Currency: Uzbek Sum (UZS)
Exchange rate: 12573 per € (December 2020)
Time zone: UTC + 5 (no time change in winter or summer)
Country code (phone): +998
Climate (for capital): Continental
Housing and supply
Accommodation in Uzbekistan ranges from USD 2 to over USD 100 per night (from bed & breakfasts to hotels). There are also furnished apartments and houses for longer stays. Monthly rent is always a matter of negotiation and in most cases is paid out in cash. There are often no rental agreements or they are only made out in appearance. Alcoholic drinks and food are neither forbidden nor outlawed in Uzbekistan. Vodka is extremely popular from the Soviet era and a wide range of alcoholic beverages is available in every hotel bar.
Drinking unboiled tap water is not recommended. You can buy water in plastic bottles almost everywhere. It is also recommended to take a table water filter with you. Vegetarians must specifically point out their wishes in the restaurant, as there is usually no vegetarian food except for a few side dishes. The markets have a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as dairy products. In contrast to tea, coffee is not yet popular in Uzbekistan. In some places there is none at all. Real coffee beans are rare, while instant coffee is more common. The traditional flatbread is very common in Uzbekistan. This is baked in the traditional way in a clay oven and is often sold on the street. This bread is always fresh, sometimes still warm.
The opening times of offices and companies are similar to those in Germany: Mon – Fri 9 am–5pm / 6pm and banks: Mon – Fri 9 am–5pm, many shops are open even on public holidays.
Money and money transfer
According to hyperrestaurant, the Uzbek currency is the sum: official exchange rates are always updated on the website of the central bank. When taking cash with you, we recommend euros (banknotes from 1996 in good external condition). Danger: Exchange in the bazaar is prohibited. However, banks and exchange offices in the large hotels offer roughly the same rate without any special formalities. Exchange of sums back into USD is generally possible upon presentation of the corresponding exchange receipts from previous dollar sales, but is currently limited. An exchange in euros is not possible. Traveller’s checks and credit cards are still uncommon; there are hardly any functioning ATMs. Master Card and Visa are only accepted in large hotels and shops. If you are a verified customer at Western Union Germany, you can have money sent to you by online transfer yourself (be sure to note the country where you are, in this case Uzbekistan!); the transferred amount can be picked up in Uzbekistan immediately and easily (in USD). Unlimited amounts of foreign currency can be imported into Uzbekistan. A customs declaration must be filled out in duplicate about the import of foreign currency upon entry. It is essential to ensure that the foreign currency you are carrying is specified in the customs declaration. Exceeding the amount of foreign currencies imported at the time is only possible upon presentation of a confirmation from the Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan or an authorized bank. Incorrect information is usually punished with a fine. In individual cases there has been a delay in departure, even by several days.
Stay healthy
Find out about the travel advice from the Federal Foreign Office before you start your journey. The travel medical information service of the Tropical Institute of the University of Munich offers updated travel advice for Uzbekistan with information on vaccination recommendations and regulations, malaria areas, special health risks and a climate table.
Emergency medical assistance in Tashkent is available at Tashkent International Medical Clinic.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS in Tashkent / Uzbekistan: Fire Brigade: 101; Police: 102; Medical emergency number: 103; Gas emergency service: 104; Directory assistance: 109
Telecommunication, Internet
Post and telecommunications: The Uzbek post can hardly be compared with the post in Germany. A delivery to the private mailbox, as was still customary in the former Soviet Union, does not usually take place. The programs are often simply stolen. A sample broadcast by the author in the summer of 2018 was not delivered, nor could it be found.
Uzbekistan is still one of the so-called enemies of the Internet, although a number of independent websites were unblocked this year. In Uzbekistan there are private internet providers (dial-up, ADSL), but they are strictly monitored and censored by the telecommunications ministry and the security service. The Uzbek regime is also proactively on the Internet: The Home Office has a unit of “patriotic bloggers” on May 1, 2020 established, ostensibly to combat intolerance on the Internet. This is very reminiscent of Russian “troll factories”.
On-site Internet access mostly works via telephone lines (DSL connections are now available and affordable) and every large city has a large number of Internet cafés, but their operators are unofficially obliged to track down “suspicious” surfers and the websites they visit and send Report emails to the relevant authorities. Visits to unofficially forbidden websites are officially punished with the very high fines for locals.
Wi-Fi / WLAN in Uzbekistan: Tashkent and other cities now also have the option of wirelessly surfing the Internet. During troubled times and crises, the Internet slows down.
There are currently four mobile phone providers operating in the country: Beeline Uzbekistan, Perfectum Mobile, Ucell & UzMobile.
Useful addresses
A collection of useful addresses and information: Uzbek embassies and consulates, foreign embassies and consulates in Tashkent, list of historical monuments, museums, theaters, information on distances between cities in the region, monthly average temperatures in different places.