Most trips to Uzbekistan follow the Silk Road cities: Tashkent, the tiled squares of Samarkand, the old town of Bukhara and the walled city of Khiva, linked by fast trains and long desert roads. Coverage is good in the cities and along the main routes, and thinner in the desert and the mountains. Uzbekistan is not part of the EU's Roam Like at Home area, and European plans usually charge for roaming there by the day.
Key facts for Uzbekistan
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Beeline, Ucell (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 112; police 102; ambulance 103
- Embassies: in Tashkent
Entry and registration
Citizens of the EU, the UK and many other countries can visit without a visa for up to 30 days. Every visitor must be registered within three days of arrival, weekends included: hotels do it for you, and hosts in private homes use the Emehmon online system. Keep track of where you sleep each night, because officials can ask for a full record of your stay when you leave.
Fast trains between the cities
Afrosiyob high-speed trains link Tashkent with Samarkand and Bukhara, and seats sell out in the busy spring and autumn seasons, so book early through the official railway website or app. The signal holds along most of the line but drops in places across the desert.
Getting around the cities
In Tashkent and Samarkand, Yandex Go is the ride app most people use, and it shows the fare before you book. The Tashkent metro is cheap and quick, and several of its stations are sights in their own right.
Khiva, the desert and the mountains
Between Bukhara and Khiva, the road crosses the Kyzylkum desert with long gaps in coverage, so download maps and carry water. In summer, temperatures in the desert often climb above 40 °C. The ski and hiking resorts in the mountains near Tashkent have coverage around their lifts and hotels, but not on the higher trails.
Medicines
Bring a doctor's prescription for any prescription medicines and declare them on arrival. Some medicines sold over the counter elsewhere, such as those containing codeine, are restricted in Uzbekistan.
Paying
Cash in som is still needed in bazaars, small cafés and taxis; cards work in hotels and larger restaurants, and cash machines are easy to find in Tashkent and Samarkand.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM is installed before departure and starts with its first connection in Uzbekistan, so Yandex Go and your maps work as soon as you land. Your usual number keeps receiving texts and bank codes. Travelling on to Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan? An Asia plan covers all three countries.
Uzbek prepaid SIMs from Beeline, Ucell, Uzmobile or Mobiuz are sold at the airport and in phone shops, and you need your passport to buy one.
Consular protection: who to call in Uzbekistan
- 112 is the single emergency number, and the older ones still work: 102 for the police, 103 for an ambulance and 101 for the fire service.
- Embassies are in Tashkent. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Uzbekistan, the embassy of any other EU country must help you on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- The app has emergency phrases in Russian, which is widely understood across Uzbekistan, ready to show on screen.
Uzbekistan travel-safety page →
Questions travellers ask about Uzbekistan
Does my EU plan work in Uzbekistan?
No. Uzbekistan is outside Roam Like at Home, so check your operator's daily rate first.
Do I need to register my stay?
Yes, within three days. Hotels do it for you; in a private home, your host registers you online.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Uzbekistan?
Beeline on most plans, and Ucell on some, with 4G and 5G where available.
What is the emergency number?
112; the older numbers, 102 for the police and 103 for an ambulance, also work.
The short version
Install the eSIM before you fly, make sure every night of your stay is registered, book the fast trains early, carry som in cash and your prescriptions, and save 112.
Related reads:
Ready to stay connected without surprises?
Activate your eSIM in seconds and travel connected in 200+ countries and territories.
See plans