Asia

Uzbekistan

Quick facts

  • Full name: Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Capital: Tashkent
  • Largest city: Tashkent
  • Official language: Uzbek / Russian
  • Area: 448,978 km2
  • Population: 32,979,000 (2017)
  • Currency: Uzbek Som (UZS) 1 (UZS) = 100 Tiyin
  • Foreign tourists: 2 million (2013)
  • Travel risks and hazards: Dangerous animals, crime.

Uzbekistan is generally not the first pick of tourists when planning their holiday however the country is full of incredible monuments and architecture as its major cities are situated on the trail of the ancient silk road. The ancient cities of Samarkand, Khiva, and Bukhara are full of incredible attractions.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to Uzbekistan are required to have a valid passport. Depending on one’s nationality, there are different requirements regarding visa. Citizens of the ex-soviet republic may enter Uzbekistan without a visa for an indefinite amount of time with the exception of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Uzbekistan recently relaxed its immigration laws and allowed visa-free travel for up to 5 days for many countries around the world. (List in sources) Visitors who wish to drive in Uzbekistan must have their national driving permit and international driving permit. Beware that the international driving permit is only a translation of the original document and does not substitute for it. Both documents must be present with the driver at all times. Beware that vast majority of policemen in Uzbekistan do not speak English.

Traveling hazards

Uzbekistan has a developed but inconsistently maintained traffic infrastructure. Although main roads in central Tashkent are relatively well maintained, many secondary roads inside and outside Tashkent, and particularly those in the Tien Shan Mountains, are in poor condition and may be passable only by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Driving at night can be quite dangerous because only the main roads in Tashkent and a few other major cities have street lights, rural roads and highways generally are not lit. Visitors are strongly urged to avoid driving at night outside Tashkent. The gasoline supply can be sporadic, therefore, travelers should expect occasional difficulty finding gasoline, particularly outside Tashkent. Livestock, as well as farm equipment and carts drawn by animals that lack lights or reflectors, are found on both urban and rural roads at any hour. Local drivers are not familiar with safe driving techniques. Pedestrians in cities and rural areas cross streets unexpectedly and often without looking for oncoming traffic. Uzbekistan has a large road police force, which frequently stops drivers for minor infractions or simple document checks. There have been reports of harassment of foreign drivers by the road police, with reported minor police corruption in the form of solicitation of bribes.

Environmental hazards

Uzbekistan is a vast country covering different landscapes inhabited by a variety of potentially dangerous animals. There are wolves and brown bears in Uzbekistan. Although these animals generally avoid humans, attacks have happened. Wolves mainly prey on livestock thus often getting into conflict with local farmers. Persian leopards although very few in numbers are still found in Uzbekistan. Although there have been no recorded attacks in the country, in India these animals have killed over 1000 people in the past century. Uzbekistan has several species of a venomous snake, of which the central Asian cobra, found in desert regions, is most dangerous. You should also steer well clear of the poisonous saya gak and the four-striped runner. Uzbekistan is landlocked however the lakes and rivers are generally safe to swim in with the exception of the remnants of the Aral Sea which is known to be badly polluted.

Health hazards

There are currently no outbreaks of any diseases in Uzbekistan. There are however several vaccinations which are recommended to ensure a disease-free journey. These are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid and rabies vaccines. The Tashkent International Medical Clinic is the only international-standard clinic in the country. Outside the capital, health facilities are few and far between and should be considered for emergency use only. For anything serious, you will want to be evacuated to Europe.
In case of an emergency dial 103.

Crime

The government of Uzbekistan does not release official crime statistics; therefore, most data is received through informal sources. Violent crimes against Americans and other foreign persons are rare. Crimes of opportunity such as muggings, pickpocketing, snatch-and-grab robberies, theft of unattended bags, purse snatching are common, especially in crowded places like bazaars and public transportation. Home burglaries and break-ins occur, even in wealthier neighborhoods. In general, Foreigners especially western looking, are perceived to be wealthy and are prime targets of financially-motivated crimes. Night-clubs frequented by Westerners and other foreigners are targets for illicit activity and often become the focus of law-enforcement operations. Simultaneous raids on these and similar establishments are common, and a nighttime curfew is selectively enforced. Unofficial news outlets and informal sources report violent crimes in some of the more impoverished areas of Tashkent, including some parts of Sergeli, Chilanzar, and Hamza districts and around the Chorsu Market. Unsolved property and violent crimes are more common in these areas. LGBT rights are very limited to non-existent, with same-sex practices being punishable by up to three years in prison. Same-sex couples may experience discrimination from the local population. Despite no terrorist attacks in the country, several returning immigrants were arrested for allegedly intending to join ISIS. There is a risk of narco-terrorism issues, given the geographic proximity to Afghanistan and its location within a major corridor of trade and transport routes for Afghan heroin and opium. Several times each year, Uzbek authorities announce the seizure of large drug shipments at border crossings, likely representing just a fraction of what is transiting the country. Corruption and lack of training/equipment for law enforcement agencies hamper efforts to stem the flow of narcotics. The drug addiction problem is also likely significantly worse than acknowledged by the government. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that there are 10 times as many drug addicts in Uzbekistan as officially acknowledged. The expatriate community is not generally impacted by this issue.

Summary

Uzbekistan is a museum of the silk road. The many cities and incredible buildings are living history. Tashkent, however, suffered from a severe earthquake in the 60s which almost leveled the city however many of the buildings were rebuilt or replaced by Soviet-era buildings mixing the city architecture. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
http://evisa.mfa.uz/evisa_en/
https://mfa.uz/en/consular/visa/
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/uzbekistan