In general
Documents and visa
You need a passport valid for at least 3 months. Citizens of 45 countries, including EU states, do NOT need a visa for stays up to 30 days, for any purpose of travel; many other nationalities qualify for visa-free entry or a simple e-visa, so check your own requirements before leaving. The border is crossed with a simple stamp.
Currency and payments
The currency is the Uzbek som (UZS): the figures are huge (one euro is worth several thousand som). It is still a very cash-based country: bring euros or US dollars in new, undamaged notes, to change at a bank or official exchange office (good rates). Visa/Mastercard cards are increasingly accepted in city hotels, restaurants and shops, but you need cash elsewhere. ATMs are common in towns but do not always have cash: withdraw when you can.
Language
The languages are Uzbek (written in the Latin alphabet, though Cyrillic is still very common on signs) and Russian, the lingua franca among adults. English is understood by young people and in the tourist sector of the big cities, much less elsewhere: a translation app and a few words of Russian are useful.
Health and vaccines
No mandatory vaccine; keep your routine vaccinations up to date and discuss hepatitis A and typhoid with your doctor. Public healthcare is below the European average, especially in rural areas; in Tashkent there are better private clinics and an international polyclinic where English is spoken. ALWAYS take out insurance covering medical expenses and repatriation. To avoid stomach trouble: drink only bottled water, no ice, avoid raw food and unpeeled fruit.
eSIM and connectivity
The main operators are Beeline, Ucell and Uzmobile, with good 4G coverage in the cities. NOTE a peculiar rule: if you use a local SIM, you must declare and register your phone's IMEI at customs on arrival, otherwise the device is blocked on Uzbek networks after 30 days. For a short trip, and to avoid the procedure, the easiest option is an eSIM bought before departure. Roaming with non-local SIMs is expensive.
Electricity
Power is 220V/50Hz with type C and F sockets, the same as continental Europe: European two-round-pin plugs fit without an adapter.
Time zone
Uzbekistan is at UTC+5 all year (no daylight saving time).
Climate and seasons
The climate is continental and arid: scorching summers (over 40 degrees in the desert and the silk cities, June to August) and harsh winters with frost and snow. The best times to visit Uzbekistan are spring (April-May, with the orchards in blossom) and autumn (September-October, with grapes and pomegranates): mild weather, ideal for walking among the monuments and for the night in a yurt in the desert.
Good to know
Getting around and trains
The best way to travel the Silk Road is the high-speed Afrosiyob train, linking Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara in a few comfortable, air-conditioned hours: book tickets well in advance, as seats sell out. For the leg to Khiva, across the desert, there are night trains or a convenient internal flight to/from Urgench (Khiva's airport). In the cities, cheap taxis and the Yandex Go app.
Safety
Uzbekistan is a safe and hospitable country, with low crime: travellers are welcomed with great kindness. Normal precautions against pickpocketing apply in crowded places (bazaars, stations), and keep your documents in order, as the police sometimes ask for them. Only the areas next to the border with Afghanistan, in the far south (Termez), away from the classic tourist routes, are advised against.
Eating and customs
The national dish is plov (rice with meat, carrots and onions, cooked in a great cauldron), followed by shashlik (skewers), manti (steamed dumplings), lagman (noodle soup), samsa and the excellent non bread. Green tea flows freely. Hospitality is sacred: if you are invited in or offered something, accept. In mosques and mausoleums cover shoulders and legs; women may wear a headscarf. Tips are not compulsory but appreciated.
Useful numbers
- 112 — Single emergency number
- 102 — Police
- 103 — Ambulance / emergency medical service
- 101 — Fire brigade
- +998 71 2031120 — Italian Embassy in Tashkent (out-of-hours emergencies: +998 90 8081369). For other nationalities, contact your own country's embassy
💡 Travel in spring or autumn (summer in the desert is brutal) and get around on the high-speed Afrosiyob train, booked in advance. Bring euros or US dollars in new notes to exchange, and for your phone go for an eSIM: it avoids the compulsory IMEI registration required for local SIMs. And be ready for Uzbek hospitality: it is among the warmest in the world.