Visa to Uzbekistan for Russians: is it necessary, how to get it in 2021

Do you need a visa to Uzbekistan? For tourists from the CIS countries, entry into Uzbekistan is visa-free. Thus, citizens of Russia and up to 60 days do not need an Uzbek visa for citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, as well as residents of Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and some other countries.

The flow of tourists to Uzbekistan from the Russian Federation is steadily growing, largely thanks to the visa-free regime operating between our countries. The country attracts tourists with its climate, many attractions, natural resources, and unique culture.

Visa-free entry to Uzbekistan

A visa-free entry regime has been introduced in Uzbekistan for Russian citizens. For 60 days, a visa-free regime is extended to such countries as Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.

Among non-CIS countries, from February 10, 2021, Israel, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and Japan have a visa-free regime with Uzbekistan. It is valid for trips up to 30 days.

Despite the visa-free regime, citizens of Russia and other above-mentioned countries when entering Uzbekistan, according to the country’s customs rules, must present a number of documents:

foreign, official or diplomatic passport, valid for at least another 3 months from the date of entry into Uzbekistan. The document must not have external defects;
for children under 14 years of age traveling with their parents - an entry in the passport of one of the parents with a color photograph pasted in. In the case when a child travels with only one of the parents, a notarized permission to travel from the other parent is required;
Children over 14 years old need their own passport;
minors traveling unaccompanied by their parents must present their own passport and a notarized travel permit from both parents.

Russians cannot cross the borders of Uzbekistan using an internal passport or other identification documents other than a foreign passport.

general information

Let's start with the most important thing. Do Russian citizens need visas to Uzbekistan? Now the Russian Federation has established a comfortable visa regime with Uzbekistan, thanks to which Russians can visit the country without visas!

This is great news for all travelers who are planning a budget trip and want to see a truly new country. However, for visa-free entry, two rules must be observed: the purpose of the visit must be tourist and the duration of the planned stay must not exceed 2 months.

If you want to come for another purpose or your stay exceeds 2 months, you will have to apply for a visa at the official representative office of Uzbekistan in the Russian Federation.

To travel to Uzbekistan you will need a passport. It does not matter whether you enter with a visa or without a visa. A foreigner is required.

After arriving in Uzbekistan, you must register at your place of stay. Registration must be completed within three days from the date of entry. A similar system operates in Russia and some other former USSR countries. We'll tell you more about registration later. In the meantime, let's talk in more detail about visa-free entry.

Entry by visa and “visa support”

According to the laws of Uzbekistan, a number of visas are available for foreigners entering for diplomatic, official, work and tourist purposes. In addition, there are transit visas for those traveling through the territory of Uzbekistan to a third country.

For citizens of CIS countries, if they need a long stay in Uzbekistan, they will also need a visa. Its category is also determined by the purpose of the trip.

You can obtain a national visa for Uzbekistan at the country’s consulates with a document called “visa support”. It represents an official permit to obtain a visa and is issued by the inviting party, which can be citizens of Uzbekistan or organizations whose activities are carried out on Uzbek territory. Such organizations, for example, may be licensed travel companies licensed by the National.

To receive “visa support”, a tourist must provide a copy or scan of a foreign passport, a completed form with personal data, a copy of booked round-trip air tickets and a hotel reservation, an insurance policy, a certificate from employment, and two recent passport photographs.

The official application form for obtaining an Uzbek tourist visa can be found on the website: evisa.mfa.uz. This form is accepted at all embassies and consulates of Uzbekistan.

“Visa support” will be needed both for those who go to work - the basis will be confirmation from the employer, and for study - students will need an invitation from the university, etc. If a foreigner is traveling on a tourist package, then the tour operator is in charge of obtaining “visa support”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan considers an application for “visa support” within seven working days (for a transit visa - up to four working days). The decision made is brought to the attention of the inviting person or travel agency in writing.

Entry with invitation

For citizens of all other countries, an entry visa is issued on the basis of visa support . To obtain visa support, you need to provide our company with the following list of documents:

Completed visa support form
A scanned copy of your passport
A scanned copy of your employment certificate

After we receive all the necessary information, we will issue visa support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Tashkent, which will review your documents within 7 working days .

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan reserves the right to refuse to issue a permit without providing reasons for the refusal. In case of refusal, the paid fee is not refunded.

a telex number by mail, after which you can contact the diplomatic mission or consulate of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the country of your stay with a list of the following documents:

Original passport (validity of which must exceed the validity of the visa by at least 3 months);
Completed visa application form in 2 copies;
2 color photographs (passport size);
Telex number (sent to you by email);
Consular fee (according to the tariffs given in the Fee )

The duration of consideration of submitted documents is 3 working days .

Visa support is terminated if the client refuses a previously booked package of travel services.

Visa to Uzbekistan on arrival

If there is no consulate of Uzbekistan on the territory of a particular country, its citizens can obtain an Uzbek visa upon arrival at Tashkent airport, where the only consular office in the country that works with such tourists is located.

To obtain a visa upon arrival, a foreigner must present to the customs officer a document on “visa support” from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan (stamp of the visa issuing department). Let us remind you that some airlines require “visa support” already at the stage of a tourist purchasing an air ticket to Tashkent.

Transit visa to Uzbekistan

Foreigners can obtain a transit visa for Uzbekistan. From July 15, 2018, the country introduced visa-free transit entry for up to 5 days for citizens of 100 countries. Tourists must have air tickets from the national airline Uzbekistan Airways to Uzbekistan and from Uzbekistan to a third country. Citizens of countries not included in the list will need to send documents to the consulate in advance for a transit visa. When passing through passport control, the tourist must present a valid visa for the country of further destination and tickets with a fixed date of departure from Uzbekistan.

Short-term Visa (No more than 90 days)

The visa center accepts documents from residents of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (exclusively for trips to Latvia).

When applying for a Schengen visa, biometric data (fingerprints) is collected. In this regard, when applying for a Schengen visa , personal presence is required. Persons under 12 years of age are exempt from submitting biometric data. Persons who have submitted biometric data within the last five years at a representative office of any Schengen country that uses the unified visa information system VIS (VIS) are not required to resubmit biometric data.

VISA APPLICATION (QUESTIONNAIRE)

must be completely completed, printed and personally signed by the person requesting the visa. The questionnaire is filled out separately for each person traveling to the Schengen countries. The application form for a minor under 18 years of age is signed by parents or persons with parental (guardian) rights.

Recommendations for filling out the visa application form

PASSPORT and a copy of the second and third pages.

Copies of your civil and foreign passport must be attached to the package of documents. Documents without copies will not be accepted.

The passport must be:

issued no more than 10 years ago,
valid for three months after the end of the planned trip and
have at least two blank pages intended for pasting in a visa.

1 PHOTO (Photo requirements)

For each traveler, 1 color photograph on a white background measuring 35 by 45 mm (also for children of any age), on glossy paper, taken no more than 6 months ago, the head in the photo should occupy 70 - 80% of the entire image.

HEALTH INSURANCE POLICY valid in the Schengen countries

To obtain a Schengen visa, you need a health insurance policy valid in the Schengen countries and with a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros. If you plan to enter the Schengen countries once or twice, you must provide a valid health insurance policy for traveling abroad, which covers the entire expected period of stay, including an additional period of 15 days . The validity period of the policy will be taken into account when issuing a visa.

When applying for a multiple-entry visa, a health insurance policy can be provided for the first visit to the Schengen territory.

DOCUMENTS CONFIRMING THE AVAILABILITY OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES for the period of stay in the Schengen countries.

If the inviting party does not cover the costs associated with staying in the Schengen countries, it is necessary to prove the availability of sufficient means of subsistence for a stay in all Schengen countries that the person plans to visit and for returning to the country of residence:

a certificate from the bank confirming the availability of funds in the account and the availability of a payment card that will allow you to use these funds while abroad; as well as a bank account statement on cash flows for the last 3 months, or
If the company bears all the costs of sending an employee, a letter of guarantee from the employer company (in Russian or English) is required.

CONFIRMATION OF EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITY

for employed people: a certificate from the place of work on official letterhead (original) indicating the position, length of service and salary (in Russian or English) and a work book (a photocopy of all pages and the original), a travel certificate from the employer or an employer’s confirmation of the provision of leave
for private entrepreneurs: company registration documents: registration with the khokimiyat, license
for pensioners: pension certificate with a photocopy
for schoolchildren and students: student card, grade book and student card with photocopies

ROUND-TURN TRAVEL TICKETS OR TICKET RESERVATIONS

Minor children traveling unaccompanied by their parents must have a notarized permit (issued no later than 2 months from the date of travel) from both parents (issued no later than 2 months from the date of travel) (in Russian or English), which indicates who is in Schengen countries are responsible for the minor, and must also have their own foreign passport.

If a minor travels unaccompanied, he needs a notarized permission from both parents (issued no later than 2 months from the date of travel) to independently cross the border, valid in the Schengen countries (in Russian or English).

If a minor travels accompanied by one parent, it is necessary to have a notarized permission from the second parent (issued no later than 2 months from the date of travel), valid in the Schengen countries (in Russian or English).

In the absence of a second parent, the following is provided:

court decision on guardianship with a copy,
certificate from the Orphan's court regarding guardianship with a copy,
in cases of death of the second parent - his death certificate with a copy.

Entry into Latvia

DOCUMENTS CONFIRMING THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP

Private trip (visiting relatives or friends)
Number of an invitation issued and certified by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia by an individual or legal entity (the invitation must have an active status) or a notarized invitation of an individual of Latvia or an Invitation written at the Embassy of Latvia by citizens and non-citizens of Latvia, to foreign citizens with permanent residence in Latvia, citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation with a residence permit in Latvia, foreign citizens with a residence permit in Latvia - only for spouses, children, parents, parents of parents, grandchildren, sisters, brothers and their children, sisters and brothers of parents and their children .

Business trip

The number of the invitation issued and certified by a legal entity (the invitation must have an active status) - the Latvian partner in the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia.

International road carriers

a letter from a Latvian company on official letterhead indicating the surname and first name, as well as the date and place of birth of each driver, or the number of an invitation issued and certified by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Latvia (the invitation must have an active status).

a copy of the agreement on the basis of which international road transport is carried out,
a copy of the license for international cargo transportation,
a copy of the registration certificate,
a copy of a driver's license of the appropriate category.

For individual tourist trips

Confirmation of hotel reservations and prepayments, round-trip travel tickets or ticket reservations.

Private trip based on real estate documents

Extract from the land register

Based on real estate documents, a visa can also be obtained by the spouse and children of the property owner. In this case, it is necessary to submit documents confirming the relationship and also write a letter stating that the owner gives his consent to residence.

Travel to sporting events
A petition (“invitation”) from the organizer of a sports event in Latvia (sports club, federation or association) with the following information: surname, first name, position, gender, date of birth and citizenship of the invited person, purpose of stay and/or nature of the planned event, duration of stay and number of entries. If the inviting organization pays all the applicant's expenses (transport, accommodation and food) during his stay in Latvia, this must be indicated in the invitation. Also, provide travel permission from the Ministry of Physical Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the departure of all participants of the event.
Read also: Work visa to Slovenia for Russians
Persons whose one parent is a citizen of Latvia, spouses and minor children of Latvian citizens
Children and family members of Latvian citizens: personal code of a citizen of Latvia and documents confirming relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate, change of surname).

In case of serious illness or death of a close relative

a telegram certified by the attending physician or a death certificate.

To visit the burial place of a close relative in Latvia

original official document confirming the existence of the grave (certificate of the presence of the grave, certified by the local government);
a document confirming the relationship or other relationship between the requesting person and the buried person (birth certificate, marriage certificate).

Entry into Estonia

Basic documents for visa request

DOCUMENTS CONFIRMING THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP

Original invitation, notarized in English or Russian, indicating the purpose of the trip. Sent by fax or e-mail are not accepted!

for an individual trip - an original notarized invitation in English or Russian.
A notarized invitation must indicate the first name, last name, date of birth, passport number, address of the invited person’s place of residence in Uzbekistan, the expected place of residence of the invited person in the country of destination, the timing of the planned visit, the purpose of the visit, etc.
for business trips - an invitation from a legal entity, notarized in English or Russian (it is also advisable to provide a copy of a valid cooperation agreement with your visa application, if one is concluded between both legal entities);
for an individual tourist trip - original voucher with full payment for hotel accommodation
for participation in international conferences, seminars, symposiums, cultural and sporting events - an invitation certified by a notary, issued by the organizer of the event, an official letter from the sending organization with a request to provide its employee with a visa to travel to Estonia.
invitation from government agencies - on official letterhead with a signature and official seal (in this case, the invitation does not need to be notarized)

Entry into Switzerland

Documents from the inviting person in Switzerland / Liechtenstein:

The original invitation, which must be sent in an envelope by mail to the invited person/persons. The invitation in free form must indicate the full name of the invitee, the degree of acquaintance or relationship, the period of travel and the number of entries. Indicate who bears the costs of the stay, including medical insurance, and also indicate the address where the invited person will live.
A copy of a passport or a copy of an ID card from Swiss citizens, additionally for non-Swiss citizens - a copy of a residence permit.
A copy of the apartment/house rental or real estate documents
A copy of the family book, if the marriage is registered in Switzerland
Bank account statement for the last 3 months

Private trip (visiting relatives or friends who are employees of international organizations under the UN)

The original invitation, which must be sent in an envelope by mail to the invited person/persons. The invitation in free form must indicate the full name of the invitee, the degree of acquaintance or relationship, the period of travel and the number of entries. Indicate who bears the costs of the stay, including medical insurance, and also indicate the address where the invited person will live.
Copy of passport + copy of legitimation card. Letter from the employer confirming the position, duration of the contract.
Copy of apartment/house rental
Bank account statement for the last 3 months

Private trip (for parents whose children study in Swiss educational institutions)

Original invitation from the educational institution where the child is studying. The invitation in free form must indicate the full name of the invitee, the degree of acquaintance or relationship. Confirmation that the student has been accepted into the educational institution and attach a calendar plan for the academic year with vacation dates.
Copy of passport + copy of student’s residence permit.

Short-term visa for participation in an international conference

(at the invitation of international organizations whose headquarters are in Switzerland)

Invitation from an international organization in Switzerland with the following

information: last name, first name, gender, date of birth, citizenship of the invited person, as well as the duration of the planned event, indicating who bears the costs of the stay and place of residence in Switzerland

Hotel booking confirmation
Business trip at the invitation of business partners in Switzerland/Liechtenstein
Original invitation from Switzerland / Liechtenstein, signed by those persons who have the right to sign according to the extract from the trade register. In the invitation, indicate the name of the invitee, the purpose and period of the trip, indicating who bears the costs of the stay
A copy of an extract from the trade register of the inviting company
Hotel booking confirmation
Travel for medical examination, treatment

An invitation from a clinic or hospital with a doctor’s signature confirming the fact of full or partial payment for the upcoming treatment. And also indicate the patient’s name and the period in which he is expected.

Travel to sporting events

Application (“invitation”) from the organizer of a sports event in Switzerland (sports club, federation or association) with the following information: surname, name, position, gender, date of birth and nationality of the invited person, purpose of stay and/or nature of the planned event, duration of stay and number of entries. If the inviting organization pays all the applicant's expenses (transport, accommodation and food) during their stay in Switzerland, this must be indicated in the invitation.

NB! If there is no visa history in the Schengen countries, it is necessary to submit a document on family relations in Uzbekistan (original passport of husband/wife and children, birth certificate of children, marriage certificate, etc.).

NB !
If necessary, the consular officer may require the submission of additional documents.

Ease of entry into Uzbekistan

Citizens of some countries have a simplified entry regime into Uzbekistan, when “visa support” is not required. So, we are talking about tourists from Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Latvia, France, Switzerland - they are issued a multiple-entry visa for up to 30 days (for a business visit, the visa is valid for up to one year).

Citizens of the above-mentioned countries can independently obtain an Uzbek visa by contacting the Uzbekistan embassy at their place of residence. Their visa applications are processed within two business days.

In addition, when traveling on business, citizens of Malaysia are issued a business visa for up to six months, and tourists from Japan do not need to pay a visa fee.

There is also a group of countries with which Uzbekistan has established a visa-free regime for holders of diplomatic passports. Among them are Hungary, Brazil, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and South Korea. The visa-free regime applies to accredited diplomats and members of their families.

Applying for a visa at the embassy

To obtain visas to Uzbekistan for a long-term stay, you must complete online registration, collect a set of documents and submit them for consideration to the Uzbekistan Embassy. It is located in Moscow.

The first thing you must do is submit an application. This can be done on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. There you must fill out a form, which you then need to print out and attach to the set of documents with which you will go to the embassy.

At the embassy you can submit them for processing and pay the consular fee.

The list of required documents may vary depending on the purpose of arrival and social status. The following documents are usually requested:

International passport with current validity period;
Photos (2 pcs.) 3.5x4.5 cm format, as for a Schengen visa;
Housing reservation. Anything will do, including Airbnb;
A certificate from work about the amount of wages and/or a bank statement about the amount of money in the account;
Receipt of payment of the consular fee;
Invitation. Usually it is issued by a travel company, business partner, educational institution or loved one in Uzbekistan.
Medical policy. The document is optional, but we recommend that you complete it to avoid getting into an unpleasant situation abroad.

You may be asked for other documents. Before collecting them, seek personal advice from the embassy to know exactly what documents you must provide.

Electronic visa to Uzbekistan

The system for obtaining electronic visas for Uzbekistan became operational on July 15, 2018. Citizens of 50 countries can obtain this type of visa. The applicant will need to fill out an application form, receive confirmation of the submitted application by email, and pay a fee of $20. The decision is made within three working days. The completed electronic visa is sent to the applicant’s email in PDF format.

Website for obtaining an electronic visa: https://evisa.mfa.uz/evisa_en/

Registration of tourists

Immediately after arriving in Uzbekistan, but no later than three days, all foreigners, including Russians, must register at their place of temporary residence. It is issued by the internal affairs authorities for the entire duration of the visa. When staying at a hotel, registration is completed by the staff of the accommodation facility. The registration receipt should be kept until the end of the trip - when leaving Uzbekistan, the border officer will require you to present it.

Customs regulations

As elsewhere in the world, when crossing the border of Uzbekistan, the personal belongings of tourists are inspected. Guests of the country should know some rules for importing and exporting things. So, in this country there are no restrictions on foreign currency: you can import any amount here, which, however, will have to be declared so that there are no difficulties on the way back. Movement of the national currency is allowed in any direction, but the amount of funds should not exceed 2,000 US dollars. To transport a larger amount, permission from the National Bank will be required.

Alcohol and tobacco can be transported by persons over 16 years of age: 1.5 liters of strong alcohol, 2 liters of wine, 1,000 cigarettes are allowed. The total value of jewelry, perfume, electronic equipment and other valuable items must not exceed $10,000. Pets are transported only with special documents. The same applies to berries, fruits, vegetables and medicines. More information about customs rules can be found on the website customs.uz/ru.

Text: AsiaGate

Photo: Sheftali

Questions from tourists

Hello, I am a citizen of Ukraine, I live here with my parents under temporary registration, my father is Korean, my mother is Ukrainian, I am a 3rd generation Korean, the only thing in my records when my parents divorced is that the father is registered in the mother’s last name, which is a problem, but I have a divorce certificate parents. Will this help me? What options are there to get out of this situation? Please help, I've been studying Korean for about 6 months 1 answer

Is registration required in Tashkent in 2021? Where can I get it while traveling on my own? And what is the cost of registration? 2 answers