Uzbekistan has no mandatory vaccinations for entry. Most travellers arrive with standard routine boosters and a couple of extras.
Recommended vaccinations (consult a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before departure): - Hepatitis A — food/water-borne, standard for Central Asia travel. - Hepatitis B — recommended if you're doing extended travel, homestays, or medical/dental work. - Typhoid — food-borne, especially if eating widely at markets or in rural areas. - Tetanus / diphtheria — routine 10-year booster. - MMR — if not fully immunised from childhood. - Rabies — pre-exposure vaccination only if planning extensive rural travel or contact with animals.
Not needed: - Yellow fever — not endemic. Uzbekistan does NOT require a certificate. - Cholera — sporadic outbreaks in the past but not currently an active risk. - Malaria — the mosquito species that transmits it exists in a limited southern zone (Termez region) but Uzbekistan has been essentially malaria-free since 2018.
COVID: no vaccination or testing requirements as of 2026.
Common travel issues: - Traveller's diarrhoea — most common problem. See kb-tips-water-safety. - Sunburn and dehydration — see kb-tips-summer-heat. - Altitude sickness — most tourist cities are below 800 m; only relevant if hiking in the Nurata or Chatkal mountains.
Medical care: - Tashkent: several good private clinics catering to expats. Recommended: Medintal Clinic, Fedorov Medical Center, Central Asian Medical Center. English-speaking doctors. Costs a fraction of Western prices. - Samarkand, Bukhara: local private clinics functional but limited English. State hospitals for emergencies. - Rural areas: minimal facilities. Assume 4-hour drive to the nearest good hospital.
Insurance: - Travel insurance with medical evacuation strongly recommended. - Uzbekistan has decent basic medical care but complex problems (major cardiac events, severe trauma) benefit from evacuation to Turkey, UAE, or Europe.
Pharmacies: - "Apteka" signs everywhere. Most Western prescription drugs available generically over-the-counter. - Bring a list of your medications in generic (INN) names — brand names differ.
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
Related entries
- Tips
Drinking water and food safety
Not recommended. Buy bottled water (200 UZS/0.5L) or filter yours. Restaurant food is generally safe; be cautious with raw salads at street stalls in high summer.
- Tips
Surviving Uzbek summer
June–August routinely hits 40°C+. Sightsee 07:00–11:00 and 17:00–20:00. Break in a chaikhana or hotel for the midday 12:00–16:00 window.
- Tips
Alcohol in Uzbekistan
Yes — Uzbekistan is officially secular and alcohol is freely available. Local vodka, cognac and wine are cheap; imported spirits and beer sold everywhere. Public drunkenness is uncommon and looked down upon.
- Tips
Cultural etiquette and respect
Right hand for eating and passing objects, break bread with hands (not knife), remove shoes indoors and in mosques, dress modestly at religious sites, greet elders first.
- Tips
Getting around Tashkent
Metro for most routes (cheap, fast, air-conditioned). Yandex Go app for direct taxis. Walking works for tight clusters of sights. Buses functional but slow.
- Tips
Migration registration: the 3-day rule
Every foreign visitor must be registered at their accommodation within 3 working days of arrival. Hotels do it automatically at check-in; if you stay privately, register yourself via the e-mehmon portal.