days since June 2025).

Citizens of most CIS countries, including Russia and Kazakhstan, do not need a visa either. The list keeps growing, so if your country is not mentioned here, check the current list with us or with the Uzbek embassy before you book flights.

The visa-free days are not extended on the spot: on day 30 you need to be on your way out. If you plan a longer stay, or come to work or study, you need a visa for that purpose.

E-visa: online in a few days

If your country is not on the visa-free list, check the e-visa first. You apply on the official portal, e-visa.gov.uz, with a passport scan, a photo and a bank card.

• A single-entry e-visa costs $20 and allows a stay of up to 30 days.
• It is valid for 90 days from the date of issue, so you can apply well before the trip.
• Apply at least three working days before you travel.
• The visa arrives by email. Show it at the border on paper or on your phone; nothing is glued into the passport.

Double-entry ($35) and multiple-entry ($50) e-visas exist too, handy if you are combining Uzbekistan with Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan and coming back.

Visa with a letter of invitation

If your nationality is on neither list, you get a tourist visa at an Uzbek embassy or consulate, and for that you first need a letter of invitation from a licensed tour operator in Uzbekistan. As a licensed operator, we arrange it for our guests. The steps, timing and documents are in our guide to visa support and the letter of invitation.

One more option for some nationalities that normally need a visa: up to five days visa-free in transit, if you change planes at an Uzbek international airport and hold an Uzbekistan Airways ticket to a third country.

At passport control

You hand over your passport, plus the e-visa printout if you have one, and the officer stamps it. Check that the stamp is there before you walk away: border guards look for it again when you leave.

We recommend a passport valid for at least six months. The formal minimum is shorter, but six months removes any question at check-in and at the border.

A customs declaration is needed only if you bring in a large amount of cash or valuables. The thresholds and what to keep for departure are in our article on registration and customs.

After you land: registration within 3 days

Every foreign visitor is registered at their place of stay within 3 days of arrival, weekends included. In a hotel or guesthouse the reception does it at check-in, and you do not have to do anything. Staying with friends or in a rented flat, the host registers you. Keep the confirmations until you fly home; details are in our registration guide.

When you travel with us

Before we confirm a trip, we look at your passport and tell you which of the three cases applies. If you need a letter of invitation, we prepare it. On our routes, such as the 8-day classic tour of Uzbekistan, every hotel registers you on arrival, so the paperwork stays with us. Not sure about your passport? Send us your nationality and dates, and we will tell you. Planning the whole trip? Start on the tailor-made tours page.

In short

• EU, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, China and many more: 30 days visa-free from the day you cross the border.
• Otherwise, check the e-visa: $20, up to 30 days, apply at least three working days ahead.
• No e-visa for your passport? A tourist visa with our letter of invitation.
• Make sure your passport is stamped on entry.
• Registration within 3 days: hotels do it for you.