Applying for an Uzbekistan Visa in Beijing
Visiting Uzbekistan
Visiting Uzbekistan is essential for travelers going through Central Asia. While their visa is nowhere near as hard as Turkmenistan, it is still known for being quite a hassle. In the past, this great kingdom on the silk road was once frequented by caravans exchanging riches between the West and the Far East. As the fortresses turned to ruins, the borders gradually got closed off for many foreign travelers.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has been flirting with the idea of granting free visas on arrival to a handful of nationalities. The government, however, is still hesitating whether or not to start welcoming a new influx of travelers to the country. Many tourists are left applying for their visa at the Uzbek embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. While this is a popular option, the embassy requires an appointment by phone call (this rule is not always upheld). With the number of travelers applying during summer months, there is also a rush to hand in the documents to the embassy.
Should I Apply From Beijing?
A good alternative to applying in Kyrgyzstan is to get the tourist visa from Beijing, China. For travelers traveling overland via Xinjiang, this is a perfect solution for obtaining this pesky visa. This guide will focus on the visa process for nationalities who are granted a simplified procedure when applying for a tourist visa.
The first step when applying for the tourist visa is to decide how long you are willing to wait while your visa is being processed. This can vary depending on your nationality, number of entries, and visa processing time. For many nationalities the price of a visa is 40 USD plus another 10 for multiple entry. Americans applying for three-day service or same day with a Letter of Invitation, will pay 1280 yuan (around 200USD) If time is not an issue they also have a five-day service costing only 160USD.
Letter of Invitation
In my case, I decided I wanted to get the fastest visa service possible. In order to do this I applied for a Letter of Invitation (LOI) through Topchan, a hostel in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Compared to other LOIs, Topchan hostel offers this document at the low price of 45 USD. After filling out a short form and emailing passport photos, the hostel will handle applying for your LOI and even in helping you fill in your application form. For the letter of invitation, they offer both normal and expedited service. It is important to note that there is no additional price when selecting the faster service. While many nationalities don’t require a LOI, if you are wanting to get your visa in under 10 minutes, this is the option for you.
After applying for expedited service, the hostel will send an email within a week. This will include your LOI and your application form already filled out. All that is left is to simply print off the two forms, photocopy your passport, and take the documents to the embassy in Beijing. Even bringing passport photos is not necessary since they are already added to your application form.
Applying at the Uzbekistan Embassy
The Uzbek embassy is located in the famous Sanlitun district, behind the German embassy and right next to the embassy of the Ivory Coast. To get there it is a short 15min walk from the Sanlitun metro. The hours of operation seem to fluctuate from day to day. According to the embassy website, on Monday the hours are 10-12 and Tuesday to Friday is 9-11. I attempted to contact the embassy via email, but the message would not go through. I went to the embassy on a Monday and tried to confirm with the guard that they open at 10. He replied that they typically open at 9:30 or whenever the officer arrives. On that certain day it was 9:30.
When I arrived at the embassy there were roughly 5 to 6 people waiting in line to apply for a visa. Even with a queue the line moves quite fast. As one person steps out of this small shack to the left of the main embassy building, the guard opens the gate to allow the next person to go in. When it was my turn, I entered the small office and slid my LOI, application form, passport copy, and my passport over the counter. Within 30 seconds I was handed a slip of paper with the embassy’s bank information which should be paid through bank of China.
Bank of China
Just a few blocks down the road, I went to transfer the money for the visa. While there may be a line to pay the bill, most of the services now are automated, simplifying the procedure. There are even English-speaking managers to help you with the process. After the transfer is complete, take your receipt and head back to the embassy.
When arriving back at the embassy, the officer will give you a wave to skip the line to hand over the receipt. After a short glance, they will head into the adjacent room to print off your visa. Within 10 minutes I was walking out with my Uzbekistan visa, hassle free!
Useful Links and Information:
Uzbekistan Embassy in Beijing Information:
Address: 11 Sanlitun N Alley, Chaoyang Qu, Beijing Shi, China, 100001
Hours: Monday: 10-11 Tuesday – Friday: 9-11
Website for the Uzbekistan Visa in Beijing
Bank of China Location:
Topchan Letter of Invitation: Webpage Link
Uzbekistan Visa Form (Not Nessecary when applying for a LOI):
Countries with simplified procedure and other nationalities visa process is outlined on Caravanistan
