Uzbekistan relaxes rules for nationals of 39 countries

From 1 February, tourist visa rules have been simplified by Uzbekistan for nationals of 39 countries, which include the US and India and the nations of the European Union and few other in the Middle East and East Asia.

With the simplified rules, the needs for a letter of invitation and voucher have been removed and the timeline to issue a visa has been reduced to two days.

Moreover, nationals of seven countries - Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Turkey – will be allowed into the Central Asian country visa-free starting from 10 February.

The introduction of an electronic entry visa system has also been advanced to July 2018. It was earlier stated that it would be launched in 2021.

Uzbekistan, which is on the historic Silk Route, has attracted many visitors in the recent past for its historical and architectural sites. It has also gained traction with adventure tourists who can partake in activities such as mountain skiing, rock climbing, mountaineering horse riding, hang-gliding, etc.

Eurasianet was quoted as saying that Uzbekistan visa system was being amended radically since the latter part of 2016, after Shavkat Mirziyoyev, became the President of the country.

It has, in fact, become one of the major priorities for the President, as he created the State Committee for the Development of Tourism specifically to develop that sector.

Official figures reveal that the Republic of Uzbekistan attracted 2.5 million visitors in 2017.

If you are looking to Travel to Uzbekistan, talk to Y-Axis, the world’s no.1 immigration and visa consultancy, to apply for a tourist visa.