Then here are two stories to read before you go.
The first, from a recent New York Times, reads like travel horror to those unfamiliar with Central Asia, but to old initiates it rings true, and probably reminds one of previous trips.
Despite Uzbekistan’s independence and the fact that the Soviet Union no longer exists, there was still a real cold-war feel to the experience, and I believe these gentlemen thought I was a spy. Perhaps, not a very good one, but a spy, nonetheless.
The second story, from RFE/RL, is less of an anecdote, but certainly more necessary for those planning trips to the Sunshine Republic.
According to Uzbek media, the historic city of Khiva alone has been visited by over 27,000 foreign tourists this year, including travelers from France, Germany, and Spain.
Tanya Evans, director of a London-based tourist agency The Silk Road And Beyond, says the agency has in recent years organized trips to Uzbekistan for hundreds of British tourists interested in touring sites of historical and architectural significance.
But Evans laments that, unlike many other popular tourist destinations, traveling to Uzbekistan involves a complex and time-consuming visa procedure.
“Usually for British people and other EU citizens, you need to get an authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tashkent,” Evans says. “Once they authorize your visa, then you can go to a nearest consulate and get it stamped in your passport. You can’t just go to the embassy and get the visa.”
I imagine that some travelers are luckier than others. I’ve heard that South Koreans and Chinese merchants and vacationers have an easier time with border officials, but that’s entirely hearsay. It would make sense, if you consider Uzbekistan’s political hospitality as something related to the day-to-day relations it maintains with other countries. Even as Uzbekistan distances itself from the Russian NATO of the CSTO, China beckons.
This post was written by...
Michael Hancock-Parmer – author of 153 posts on Registan.net.
Michael earned an MA in Central Eurasian Studies in 2011 and remains a student at Indiana University pursuing a dual PhD in Russian History and Central Eurasian Studies. He served 6 months in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan in 2005. After the events in Andijan and the subsequent closure of the program, he served 2 years in southern Kazakhstan, returning to the Midwest in 2007. His general area of interest is on post-Timur Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, centered on the Syr Darya river valley.
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I haven’t made a trip since 2007, and it’s a wonderful understatement to say that the complications for me only happened inside the country. I was living in Boston then, so I went through the Uzbek Embassy in DC to get visas for me+family, and it was actually a pretty nice experience (dealing with the embassy, that is). I was kind of shocked when one of the vice-consuls actually called me on my cell phone to verify some of the information in a way that would speed up the process. They were very friendly and helpful and processed the whole thing in less than a week.
That was pretty much the nadir of US-Uzbek relations–outside of embassy staff, I think they said there were only about 50 Americans in the whole country that summer. It’s probably only better now. I know a couple of US citizens who’ve been to the country more recently and they didn’t have any problems.
I traveled there in the fall of 2008, and picked up my visa in Kiev. Unless your in your own country and have plenty of time on your hands, it’s best to have a travel company arrange the necessary permissions–it’s not particularly expensive, and you don’t have to commit to any particular itinerary. I used STANTours, who are recommended by everyone.
Have fun keeping track of all your little hotel chits once you’re in the country, though!
Hi! Matt i used Silk Road TRavel and TOurs and I fulle satisfy this travel in this Fall )) very nice travel!
Getting out can be frustrating, too. One time I overstayed my visa by 14 minutes, because the airport computer systems had gone down and delayed all flights. We would have already been gone 4-5 hours by the time they gave up and printed blank boarding passes, and then let people through to customs and immigration. The guy kept pointing at the date and then his watch, and finally went to get his superior, who was able to make a decision and show a tiny bit of sense, after repeatedly pointing out the date and time himself. At least he bought the story that the people 20m away had kept us there and there was nothing we could have done.
Just got back from Uzbekistan and used the land border crossing with Kazakhstan at Yallama, which was, more or less, hell on earth.
That being said, hassles from border officials came more from the Kazakh side than the Uzbek side (although because of some discrepancy with my customs declaration, the Uzbek customs officials forced me to change $500 USD into Uzbek sum to leave the country. Enjoy explaining to Kazakh customs official why your bag is filled with 900,000 worth of Uzbek sum). Also getting a visa in Almaty was no problem, though it did consume a fair amount of time and money.
Uzbek migration regulations are not only hard for foreigners, but also for uzbekistanis.
Especially, that old soviet system of getting an exit visa (OVIR), valid for two years, and which is not possible to prolong at an uzbek embassy or consulate abroad. This OVIR makes Uzbek passport valid to leave the country, otherwise one left his country without a state permission. Btw, no other country requires this exit visa in your (Uzbek) travel passport, but Uzbeks themselves.
So, if you happened to have an expired exit visa, which was given say for Chech republic, and then after its expiring you went to Russia, and then came home, you face a charge and a court case, even if there is no visa requirement between Russia and Uzbekistan – because you did not ask the permission to go to russia, but for chech republic. That’s how unwise traveling, and a longer stay abroad makes Uzbeks to law-breachers in uzbekistan. The process is well-known, sitting 5-6 hours in the airport while being interrogated by state border security officers, intimidation, checking of your belongings, facing of a court process… Happened to so many people already, and once you are found guilty, you can’t leave the country again. That’s how visiting relatives turns into a nightmare, and you can forget your job you left abroad, well, unless you have good connections and willing to pay some bribes.
Maybe the EU will be able to influence to abolish this old soviet regulation controlling of one’s own citizens and agitate for the freedom of movement (at least inside of the country, which is another long story). I doubt it though. The EUrocrats are only interested in getting an eased entry visa regulation like the one available for Germans, Japanese, South Koreans and Chinese today, and who cares what happens to Uzbeks.
I was a PCV in Tashkent (UZ-9, 2000-2001) and have returned to Uzbekistan five times since our evacuation following 9-11. I’ve been back every 1 ½ to 2 years; my most recent trip being Aug. 1-15, 2009.
I have had four visas all issued by mail from the Uzbek Embassy in NY. Although all visa request were for the same reason: to visit Uzbek host family and friends, the visas have ranged in duration from 30-day (one entry) to three years (multiple entries). The shortest was the one issued this past summer; I have no idea why it was so short, but had heard others were also receiving limited access. I was just happy it was issued!
Although, I was in Tashkent in August 2009 as preparations were in process for the September 1st Independence Day celebrations and the 2,200 year anniversary of Tashkent I experienced no hassles what-so-ever from the militia or other government officials. This was not the case in previous visits. Whatever the reason, it was refreshing not to have knocking on my apartment door in the night or to be stopped for “papers” when out in the city.
Still, being with the locals is the best way to go to Uzbekistan. I would not return if not for my Uzbek host family and friends support while there. They are the reason to go.
It is very simple:
The Kantian idea of temporary sojourn is too naive. The entrance and presence of certain types of people can be less desirable for certain states. In the case of the United States, it is an ‘Islamic’ extremist, in the case of Uzbekistan it a ‘Western’ conspirator. The rest works really simple, the error is unavoidable, so you have to opt for either type I error by refusing access to innocent person, or type II error by granting access to a potential terrorist or conspirator (pick the one you like the most).
In such cases, the consequences of type II error are more costly and irreversible than those type I error. So, you can stop, search, harass, take bio data, torture in-house or off-shore, whatever it takes, potential threats or (‘unfortunately’ of course) innocent people who simply fitted the ‘profile’ by their country of origin, have a ‘red-flag’ name, or appearance.
Yes it sucks, but who has a better idea about finding out who is a benign visitor to which state?
Yes the land crossing between Shimkent and Tashkent is notoriously hellish–I managed to avoid it through a super-secret back way though