Uzbekistan visa for UK citizens

No, for short visits. British passport holders have been able to enter Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days since the country opened up to tourism in 2018–2019. This covers a classic tour of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva comfortably.

Rules can change, so check the official portal e-visa.gov.uz and the UK government’s FCDO travel advice for Uzbekistan before you travel. See our main Uzbekistan visa guide for the general rules.

If you want to stay longer than 30 days, you need a visa obtained in advance. Tourist e-visas are available online on the official portal; other categories, such as work or study, require an application through an Uzbek embassy or consulate. Apply only through official channels: intermediary websites charge extra. If you leave Uzbekistan, for example for a trip to Kyrgyzstan, and come back, a new visa-free period generally starts on re-entry, but check the current rules before relying on this.

• Passport: valid for at least six months beyond your stay is the safe rule, with blank pages.
• Travel insurance including medical evacuation.
• Medicines: some medicines available in the UK, including certain strong painkillers (such as codeine-based products), sleeping pills and ADHD medication, are controlled in Uzbekistan. Carry them in original packaging, with a prescription or a doctor’s letter, in the quantity you need.
• Drones need permission.

At passport control, present your passport; you may be asked about your hotel and return ticket. Declare large amounts of foreign cash and keep the form. Every foreign visitor must be registered where they stay: hotels and licensed guesthouses do this automatically. Keep any registration slips until you leave. See Tashkent airport.

Uzbekistan Airways has operated direct flights between London and Tashkent at times, taking around 6–7 hours; check current schedules. Many British travellers connect via Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), the Gulf (Dubai, Doha) or other European hubs. Some routes via Istanbul also reach Samarkand, Bukhara or Urgench, which allows an itinerary without backtracking.

Time difference: Uzbekistan is 5 hours ahead of the UK in winter and 4 hours ahead in summer; it does not use daylight saving time.

The local currency is the Uzbek som. Bring some US dollars or euros in clean notes to exchange; pounds can be harder to change outside Tashkent. ATMs accepting Visa and Mastercard are common in cities, and many hotels and restaurants take cards, but you need cash for bazaars, taxis and small places. See money in Central Asia.

British citizens can usually visit Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan visa-free for limited stays. Tajikistan offers visa-free entry or an e-visa to many nationalities; the Pamirs need an additional GBAO permit. Turkmenistan requires a visa with a letter of invitation from a Turkmen agency. Rules change; see Central Asia visas and our guides to crossings such as the Gisht Kuprik border and Jartepa border.

Most British 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 Nukus and the Savitsky Museum, or the desert fortresses of ancient Khorezm on a day trip from Khiva. 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.

The British Embassy is in Tashkent. Save its contact details before travelling, and keep a copy of your passport photo page separately from the original. The FCDO travel advice page for Uzbekistan has the latest safety and entry information.