Uzbekistan visa 2026: who needs one, the e-visa and registration

Since 2018–2019 Uzbekistan has opened up dramatically. Today there are three main cases:

US citizens: Uzbekistan announced visa-free entry for US citizens from 1 January 2026, as reported by kun.uz. Confirm the current rule on the official portal before you book.

The lists and allowed durations change, sometimes with little notice. The official sources are the e-visa portal and your nearest Uzbek embassy. If you travel with us, we check the rule for your passport when we confirm your trip.

• Apply only on the official government portal, e-visa.gov.uz. Other websites that look official are intermediaries that charge extra.
• You need a passport scan, a photo and your travel dates. A small fee is paid online.
• Processing usually takes a few working days. Apply at least a week or two before travel.
• The standard tourist e-visa is single entry. If you will leave and re-enter Uzbekistan (for example, a side trip to Turkmenistan or Tajikistan), check whether you need a double- or multiple-entry visa, or whether your visa-free status covers re-entry.

Uzbekistan has offered visa-free transit of up to five days to citizens of many countries arriving by air with an onward ticket to a third country. This is useful for a short stop in Tashkent between flights. Check eligibility and the current conditions before relying on it.

Foreign visitors must be registered at their place of stay. In practice:

• Hotels and licensed guesthouses register you automatically, usually through the national online system, and may give you a slip or show the record on request.
• If you stay in a private home, your host is responsible for registering you.
• Nights spent on overnight trains or in desert camps within an organised tour are usually covered by your tour documents.
• Keep any registration slips until you leave. They are rarely checked at departure, but you should be able to show where you stayed if asked.

Short stays of a few days may be exempt from registration. Confirm the current threshold when you plan your trip.

• Passport: valid for at least six months beyond your stay is the safe rule, with at least one blank page.
• Return or onward ticket and the address of your first hotel.
• Cash: declare large amounts of foreign currency on arrival, and keep the form to show on departure. Normal tourist amounts are not a problem.
• Medicines: some medicines that are common in Europe (for example, certain strong painkillers, sleeping pills and ADHD medication) are controlled in Uzbekistan. Carry them in original packaging with a prescription or a doctor’s letter, and only in the quantity you need.
• Drones need permission. Leave yours at home unless we have arranged a permit.

Many travellers combine Uzbekistan with a neighbour. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are visa-free or offer e-visas to many nationalities; Turkmenistan requires a visa issued against a letter of invitation arranged in advance. See our Central Asia visa guide and land border crossings.