A transit visa allows you to stay in Uzbekistan for maximum 2 times 3 days. No LOI is needed. Besides other documents, to apply you will need a visa for your onward destination (or need to explain you do not need such a visa).
If you are planning to stay in Uzbekistan for a short time only, a transit visa is a good idea for those who would need a LOI for a tourist visa. Since you do not need a LOI for a transit visa, it comes out a lot cheaper.
If you do not need a LOI anyway, the transit visa is only marginally cheaper than the tourist visa to Uzbekistan.
Visa requirements and visa validity
Besides the usual passport pictures, passport copies and filled-in forms (every embassy has slightly different rules), most importantly is proof of onward travel in the form of an air ticket and/or visa. You do not need a visa from the country you are coming from.
Visa validity is usually date-specific, but if you ask nicely, we have heard of people getting their 1, 2 or 3-day visas within a 1-month or even 3-month window. If you have a 1-day visa, you have 1 day to exit and enter, not 24 hours. Same for 2 or 3-day visas. Example: if you have a 1-day visa and you enter on a Monday, you have to leave the same day. If you have a 3-day visa you have to leave on Wednesday.
All questions regarding the transit visa can be posted here.
Prices
The following price list is a compilation of different embassy websites and might differ (be a bit more expensive) where you apply:
- 1 day: 20-40$
- 2 days: 25-45$
- 3 days: 30-50$
- double entry (72 hours per entry): 40-60$
Transit visa on arrival
Starting from May 1, 2018, a transit visa on arrival can be issued at airports. The visas will only be valid for 72 hours, and you will need to have a tour. Visas will be given out between 8:00 and 21:00.
Visa-free 5-day transit for air passengers
Since 15th of July, 2018, passport holders of 101 countries who are transiting by airplane (meaning arriving and departing by airplane) through Uzbekistan with Uzbek Airways, can get a 5-day visa-free stay provided they can show an onward boarding pass. Only with Uzbek Airways! The countries are:
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Austria
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China, including Hong Kong
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gabon
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liechtenstein
