How to apply for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa)

From July 2018, it is possible to apply electronically for the tourism visa to Uzbekistan (e-Visa). In this post I will explain the requirements and how to complete the visa process to Uzbekistan, step by step.

0. Introduction

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Uzbekistan is the Silk Road. Millenary cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, were the most important sites along the Silk Road, which has made this country, with many tourist attractions, fashionable.

In this article I’ll explain how to process the visa to travel to this fascinating country. Since July 2018 it is possible to do it electronically (e-Visa). It is no longer necessary to go to the consulate.

1. Some prior considerations

1.1. Who can request the e-Visa?

To be able to apply for the visa electronically, you must be a citizen of one of these 51 countries, among which are India, European countries, the United States, Canada, United Kingdom or Australia:

• Europe: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia , Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Holland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vatican
• America: Canada and the United States
• Oceania: Australia and New Zealand
• Asia: China, INDIA, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and United Arab Emirates

Official Website Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan (visa information): https://mfa.uz/en/consular/visa/

1.2. When a visa to travel to Uzbekistan is not mandatory?

Keep in mind that there are 101 countries (the previous 51 plus another 50), that don’t need a transit visa for stays of up to 5 days. In this case, foreigners must transit through the international airports of the Republic of Uzbekistan and must have a plane ticket for a third country. During these 5 days you can visit the touristic interest sites of the country. These countries are:

• Europe: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania , Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Holland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Vatican
• America: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, San Cristóbal and Nieves, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela
• Oceania: Australia, Fiji, Nauru, New Zealand and Palaos
• Asia: Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, China, INDIA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Mongolia, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
• Africa: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mauritius, Morocco, Seychelles, South Africa and Tunisia.

Neither do children under 16 years of age with a biometric passport, accompanied by their parents or legal representatives, need a visa to travel to Uzbekistan.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that there are 16 countries that don’t need a visa to travel to Uzbekistan:

• CIS countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia (up to 1 year), Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan (up to 60 days).
• Since February 2018, a visa-free regime has been introduced for stays of up to 30 days for citizens of 7 countries: Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey.

In the following map, you can see a summary of visa requirements:

1.3. How far in advance should I apply?

The application for an electronic visa (e-Visa) must be made at least 3 working days before the expected date of arrival in Uzbekistan.

1.4. What is the duration period of the tourist visa?

The electronic visa (e-Visa) is issued for a period of 30 days, though it is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.

For example, if you apply for the visa on October 1, it will be valid from this date (October 1) until December 31, though you can stay in the country for a maximum period of 30 days from the date of entry (for example, from November 1 to November 30).

1.5. How long does it take to issue the electronic visa?

The electronic visa (e-Visa) is issued within 2 business days (not counting the day you filled out and sent the application form). The electronic visa is sent to the email address that you indicated during the application process.

1.6. What documentation do I need?

You need to submit the following documentation, which you must send electronically, during the application process:

• Photography
• Valid passport

1.7. Do I need travel insurance?

Travel insurance is not mandatory to apply for the visa to Uzbekistan, but it is highly recommended. You can get travel insurance online in 5 minutes, through the company World Nomads.

1.8. How much the electronic visa (e-Visa) cost?

The total amount of consular fees for the issuance of the electronic visa is USD 20. You can make the online payment through credit or debit card. It is not necessary for the applicant name to be the same as the cardholder name.

2. Step by step: processing the electronic visa (e-Visa) to Uzbekistan

To apply for the electronic visa, you need to follow the following steps:

Step 1. Access the official website

The first thing you need to do will be to enter the official electronic visa application portal of the government of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which can be found at the following address: https://e-visa.gov.uz/

Step 2. Nationality, passport type and purpose of the visit

You must select your nationality, your passport type and state the purpose of your visit:

Step 3. Visa Period

You can choose the period of time in which you will visit the country (a maximum of 30 days). The validity of the visa is 90 days:

Step 4. Personal Information

Enter your personal, work and residence information in Uzbekistan. You can specify a hotel at random (name and address) and then stay at a different hotel.

Step 5. Photo and passport

Upload a digital photo with a size of 35×45 mm, with a 300-dpi resolution (should not exceed 1Mb in size), as well as the first page of the passport where your personal photo and data is located:

Sometimes, uploading the photo can give you some problems. Here are some tips:

• Submit it in *.jpg format
• Try to make the head occupy most of the frame
• The photo must have a perfect white background

Step 6. Email

Enter your email and the text of the image:

Step 7. Making the payment

They will send you a link to your email to make the payment through credit or debit card. The visa costs 20 USD. It is not necessary for the applicant and the cardholder to be the same person. Within two days they will send you the visa to your email, ready to print.

3. Registration in Uzbekistan

If your stay in Uzbekistan is less than 3 working days (excluding weekends and holidays) it is not necessary to register, but if it is longer than 3 days, a registration is mandatory.

If you are staying in hotels or student residences, you will already be automatically registered, but if you do it in other types of accommodation (apartments or private homes, for example), then you must register. To make this registration, the government of Uzbekistan has implemented an electronic registration service through the website: http://www.emehmon.uz/, in which you must register before the 3 days and pay the tourist tax.

Have you applied for the electronic visa to Uzbekistan? How was your experience?