Uzbekistan Visas and Letters of Invitation (LOI)


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Last Updated on August 11, 2018 by Audrey Scott

In the last couple of years Uzbekistan tourist visas have become quite a bit easier. Starting from July 2018 travelers from 51 countries are able to get an evisa to the country, which vastly simplifies the and speeds up the visa process for Uzbekistan.

Here is the website to get an evisa for Uzbekistan.

Supposedly, it's also possible to arrange for a visa upon arrival in Tashkent Airport if you have an authorized LOI stating that you will pick up the visa there. We have not tried this ourselves, but know a few people who have done this. Read more on this possibility.

We used Stantours for our LOIs to Uzbekistan. No tour booking was needed and we received the scanned letter by email within a couple of weeks. It was worth the extra money to speed up the process and try to avoid any problems.

Smile! Girl with Shaved Head - Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Girl in Uzbekistan.

Visas to other countries in Central Asia

If you're traveling through the region and need to sort visas for other countries in Central Asia, skip ahead:

Our Experience Getting an Uzbekistan Tourist Visa in Azerbaijan

We expected this visa application process to be hell, but we surprisingly received the visa the same day we applied in Baku, Azerbaijan. The friendly, English-speaking Uzbek Consul there acted as if he hadn’t seen a tourist in ages and seemed to be happy to have something to do. Without the LOI, the process would have taken us 3-5 business days and would likely have been peppered with perfunctory paranoia.

We heard horror stories from people who applied for visas to Uzbekistan from other countries. “That woman is evil!” is a direct quote from a tourist describing the woman at the Uzbek Embassy in Bishkek. Some people we know gave up and crossed Uzbekistan off their itinerary altogether in order to avoid another trip to the embassy there.

When in Uzbekistan, the game of collecting registration cards from hotels and guest houses begins. We were never asked by the police or border guards to see these chits, but it's better to err on the side of caution regarding bureaucratic issues in Uzbekistan.

About Daniel Noll
Travel and life evangelist. Writer, speaker, storyteller and consultant. Connecting people to experiences that will change their lives. Originally from the U.S. Daniel has lived abroad since 2001 and most recently has been on the road since 2006. When he's not writing for the blog you can keep up with his adventures on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And you can learn more about him on the About Page and on LinkedIn.

13 thoughts on “Uzbekistan Visas and Letters of Invitation (LOI)”

  1. Hello,
    Just wondering when you applied for your Uzbek visa, as the price for the LOI through Stantours is now $70 per person (according to the website).

    thanks
    Kelly

    Reply
    • Hi Kelly,
      The prices above are from our 2007 trip through Central Asia. I’ve added a note to the year. Sorry about any confusion!

      Reply
    • I’m not aware of any online application form to “invite” someone to Uzbekistan. I think this typically happens through travel agents and tour operators. However, that does not mean that the possibility does not exist.

      Reply
  2. Namaste!

    Do the people at stantour expect us to also book hotels and other stuff through them or do they just provide me with the visa and let us explore by ourself. I ask because i wanted to book hotels and other stuff by myself when i reach tashkent.

    Reply
    • Hi Singh, when we visited Uzbekistan, we did so independently, so we were not on a tour. As such, we booked all of our hotels, guest houses and accommodation directly, including our hotel in Tashkent. If you plan on taking a tour in Uzbekistan (be it with Stantours or another company), we recommend you contact the company directly. I would imagine they offer all-inclusive (visa + tour and accommodation) and visa-only arrangements, but again you’ll have to confirm with them.

      Reply
      • Thnx for the info!
        I was under the impression that stantour does offer visa only arrangements, but when i contacted the people at stantours, they replied that hotel booking is mandatory with visa arrangement. This has sort of derailed my planning as i was counting on them for providing visa. These days I am literally hunting for agents on internet who can provide me with the visa only services. So far the search has been fruitless. But i am determined on visiting Tashkent so i’m gonna figure it out!

        If you or anybody reading this comment could provide me info on any travel agency that provides visa only services without hotel or tour booking, then please do comment on this thread. I’d be very grateful.

        Reply
        • Hi Singh, if we find out an agency that can provide an Uzbek visa without the tour and accommodation, we’ll let you know. Please also let us know how you get along and what you find out. We’d be grateful to know what you found out and which decision you ultimately take in visiting Uzbekistan and Tashkent.

          Good luck!

          Reply
        • Sirji
          Any luck with finding an agency doing only the LOI without mandatory hotel/tour. I am looking at visiting and would also like to do hotels and sights by myself rather than through a tour comp.
          Indian passport, UAE resident btw.
          Thanks in advance

          Reply
          • Hi Rehm

            I haven’t found anyone yet. Also got a bit busy with work so my only-LOI-no-hotel quest was sidetracked
            Do you know of any agencies or are you looking too?.

            Regards

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