Uzbekistan: Euro or Dollar

[victorjan]

Hi, I will be travelling to Uzbekistan in Apri/May 2023. I understand that there are quite a few ATMs in the country, mostly in the major cities. Would you recommend bringing Euros or Dollars in cash for exchange? And if so, what is the preferred currency?

thanks!

[sebhoff]

I only used ATMs to withdraw cash - they are very easy to find these days. This usually worked quite well. In one or two places, I had to try a few machines in order to find one that would be happy to take my Visa card. No real issues, though.
I had some Euro cash on me as back-up. Didn't need it.
Sebastian

[Lutnistas1969]

I was in Usbekistan in 2017 year. It was my first travel to Central Asia and I read everwhere "the dollar is the king" and also "you need to take with you only dollars, dollars and once more dollars". So I went to the bank, changed € to $ ( payed of course the provision for it ) and.... there was no problem to changed € to So'm. The same was in Kirgistan and Tajikistan where I had only the €. Summer this year I'll go to Kazakhstan and take with me only € and the card. Only one thing is probably still important. Your banknotes should looks almost like new. No damage, no bent corners, also cannot be very crumpled, because then probably you are unlikely to exchange them. If you use daily ( or if you have already ) €, then you don't need to exchange it for the $, because it doesn't make sense. If you have to buy € or $ anyway, it seems to me that in Central Asia they still loves $ a little bit more than €.

[Clabbe]

Someone who can update how it is these days in 2022/2023?
How is the ATM situation?

[sfymoises]

I was in Uzbekistan in 2019, I took Euro cash, it was esay to change in any exchange and bank. But I realized that dollar's rate is better. So, if you get doller is better, with euro also is ok.

[victorjan]

Thanks for the info. Does anyone know if there are sufficient USD-cash machines, in Bukhara, Samarkand, Nukus?

[FRT15]

Is there still a large difference between the rate of exchange at the markets versus an ATM or Bank? When I went back in 2016 that was the case so I am curious for my trip in 2023. Thanks