Most people want to know about how much money can a traveler bring or take out from Uzbekistan and how to do this without violating the current legislature. If you are one of those who are in search of information about bringing money and currency to Uzbekistan, what to declare and how to do it, here you will find some useful tips and advice on carrying and declaring cash when entering or leaving Uzbekistan.  

Uzbekistan is 5 hours ahead of GMT.

220 volts AC, Round 2 pin continental (European) plugs are used.

According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dd. 16.04.1999 No 178 foreign citizens visiting Uzbekistan on temporary basis must submit documents for registration at the place of residence within 72 hours upon arrival to Uzbekistan. Registration is not necessary if you arrive to Uzbekistan during weekend or holidays or a period of your stay will not exceed three working days. During stay in a hotel your stay will be registered by hotel administration. Upon checking out you should remember of taking the registration form stamped by the hotel administration with you. If you intend to rent an apartment you should care of registration. The registration is provided by local department of internal affairs authority. If you do not stay in a specific settlement of the Republic more than three days according to your itinerary you should not submit any document for registration. However, you should remember that you should provide convincing documentary argument to passport control bodies while leaving Uzbekistan. This documentation should be presented by air- and railway tickets registered on your name and additionally attached program of your tour.

Violation of a registration mode leads to the penalty in 600-1200 US$ or deportation from the territory of the country, and repeated violation is the penalty of 2500-5000 US$or imprisonment from 1 to 3 years.

As per the law, people 16 years and older may legally import 200 cigarettes or 300gm of tobacco product. It is also perfectly legal to import 2 liters of alcoholic beverages (2 bottles) or 2 liters of wine.
Objects that are not permitted are military arms and ammunition, narcotics (drugs) and weapons Hunting guns and live animals are subject to special permission. Vehicles are subject to registration fees on the border of Republic of Uzbekistan.

Yes, it is advised to carry your passport with you while you are in Uzbekistan, especially while you are on an independent sightseeing, during the transfers between cities and places, train and bus stations etc. If you happen to walk outside the hotel, go out on your own to the local market or explore the city on your own and especially at the night time the police have the authority to check your passport which is a regular feature and you should not be worried about it. Your passport and registration card should be with you at all times.

Credit cards (Amex, Visa and Master Card) are accepted in most of the hotels and restaurants here. However it is not a very well developed system, hence it is also advised to carry a good amount of cash with you as well, so as to avoid any troublesome situation. You may exchange you credit card for cash at some hotels, e.g. Uzbekistan, Radisson Blu, Intercontinental, City Palace, etc. but this is upon actual availability of local currency (Soum) in the ATM at the time of withdrawal.

When you have you local SIM card with you (Beeline operator is the best option), it takes less than a minute to activate, which can be checked by the name of the service provider which appears on your cell phone screen. The number will be for eg. +998 (country code) 90 (service provider code) 1234567 (actual seven digit cell phone number). You may make calls to anyone locally by only dialing the last seven digits. You may send a text message to anyone locally by using the entire number, or internationally by using the country code (for eg. India +91) followed by their ten digit mobile number. Incoming is not charged and hence, you can receive calls or text messages, from your friends, family and relatives if they dial the entire number eg. +998 90 1234567.

You are allowed to take photographs / video shooting everywhere, except tourist attractions where a nominal charge is levied eg. USD 1-3. In these places, they also have professional photographers who would take group or solo photographs for a nominal fee. Photography is strictly prohibited in the Underground Metros for security purposes, and there are local police at every metro station. It is at their discretion, where they can either give you a warning first or simply confiscate your camera or cell phone. If you wish to take photographs of the local people, it is normally advised to request them beforehand.

Yes you can get vegetarian local meals here in Uzbek cafes and restaurants. Alternatively, there are a few Indian restaurants located here in Tashkent, which are owned and managed by Indian nationals who would be more than happy to prepare the meals as per your request and preferences eg. Ragu, Bhramji and Raaj Kapur.

Tashkent is known for it's bustling nightlife culture and the entire city is dotted with many discos and nightclubs. Some of them worth mentioning are Casanova, Niagara, Diplomat-S, Sky Club, Rich Club, Juliano,  FM Bar and Eleven. Most of them have entrances applicable only from Friday to Sunday. It is free over the weekdays, but have charges applicable after 11 pm.

Invitation of an extra guest is a routine practice in Uzbekistani hotels, so it is possible to invite a visitor without any formalities till 23.00 p.m. and with a mandatory registration after 23.00 p.m. The registration procedure is easy and requires just few steps. Firstly, a potential guest has to provide his or her passport at the reception of the hotel for safety and security reasons. Secondly, extra guest is a paid service and you as a hotel guest have to pay a small fee in the amount from 15 to 30 US$ per person. Please collect the receipt from the reception. Also be informed that some hotels can charge extra guest supplement by the price of Double room.

There are big markets (bazaars) in all cities of Uzbekistan which open from 8.00 in the morning till evening time and most of the time they are open as long as buyers come. Spice, delicious Uzbek fruits and dried fruits, souvenirs of local handicraftsmen, ceramic, wood and silk products, carpets and tasteful Uzbek wine can be bought here. Images of modern artists can be bought on "Broadway" or specialized shops in Tashkent at reasonable price. However, you should find out date of issue of those ancient products you want to buy. According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dd. 23.03.1999 No 131 cultural values created more than fifty years ago are not subject to export from the Republic. Furthermore, it would be reasonable to ask the seller if there is an export certificate for this kind of product and if its three month valid period is not expired (according to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan dd. 06.07.2005 г. N 156). If the certificate is not available or the date was expired you will need to get a permission for export of this product from the department of art expertise (for export and import of cultural values) at the Ministry of Culture and Sport located on Lashkarbegi street, 19 (reference place - Hamid Alimjan metro station, opposite Latvian Embassy), tel. +998712370738. Art expertise of cultural values is provided in a day of application and provision of the product subject to expertise, extreme deadline (in case of disputable issue) is a period not exceeding ten days. If there is permission for export the customs fee should be paid in amount of 100% estimation indicated in the permission.
A special permission for export of mass and serial production created during last fifty years is not required.

Tashkent is one of the safest cities in the world with one of the best security and police network functioning at all times. The local police are very friendly, especially to travelers and are always happy to give directions, incase you feel you have lost your way. There are police patrol cars on every road and street corner, and it is safe for even ladies to move around late in the night.

Unfortunately, English still is not spoken widely here among the local public. The languages spoken here are Uzbek and Russian. Usually English is spoken in private offices, hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, boutiques and some government offices. However if you do need some help and assistance, you can ask some local youngsters / students who can speak reasonable English nowadays.

Tashkent is a very well balanced and modern city that has a lot of choices in terms of local transportation. There are taxis, buses, trams and also the Underground Metro system that comprises of 3 lines and 29 stations. All the transportation systems are easy and convenient to use and are also economical.

Important note: taxis in Uzbekistan excepting Tashkent (there are still some small taxi parks belonging to the State in Tashkent) are mostly presented by private cars without special indications in the form of checkered stripe ("shashechki"), that is why fare should be discussed with a taxi driver in advance. Moreover, it is to remember that taxi fare is several times as less in Uzbekistan as that in other CIS countries. At the same time, travelers are not recommended to take taxi "by chance", it is better to address to the drivers standing on so-called "pyataki" (specially designed area) - crowded places at the crossroads or tourist sightseeing. Despite the fact that fare of these drivers can be higher most of them know the local routes very well. Anyway the best way is to call one of the private taxi service companies which contact information can be easily found due to the Enquiry Service, tel. 009.