Uzbekistan eases entry for some Indian citizens: what the data shows about tourism, business and education

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Samarkand

Uzbekistan has eased entry rules for Indian citizens holding valid multiple-entry visas issued by the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand or Schengen countries, effective September 1.

Such Indian citizens may stay in Uzbekistan without an Uzbek visa for up to 30 days. To enter the country, they must present a valid multiple-entry visa issued by one of the countries listed above and an airline ticket to India or a third country.

The new regime does not apply to all Indian citizens. It covers holders of tourist and business visas who already have the ability to travel internationally.

India is an increasingly visible source of tourists, students and investment for Uzbekistan.

According to data from Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee, 32,462 tourists arrived in Uzbekistan from India in January–July 2026. The statistics also show that 3,853 people arrived in Uzbekistan from India for study purposes.

Indian businesses are also expanding their presence in Uzbekistan. As of August 1, there were 439 enterprises with Indian capital operating in the country. In January–June, the volume of investments and loans from India directed to fixed capital amounted to $225.9 million.

Trade between the two countries remains significantly smaller than Uzbekistan’s trade with its largest partners, but it has already reached hundreds of millions of dollars. In January–June 2026, trade between Uzbekistan and India totaled $598.1 million. Uzbekistan’s exports to India amounted to $84.2 million, while imports from India reached $514 million.

The gap in educational travel is particularly striking. During the first seven months of 2026, 3,853 people arrived in Uzbekistan from India to study, while 44 traveled from Uzbekistan to India for educational purposes.

The new rules primarily make travel easier for Indian tourists, businesspeople and others who already travel internationally on a regular basis. For them, a trip to Uzbekistan will no longer require a separate Uzbek visa, provided they meet the stated conditions.

The decree changing the entry procedure was signed on August 29. The following day, August 30, during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan and India announced that they would elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The visa decision was made before that announcement, but both developments came amid growing contacts between the two countries, spanning tourism and education as well as investment and trade.

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