Uzbekistan visa for Spanish citizens

No, for tourist trips of up to 30 days. Spain is on Uzbekistan’s visa-free list, introduced in 2018–2019. For Spanish travellers, Uzbekistan has become an increasingly popular long-haul destination: the tiled cities of Samarkand and Bukhara recall, for many, the Islamic architecture of Al-Andalus.

Check the latest rules before departure on the official portal e-visa.gov.uz and the travel recommendations of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Exteriores). See our Uzbekistan visa guide for the general rules.

For more than 30 days, or for work, study or business, you need a visa obtained in advance, as an e-visa where available or through an Uzbek embassy or consulate. Use only official channels; intermediary websites charge extra. If you leave Uzbekistan and come back, a new visa-free period generally starts on re-entry; check the current rules.

• Passport: valid at least six months beyond your stay is the safe rule. The Spanish national identity card (DNI) is not valid for entry.
• Travel insurance with medical cover and repatriation.
• Medicines: some medicines common in Spain, including certain strong painkillers, sleeping pills, anxiolytics and ADHD medication, are controlled in Uzbekistan. Carry them in original packaging with a prescription or doctor’s report, ideally in English.
• Drones require permission.

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

Direct flights between Spain and Uzbekistan have been limited; most Spanish travellers connect via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Frankfurt, the Gulf (Dubai, Doha) or other hubs. Some itineraries continue directly to Samarkand, Bukhara or Urgench, which can save time. Total travel time is usually 9–12 hours from Madrid or Barcelona. Check current routes, as new connections appear regularly. See domestic flights.

Time difference: Uzbekistan is 4 hours ahead of mainland Spain in winter and 3 hours ahead in summer.

The currency is the Uzbek som. Euros and US dollars in clean notes are easy to exchange at banks and official exchange offices. ATMs accept Visa and Mastercard in the cities, and cards work in many hotels and restaurants; carry cash for bazaars, taxis and small places. See money in Central Asia.

Spanish citizens can usually visit Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan visa-free for limited stays. Tajikistan offers visa-free entry or an e-visa to many nationalities, with a permit for the Pamirs. Turkmenistan requires a visa with a letter of invitation. See Central Asia visas and border crossings.

English and Russian are the main foreign languages in tourism. Spanish-speaking guides exist but are fewer, so book early if you want one. Learn a few words of Uzbek with our Uzbek phrases.

Most Spanish visitors spend 8–14 days in Uzbekistan. A classic route is Tashkent → Samarkand by the Afrosiyob train → Bukhara → Khiva across the desert, then a flight from Urgench back to Tashkent. Many add a night in a desert yurt camp near Lake Aydarkul, or the mountains of Chimgan near Tashkent. The busiest months are April–May and September–October, when trains and good hotels sell out, so book early. See our 7-day and 10-day itineraries, and Tashkent to Samarkand for the first leg.

Spain does not necessarily have a resident embassy in Tashkent; check on the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s website which embassy is responsible for Uzbekistan, and save its contact details before you travel. You can also register your trip in the ministry’s Registro de Viajeros. EU citizens may seek help from the embassy of another EU member state if their own country is not represented.