Uzbekistan visa for South Korean citizens

No, for tourism of up to 30 days. South Korea is on Uzbekistan’s visa-free list, introduced as the country opened up to tourism in 2018–2019. The two countries have close relations: Korean companies are major investors in Uzbekistan, Korean cars are built in the country, and many Uzbeks work or study in Korea.

Rules can change, so check the official portal e-visa.gov.uz and the overseas safety information of the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs before you travel. See our main Uzbekistan visa guide.

For more than 30 days, or for work, study or business, you need the appropriate visa obtained in advance, as an e-visa where available or through the Uzbek embassy. Use only official channels. Leaving Uzbekistan for a neighbouring country and coming back generally starts a new visa-free period; check the current rules first.

• Passport: valid at least six months beyond your stay is the safe rule.
• Travel insurance with medical and evacuation cover.
• Medicines: some medicines, including certain cold remedies with codeine or pseudoephedrine, sleeping pills and ADHD medication, may be controlled in Uzbekistan. Carry them in original packaging with a prescription or a doctor’s letter in English.
• Drones require permission.

At immigration, present your passport; you may be asked for your first hotel and return ticket. Declare large amounts of cash and keep the form. Foreign visitors must be registered where they stay; hotels and licensed guesthouses do this automatically. See registration in Uzbekistan and Tashkent airport.

Direct flights between Seoul (Incheon) and Tashkent are operated by Uzbekistan Airways and Korean carriers, taking around 7 hours. Check current schedules and frequencies. Some connections also reach Samarkand or other cities. See domestic flights.

Time difference: Uzbekistan is 4 hours behind Korea all year.

The currency is the Uzbek som. Bring US dollars in clean notes to exchange; Korean won is difficult to change outside Tashkent. ATMs accept Visa and Mastercard in the cities, and cards work in many hotels and restaurants. Cash is needed for bazaars, taxis and small cafés. See money in Central Asia.

Uzbekistan is home to a large community of Koryo-saram, ethnic Koreans whose families were deported from the Russian Far East to Central Asia in 1937. Their descendants live across the country, especially around Tashkent. Korean dishes such as spicy carrot salad (morkovcha) and cold noodles (kuksi) have become part of everyday Uzbek food, and you will find them in bazaars and cafés. In Tashkent, Korean restaurants and shops are easy to find.

Uzbekistan is generally a safe and welcoming country for visitors. A few practical points make a trip easier: buy a local SIM card with your passport on arrival for maps and ride-hailing apps (see SIM cards and internet); use apps or agree prices in advance for taxis; book Afrosiyob train tickets early in spring and autumn; and dress modestly at mosques and shrines. Tipping is not compulsory, but rounding up the bill or leaving around 5–10% in restaurants is appreciated.

A classic 7–10-day route: Tashkent → Samarkand by Afrosiyob train → Bukhara → Khiva, then fly from Urgench back to Tashkent. The best seasons are April–May and September–October. See Tashkent to Samarkand and our 7-day itinerary.

South Korean citizens can usually visit Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan visa-free for limited stays; Tajikistan offers visa-free entry or an e-visa to many nationalities; Turkmenistan requires a visa with a letter of invitation. See Central Asia visas. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea is in Tashkent; save its contact details before you travel.