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 ranks first - more than 30 million people live here (data for 2017). Over the years, foreign policy under the leadership of the late President I. A. Karimov has driven the country into an isolation situation. How are things going with immigration issues now? Let's find out all the 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 owner with constitutional rights, full protection and patronage from the state and authorities, and also makes him responsible andobligations. In this country, a passport begins to be issued from the age of 16, but the full responsibility of citizens comes only at the age of 18. People who have reached the full age of 18 are called adults (in 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 is really impossible to take a step without it. Enroll a child in a kindergarten or a doctor, go to a bank to receive a money transfer, register at the passport office - in a word, in addition to a passport, you also need to provide a birth certificate.
Biometric passport
Regardless of age, every citizen who wants to travel to another country must have a new passport. The biometric passport of Uzbekistan began to replace the old document starting in 2014. It differs from the old one in that the data in it is filled in according to European standards, in Latin. Moreover, it is now possible to identify a person using a small chip embedded in the cover of a biometric document.
For children under the age of 16, when leaving, just like adults, you need to get a passport (locally called it a "kinder-passport"). If the child is going to go with one parent, then the consent of the second parent is required for his departure. The term for obtaining an Uzbekistan passport varies from 10 to 25 days. The point is that purchase ordersdocuments 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 to do is to go to the local passport office and sign for the receipt of the document.
Entry and exit procedures
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. Since the new president Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in 2016, Uzbekistan has become a more open country in which new laws and conditions for tourism are being 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 states 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 National Security Service (National Security Service). On "suhbat" a variety of 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 person leaving can prove a guarantee of a return home.
List of visa-free countries for citizens of Uzbekistan
On the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairsrepublic, a complete list of countries to which any citizen can travel without obtaining a visa is given. The most popular destinations, of course, are neighboring countries. This includes the following states:
Russia - is in first place in terms of the number of migrants who arrived here from Uzbekistan. More than 2 million Uzbeks live on the territory of the Russian Federation (data for 2016). More than half of them indicate "work" as the purpose of entry. Labor migration from Uzbekistan is possible not only to our country, but also to all former republics of the USSR
- Kazakhstan. The easiest way to get to a neighboring state, so Uzbek citizens in large numbers go 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 to neighboring states. Many citizens travel to the US, China and European countries for both study and work purposes. 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 at a premium. About half of consumer products are produced in the republic itself, the rest is imported from other states. Trade ties with China have especially strengthened after the heads of state signed treaties and agreements on cooperation in the field of industrial textiles.
Recently, European countries are also 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 obtained at home.
How are things with visas? The fact is that only US Green Card holders, citizens of Ukraine and Australia can enter Europe without visas. Therefore, the states of Europe are not visa-free countries for Uzbekistan. However, the process of obtaining an entry permit is quite simple, which opens up new opportunities for many Uzbek citizens in terms of study and work.
Vacation to distant countries
Whatever the stereotypes 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 twice a year to the best tourist resorts and islands. In addition to the main religious direction - the Muslim sanctuary of Mecca, there are also resort countries where Uzbek citizens come without visas. Among the 54 states with which the republic has agreements on 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 in the capital's airlines and, with rare exceptions, in large cities: Samarkand, Fergana 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, the practice of interrogation was used here, the circumstances of the source of funds, the purpose of the trip and other details were clarified. Often, citizens were simply denied a trip without explanation.
Now, instead of 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, which is pasted directly on the page of the passport. This procedure is more of a formality, so there should be no difficulty in obtaining permission (to travel to visa-free countries for Uzbekistan).
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 bodies, including the OVIR, are subordinate. This is where you can apply for a sticker. To the listof the submitted documents includes not only the application, but also the following:
- questionnaire detailing family members and last job;
- receipt of payment of the state fee, which is half the minimum wage (approximately 70 thousand local soums);
- certificate of medical condition (taken at the district clinic);
- photos size 3 x 4 x 2;
- copies of birth certificate and passport.
The term for issuing a permit is 20 days, however, in special cases, it is possible to issue a document within a week.
