One of the former republics of the USSR, which has an ancient culture and a difficult history, has now become an independent state with its own Constitution. Modern Uzbekistan is located in the heart of Central Asia. In terms of economic indicators, it ranks second after Kazakhstan. And in terms of population it is in the first place - more than 30 million people live here (data for 2017). For many years, foreign policy under the leadership of the late President I. A. Karimov drove the country into an isolation situation. What about immigration issues now? Let's find out all visa-free countries for Uzbekistan.
Main document
Of course, any journey begins with the collection of documents. As in many independent states, in Uzbekistan every citizen has an official document - a passport. This is one of the most important documents that provides its holder with constitutional rights, full protection and patronage on the part of the state and authorities, and also assigns him responsibility and obligations. In this country, they begin to issue a passport from the age of 16, but citizens become fully liable only at the age of 18. People who have reached the full age of 18 are called adults (in the Uzbek voyaga yetgan), they can already travel on their own.
Another document that is extremely difficult to recover in case of loss is a birth certificate. Citizens keep this paper very carefully, because it’s really impossible to take a step without it. To register a child in a kindergarten or to a doctor, go to a bank to receive a money transfer, register with a passport office - in short, in addition to a passport, a birth certificate is also required.
Biometric passport
Regardless of age, every citizen who wants to go to another country must have a new passport. The biometric passport of Uzbekistan began to replace the old document since 2014. It differs from the old one in that the data in it is filled in according to European standards, in Latin. Moreover, now you can identify a person using a small chip embedded in the cover of a biometric document.
For children under 16 years of age, upon departure, as well as adults, they need to obtain a passport (locals call it a “Kinder passport”). If the child is going to leave with one parent, then the consent of the second parent on his departure is absolutely necessary. The deadline for obtaining a passport of Uzbekistan varies from 10 to 25 days. The fact is that applications for the purchase of a document are collected in all regions and sent to the administrative center - the capital, Tashkent, where, in fact, passports are made. Then they are sorted and delivered to the desired city, where each citizen is notified of his readiness. The only thing left is to go to the local passport office and sign the receipt of the document.
The order of entry and exit
In Uzbekistan, every citizen, according to the Constitution (chapter 8, “Personal rights and freedoms”), has the right to travel abroad both for permanent residence and as a tourist. With the advent of the new president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in 2016, Uzbekistan has become a more open country in which new laws and conditions for tourism are created. The government is doing everything possible for Uzbekistan to expand the circle of friendly relations with countries in the visa-free space. More than 50 countries have already signed agreements with Uzbekistan to lift the visa regime.
Citizens of the republic can travel to some countries, if only they pass the so-called "interview" with an official from the SNB (National Security Service). At the Suhbat, various tricky questions are asked. It turns out for what purposes a citizen leaves the country, how long he plans to travel, whether he has a family and children, in general, everything is done so that the traveler can prove the guarantee of his return to his homeland.
List of visa-free countries for citizens of Uzbekistan
The official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic contains a complete list of countries to which any citizen can travel without a visa. The most popular destinations, of course, are neighboring countries. These include the following states:
- Russia - ranks first in terms of the number of migrants arriving here from Uzbekistan. More than 2 million Uzbeks live in the Russian Federation (data for 2016). More than half of them indicate "work" as the goal of entry. Labor migration from Uzbekistan is possible not only to our country, but also to all former republics of the USSR.
- Kazakhstan. It is easiest to get to a neighboring state, so Uzbek citizens in large numbers travel to this country in search of work and a better life.
- Turkey has recently become another state where Uzbek citizens go to work.
Far abroad
Visa-free countries for Uzbekistan are not limited only to neighboring states. Many citizens travel to the United States, China and European countries for both study and work. The main purpose of trips to the Celestial Empire is the purchase of cheap goods, which are then transported to the largest markets of Uzbekistan and sold there with a mark-up. About half of the consumer products are produced in the republic itself, the rest is imported from other states. Trade relations with China were especially strengthened after the heads of state signed treaties and agreements on cooperation in the field of industrial textiles.
Recently, European countries have also been popular, where people with Uzbek citizenship can also travel to find work. Many of them find more opportunities for a good life there and decide to stay. For legalization in Europe, a huge and reliable set of documents is required, therefore, before obtaining permanent residence, citizens of the republic are required to provide permits received at home.
What about visas? The fact is that only holders of US Green Cards, citizens of Ukraine and Australia can enter Europe without visas. Therefore, European states are not visa-free countries for Uzbekistan. However, the process of obtaining permission to enter is quite simple, which opens up new opportunities for many Uzbek citizens in terms of study and work.
Holidays to distant countries
Whatever stereotypes may be about this republic, it is one of the richest countries in the CIS. The stratification of society, as in any capitalist state, is very noticeable. Especially in the central cities of Uzbekistan. Many residents of the capital (Tashkent) can easily afford to fly to the best tourist resorts and islands twice a year. In addition to the main religious trend - the Muslim sanctuary of Mecca, there are resort countries where Uzbek citizens come without visas. Among the 54 states with which the republic has agreements on a visa-free space, there are many exotic countries:
- Dominica is a colorful island with waterfalls and tropics.
- Seychelles - known to all lovers of hot African culture, the islands have become a popular holiday destination for Uzbek citizens.
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
- Sri Lanka.
- Philippines.
- Ecuador and many other African countries.
Tickets for these destinations can be bought at capital airlines and, with rare exceptions, in large cities: Samarkand, Ferghana and Andijan.
Document instead of visa
Uzbekistan has very strong control over the movement of citizens, so any trip can take place only with special permission. During the reign of the former president, interrogation practice was used here, the circumstances of the source of funds, the purpose of the trip and other details were clarified. Often, citizens simply refused to travel without explanation.
Now, instead of the interrogation, the “interview” procedure has been officially adopted, where everyone who wants to leave the country must tell where he is going, for how long and what he plans to do. After that, the official gives the citizen a special sticker that is pasted directly on the page of the passport. This procedure is rather formal in nature, therefore, difficulties in obtaining permission (for a trip to visa-free countries for Uzbekistan) should not arise.
Where and how to apply for an exit permit?
In Uzbekistan, in every city there is a functioning police service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to which many agencies are subordinate, including the OVIR. It is here that you can apply for a sticker. The list of documents submitted includes not only the application, but also the following:
- questionnaire, which details the details of family members and the last place of work;
- receipt of payment of state duty, which is half the minimum wage (approximately 70 thousand local soums);
- medical certificate (taken at the district clinic);
- 3 x 4 photographs; 2 pcs .;
- copies of birth certificates and passports.
The term for issuing a permit is 20 days, but in special cases it is possible to issue a document within a week.