Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%

Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%

Uzbekistan, independent from the former Soviet Union since 1991, is a country undergoing political and economic change.

Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard

A passport and visa are required. Although official invitation letters are not required for American citizens applying for tourist visas, they are required for those planning to visit an individual who resides in Uzbekistan. Tourist visas cannot be extended in Uzbekistan. Visas are issued by Uzbek embassies and consulates abroad. Visitors coming from countries where Uzbekistan does not have diplomatic or consular representation should obtain visas in a third country. Visas are not available upon arrival at Uzbek airports. Americans seeking visas are encouraged to apply for their visas well in advance of their travel.

It is important to note that Uzbek visas indicate not only the validity of the visa, but also the period of time a person is allowed to stay in Uzbekistan on a given trip. A visitor will have to leave the country before the number of days indicated as the duration of stay on the visa expires. Therefore, it is important to indicate your intended period of stay when applying for your Uzbek visa. All travelers, even those simply transiting Uzbekistan for fewer than 72 hours, must obtain an Uzbek visa before traveling to Uzbekistan.

Foreigners must complete a customs declaration upon entering Uzbekistan. The amount of cash taken out of Uzbekistan should not exceed the amount indicated on the customs declaration. In order to export more cash than was imported, one must have special permission from the National Bank of Uzbekistan. Those who understate the amount of currency on their declaration form upon departure from Uzbekistan face fines and confiscation of their unreported money.

The Uzbek Government tightly controls all official border crossings. Travel within Uzbekistan by rail or land sometimes requires brief exit into neighboring countries. Travelers should have multiple-entry Uzbek visas and a proper visa for the neighboring country in order to avoid delays in travel.

Uzbek Visa Registration after entry: All travelers present in Uzbekistan for more than three business days must register with the Office of Entry, Exit, and Citizenship, commonly known as “OVIR,” of the district or city in which they are staying. Hotel guests are registered automatically, but all other travelers are responsible for registering themselves. Registration fees vary depending on length of stay. Visitors without proper registration are subject to fines, imprisonment, and deportation. The fines range from $1,000 to $12,000.

Transit Visas:  Travelers intending to transit through Russia en route to a third country must have a Russian transit visa. Even travelers who are simply changing planes in Moscow or another international airport in Russia for an onward destination will be asked to present a transit visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate. Russian authorities may refuse to allow a U.S. citizen who does not have a transit visa to continue with his or her travel, obliging the person to immediately return to the point of embarkation at the traveler’s own expense.

The Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan is located at 1746 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; telephone: (202) 530-7291; fax: (202) 293-9633; and the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in New York City is located at 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 327A, New York, NY 10017; telephone: (212) 754-7403; fax: (212) 838-9812.

Visit the Embassy of Uzbekistan website for the most current visa information.

Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of Uzbekistan. Uzbek law mandates that visitors carry a medical certificate attesting that they are not infected with HIV and that visitors staying more than 15 days be tested. However, this requirement is rarely enforced except in cases of long-term visitors on work permits. Please verify this information with the Embassy of Uzbekistan before you travel.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

Airports: 61  Airports with paved runways: 34

Tashkent Airport, Uzbekistan, 700167 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Tel: +998 71 54-62-67
Fax: +998 71 54-26-33, +998 71 54-16-51
email: document.write('info' + cat + 'uzair' + 'ways.' + 'com'); info@uzairways.com

Airport Data: Operating hours 24hr

US Dept. of State Travel Warning Updated 16 June 2009 http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_2533.html

The Department of State warns US citizens that the potential for a terrorist attack or localized civil disturbance still exists in Uzbekistan. The Dept of State continues to urge Americans in Uzbekistan to exercise caution when traveling in the region. This supersedes the Travel Warning dated July 3, 2008.
The US Government continues to receive information that indicates terrorist groups may be planning attacks, possibly against US interests, in Uzbekistan. Supporters of terrorist groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Al-Qaida, the Islamic Jihad Union, and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement are active in the region. Members of these groups have expressed anti-US sentiments and have attacked US Government interests in the past, including the US Embassy in Tashkent, and may attempt to target US Government or private American interests in Uzbekistan. In the past, these groups have conducted kidnappings, assassinations, and suicide bombings.
High security at official US facilities may lead terrorists and their sympathizers to seek softer targets. These may include facilities where Americans and other foreigners congregate or visit, such as residential areas, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, outdoor recreation events, and resorts. The US Embassy in Tashkent continues to employ heightened security precautions. US citizens should report any unusual activity to local authorities and then inform the Embassy.
Uzbekistan experienced a wave of terrorist violence in 2004 and a number of incidents have occurred since then. In July 2004, there were three suicide bombings in Tashkent, including one outside the US Embassy. The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) claimed responsibility for the attacks. The IJU also used suicide bombers in multiple attacks focused on police and Uzbek private and commercial facilities in Tashkent and Bukhara in late March and early April 2004. In May 2005, armed militants stormed a prison in Andijon, released its prisoners, and then took control of the regional administration and other government buildings in Andijon Province. Fighting broke out between government forces and the militants, and reports indicated that several hundred civilians died in the ensuing violence. In May 2009, there were attacks on a border post in Khonobod and a suicide bombing at a police station in the city of Andijon.
The Uzbek Government tightly controls all official border crossings. Travel within Uzbekistan by rail or land sometimes requires brief exit into neighboring countries. Travelers should have multiple-entry Uzbek visas and a proper visa for the neighboring country in order to avoid delays in travel. Furthermore, American citizens affiliated with nongovernmental organizations that have been closed in Uzbekistan may be denied entry, even with a valid visa.
Americans traveling to or remaining in Uzbekistan are strongly urged to register with the US Embassy through the State Dept's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Uzbekistan. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the US Embassy in Tashkent. The US Embassy in Uzbekistan is located at # 3, Moyqorghon Street, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent-700093, Uzbekistan. The telephone number is 998-71-120-5450 and can be reached after hours as well in the event of an emergency. The Consular fax number is 998-71-120-5448. The website is http://uzbekistan.usembassy.gov.
As the Dept continues to develop information on any potential security threats to US citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its consular information documents, including the Country Specific Information for Uzbekistan and the Worldwide Caution, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, outside the US and Canada, on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00a to 8:00p Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except US federal holidays).

Infant MR total:  69.99 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:  TOTAL 64.58 years  (male 61.19/female 68.14)

Required: None      
Recommended: Malaria, Hep A & B, Rabies, Typhoid.
Boosters: tetanus-diptheria & measles as needed 

Areas of Uzbekistan with Malaria: Rare cases along the Afghanistan and Tajikistan border.
Even if you are visiting an area of Uzbekistan with malaria (listed above), the risk of malaria is low and taking an antimalarial drug is not recommended. However, you should protect yourself from mosquito bites.
Tickborne encephalitis (TBE) is widespread, occurring in warmer months in the southern part of the nontropical forested regions of Europe and Asia. Most intense transmission has been reported in Russia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. The annual incidence rate of tuberculosis is high in some countries in the region.  High rates of drug-resistant TB are found in Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of Russia, and Uzbekistan. Cases of diphtheria have declined (after a large outbreak in the 1990s) with improved rates of immunization.

Medical care in Uzbekistan is below Western standards, with severe shortages of basic medical supplies, including disposable needles, anesthetics, and antibiotics. Elderly travelers and those with pre-existing health problems may be at particular risk due to inadequate medical facilities. Most resident Americans travel to North America or Western Europe for their medical needs.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has been documented in wild birds or other avian species in several of the countries in Eastern Europe. Human cases and death were reported from Azerbaijan in 2006.  Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry (such as chickens and ducks) and wild birds and avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept. For a current list of countries reporting outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry and/or wild birds, view updates from the updates from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), and for total numbers of confirmed human cases of H5N1 virus by country, see the World Health Organization (WHO) Avian Influenza website.

Country Calling Code:  +998
Internet Country Code:  .uz