Every way into Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan has greatly liberalised its border regime and grants visa-free entry to citizens of around 90 countries, including most of the EU, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Turkey and many others, for short visits. The standard visa-free stay is up to 30 days, although some nationalities have different limits: post-Soviet CIS states (Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine) enjoy effectively unlimited visa-free stay under bilateral agreements, Kyrgyzstan up to 60 days, and a few Gulf and other states have shorter windows. Travellers enter on a valid passport for tourism, family visits or short business meetings; the regime does not authorise employment, enrolled study or long-term residence. Eligibility and exact day limits depend on nationality, so applicants must confirm their country against the current Ministry of Foreign Affairs list before travel. Visitors must register their place of stay within three working days of arrival (hotels do this automatically).

Max stay

30 days

The electronic visa, applied for online at the official portal e-visa.gov.uz, is the standard route for nationalities that are not visa-free. It is issued for tourism and short visits, permitting a stay of up to 30 days, and the e-visa itself is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. Applicants complete the form, upload a passport bio-page and photo, and pay the fee online; the government fee is USD 20 for a single-entry e-visa, USD 35 for double-entry and USD 50 for multiple-entry, with group e-visas from USD 20 per person. Processing normally takes about two business days (excluding the application day), and travellers are advised to apply at least three working days before entry. The e-visa does not authorise work, enrolled study or long-term residence, and holders must register their stay within three working days of arrival.

Government fee

$20

Processing time

2 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

The transit visa is for travellers passing through Uzbekistan en route to a third country. It permits a stay of up to 3 days (72 hours), and a double transit option is also available. It can be obtained as an electronic visa via e-visa.gov.uz or as a consular sticker; the single transit government fee is USD 40 and double transit USD 50. Applicants must hold a valid visa for, or right of entry to, the onward destination and confirmed onward travel. A separate provision allows visa-free airport transit of up to 5 days for passengers connecting through Uzbekistan's international airports on certain itineraries. The transit visa does not permit work, study or extended stays.

Government fee

$40

Processing time

2 days

Max stay

3 days

Validity

90 days

The business visa is for foreigners travelling to Uzbekistan for meetings, negotiations, conferences and commercial activity. The temporary business visa (category B-2) is issued for up to one year on the basis of an invitation from a host organisation, while the B-1 visa is granted for the period of accreditation of foreigners accredited to a company in Uzbekistan. Single-entry consular fees scale with duration (about USD 60 for up to 30 days, rising to USD 160 for up to one year), and multiple-entry business visas run from roughly USD 150 to USD 350 depending on validity. Many business travellers from visa-free nationalities instead enter without a visa for short meetings. The business visa permits business activity but not local employment, which requires a separate work visa and labour confirmation.

Government fee

$60

Max stay

90 days

Validity

365 days

The medical visa is for foreigners travelling to Uzbekistan to receive medical treatment, issued for up to three months on the basis of a confirmation from the treating medical institution. The consular fee follows the standard single-entry scale, around USD 80 for a stay of up to three months. Applicants provide an invitation or admission letter from a licensed Uzbek clinic or hospital together with the usual passport and photo documents. Visitors from visa-free nationalities may instead travel without a visa for shorter courses of treatment. The visa is for medical purposes and does not authorise employment or long-term residence; accompanying family members generally travel on visitor visas.

Government fee

$80

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Uzbekistan is a major centre of Islamic heritage and Sufi pilgrimage, home to Samarkand, Bukhara and the shrine of Imam al-Bukhari, and it operates a dedicated pilgrimage visa (category PLG) for visitors travelling for religious pilgrimage. The visa is issued for up to two months. Pilgrims provide the standard passport and photo documents and, where required, confirmation of the pilgrimage programme or host. The consular fee follows the standard single-entry scale (about USD 80 for up to three months). Many pilgrims from visa-free countries enter without a visa, while those needing a visa may also use the tourist e-visa for shorter visits. The visa is for religious travel and does not authorise employment or residence.

Government fee

$80

Max stay

60 days

Validity

90 days

The student visa is for foreigners enrolled at an Uzbek educational institution. The category A-1 (student) visa is issued for up to one year and renewed for the duration of the programme, while category STD covers temporary student exchange for up to one year. The visa is granted on the basis of an admission or enrolment confirmation from the host university or institute, which sponsors the application. The consular fee follows the standard scale (around USD 160 for a one-year single-entry visa). Enrolled students may study full-time; the visa does not by itself grant general work rights. Students register their residence and, for longer programmes, may move onto a temporary residence permit.

Government fee

$160

Validity

365 days

Foreigners taking up employment in Uzbekistan need both an employer permit and an individual work confirmation, issued by the Agency for External Labour Migration under the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, together with a work visa (category Is). The employer first obtains a permit to attract foreign labour and applies for a confirmation giving the foreign national the right to work; it is unlawful to work without a confirmation or to employ foreigners without a permit. The work visa is then issued, typically for up to one year and renewable, on the basis of the labour-agency approval and an employment contract. The consular fee follows the standard scale (around USD 160 for a one-year single-entry visa), separate from the labour-agency fees. The visa authorises employment only for the sponsoring employer and role.

Government fee

$160

Validity

365 days

The investment visa (category INV) is a multiple-entry visa for foreign investors, valid for up to three years and extendable from within Uzbekistan without departure. It is granted to foreigners who acquire shares in, or establish, an Uzbek enterprise with an investment of at least 8,500 times the national base accounting value (a threshold set in local currency and periodically adjusted). The multiple-entry consular fee for a three-year validity is around USD 350. Investors gain stable multi-year status to manage their business, and family members may receive visitor visas matching the investment visa's duration. This is an active-investment business route rather than a passive golden-visa or citizenship-by-investment scheme. The visa supports business activity but is not in itself a permanent-residence grant.

Government fee

$350

Validity

1,095 days

The visitor visa allows foreigners to join or visit family and hosts in Uzbekistan. Category PV-1 is issued on the invitation of an Uzbek citizen and category PV-2 on the invitation of a foreigner permanently residing in Uzbekistan, each for up to one year. The visa is granted on the basis of an invitation from the host, supported by proof of the relationship where relevant, plus the standard passport and photo documents. The single-entry consular fee follows the standard scale (around USD 160 for one year). This visa supports family visits and accompanying stays; it does not by itself grant work rights. Foreigners married to or closely related to Uzbek citizens or residents may use it as a step toward a temporary or permanent residence permit.

Government fee

$160

Validity

365 days

The compatriot visa (category VTD) is for foreign nationals recognised as compatriots, primarily persons of Uzbek origin and members of the historic Uzbek diaspora living abroad, allowing entry and stay for up to two years. It is intended to reconnect ethnic Uzbeks and former citizens with their homeland and provides longer, more flexible status than a tourist visa. Applicants provide evidence of Uzbek origin or former citizenship together with the standard passport and photo documents. The compatriot route can serve as a foundation for applying for a residence permit and, ultimately, restoration or acquisition of Uzbek citizenship under the citizenship law. It is an ancestry-based route, not a short-stay tourist product.

Government fee

$300

Validity

730 days

The IT Visa is a multiple-entry visa valid for up to three years for foreign specialists, investors, founders and executives connected to IT Park Uzbekistan resident companies, and can be renewed without leaving the country. Eligible categories include highly qualified IT specialists employed by an IT Park resident who can confirm income of at least USD 30,000 from IT activity over the preceding 12 months, founders and heads of resident and startup companies, foreign professors with advanced IT degrees, and investors providing at least USD 10,000 of financing to an IT Park resident. Holders work without a separate work permit, may purchase real estate of any value, access healthcare and education on the same terms as citizens, and are not obliged to re-register their address when travelling within Uzbekistan. Applications are processed through IT Park's relocation channels; the visa is the country's flagship talent-attraction route for the IT sector.

Validity

1,095 days

Min. income / month

$30,000

Min. investment

$10,000

The press visa is for foreign journalists and media representatives working in Uzbekistan. Category J-1 covers correspondents on permanent accreditation and J-2 covers temporary press accreditation. The visa is issued on the basis of accreditation arranged through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant press authority. Applicants provide their accreditation documents, employer assignment and the usual passport and photo materials, and the fee follows the standard consular scale by duration and entries. The visa authorises journalistic activity under the accreditation; it is not a general work or residence visa.

Government fee

$80

Validity

365 days

Uzbekistan issues diplomatic and service visas to officials, diplomats and staff travelling on government business. Diplomatic visas include D-1 for diplomats on permanent accreditation and D-2 for temporary diplomatic visits of up to three months, while service visas include S-1 (permanent accreditation), S-2 (temporary, up to three months) and S-3 (issued on the invitation of state organisations for up to one year). They are granted on the basis of official notes and invitations from the host government body, often with fee exemptions or reductions under bilateral and reciprocal arrangements. These categories are restricted to government, diplomatic and official-organisation travel and are not available to ordinary applicants.

Foreigners staying in Uzbekistan beyond a short visit on grounds such as work, study, family or investment register on a temporary residence permit, the basis on which a temporarily residing foreigner lawfully lives in the country. The permit is tied to a valid national visa or a visa-free agreement and to an underlying purpose, and holders must register their place of residence at their destination within three working days of arrival. Applications are assessed within one month. The permit allows the holder to live in Uzbekistan for the authorised period and is the standard step before applying for permanent residence; fees are set in local currency. Rights such as work depend on the underlying visa category (for example a work or IT visa).

Processing time

30 days

The permanent residence permit (vid na zhitelstvo) is issued to foreigners and stateless persons who register permanent residence in Uzbekistan, typically valid for between five and ten years and renewable. It is granted to those with established grounds to settle, such as family ties to Uzbek citizens or residents, persons of Uzbek origin, long-term workers and investors. Applicants submit an application with passport, housing documents from the property owner, proof of any family relationships and a fee receipt, and the file is decided within one month. Permanent residence may be refused on grounds of national security, criminal record, membership of prohibited organisations or submission of false information. The permit grants stable long-term residence and is a step toward acquiring Uzbek citizenship under the citizenship law.

Processing time

30 days

Validity

3,650 days