Uzbekistan Travel Guide


ON THE GO

Traveling by plane

Uzbekistan Airways (HY) regularly flies to all major cities in Uzbekistan. Foreigners must pay for all flights in US dollars. Some credit cards are also accepted. Tickets are sold in the office of Uzbekistan Airways (opposite the Hotel Russia, Schota Rustaveli, Tashkent). Flights should be reconfirmed, because flight times can change at short notice. There are no seat reservations.

Flight times

from Tashkent to the following cities (approximate hours and minutes):

Termez 1.20
Nukus 2.00
Samarkand 0.40
Navoi 1.00
Namangan 1.40

On the way by car / bus

The road network is relatively well developed. There is right-hand traffic.

Bus: The larger cities are reliably connected by buses.

Taxis
and rental cars are available in all major cities. Most taxis are unregistered and advance pricing is recommended. Since a lot of street names have changed, you should always give the old and new names. Few taxi drivers speak English. Taxis can be rented for individual trips, by the hour, by the day or by the week.

Note on traveling by road

Anyone wishing to travel to Termez and other areas of the Surkhandarya region needs a permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tashkent. The processing time is usually five days.

Traveling in the city

Tashkent has buses, trolleybuses, trams, taxis, and a subway. Public transport is very cheap and quite reliable.

On the go by train

The route network covers 3400 km and connects Termez, Samarkand, Bukhara, the Fergana Basin and Nukus. There are two train stations in Tashkent (North and South).

The Trans-Caspian Railway crosses the country on the route from Tschardschau (Turkmenistan) via Kagan (near Bukhara), Samarkand and Jisak, from where there are connections to Tashkent.

On the train, you should stow your valuables under the couch or seat and never leave the compartment unattended.

TRAVEL WARNING

Country-specific safety information

Travel over land / terrorism

The situation in Uzbekistan is calm. However, a latent threat from Islamist-oriented extremist groups that operate in parts of Central Asia can still be assumed. So far, the threat has not been directed against tourism in the country. Nevertheless, it is recommended to be careful when traveling in Uzbekistan.

As a country located in Asia according to homosociety, the Uzbek authorities have retained their intensive security precautions (check points, identity checks). The controls also increasingly affect foreigners leaving Uzbekistan, especially with regard to violations of the registration obligation and foreign exchange regulations (see also General Travel Information). Even minor violations according to our terms are regularly punished with high fines and lead to departure delays of several days.

The security precautions and controls by security forces in the Ferghana Valley are still strong. The pass road into the Ferghanatal is open in summer, from October to April depending on the weather conditions. Every traveler has to identify himself with his passport at the checkpoints.

The international border crossings are also only open during the daytime. Experience has shown that these can be closed ad hoc, blocked for transit by car or for foreigners.

Reliable information cannot be given in this regard, as the border openings or closings are not announced in advance. Greater caution is advised when traveling into the Ferghana Valley, and travel into the border area with the exception of the official border crossings is not recommended.

Uzbekistan Travel Guide

MONEY

Currency

1 So’m = 100 tiyin. Currency abbreviation: UZS (ISO code). Banknotes are in circulation to the value of 5,000, 1,000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 3 and 1 So’m, coins in the denominations of 50, 25, 10, 5, 3 and 1 So’m m as well as from 50, 20, 10, 5, 3 and 1 tiyin. Coins exist with both Cyrillic and Latin coinage.

Credit cards

More and more popular in hotels and shops, and especially in tourist areas. There are now a large number of ATMs from which cash can be withdrawn with credit cards. Details from the issuer of the credit card in question.

ATMs

ec / Maestro card / Sparcard
cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted throughout Europe and worldwide. Cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted in some shops in Uzbekistan, but not at ATMs. Further information from banks and credit institutes.

Attention: Travelers who pay abroad with their bank customer card and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.

Bank opening times

Theoretically Mon-Fri 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but deviations are common.

Foreign exchange regulations

The import and export of the national currency is limited to the maximum value of 50 minimum wages necessary for a living. Higher amounts must be authorized by the Central Bank of Uzbekistan.
Unrestricted importation of foreign currencies (for amounts in excess of US $ 10,000, however, the difference may be taxed at 1%), obligation to declare from an equivalent of US $ 5000. The export of foreign currency is not permitted without an entry declaration document, entry documents must be stamped and kept in a safe place. Export of foreign currencies up to the amount declared, minus the exchange amounts.

Currency Exchange

Tourists and business people have to pay most of the bills in foreign currency. US dollars in particular, but also euros (in pristine condition) are most commonly accepted. All bills are paid in cash. Exchange on the black market is illegal and punishable. Banks and exchange offices in the larger hotels change to the official rate.

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