Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Uzbek Embassy, USA
(
%
1-202-887 5300;
www.uzbekistan.org; 1746 Massachusetts Ave
NW, Washington DC 20036); Consulate-general
in New York (www.uzbekconsulny.org).
Embassies & Consulates in Uzbekistan
Most embassies and consulates are located in
Tashkent. For additional embassy listings see
www.goldenpages.uz. hours of operation listed
are for visa applications only.
Afghan Embassy
(
%
226 73 81, 226 73 80;
Batumskaya 1, Shaihan Tahur, Tashkent;
h
9am-noon & 1.30-4pm Mon-Fri, 9-11.30am
drop off, 3-4pm pick up)
Azerbaijan Embassy
(
%
273 61 67; Shark
Tongi 25, Tashkent;
h
10am-noon & 3-4pm
Mon-Fri)
Chinese Embassy
(
%
233 80 88; gulomov 79,
Tashkent;
h
9am-noon Mon, Wed & Fri)
French Embassy
(
%
233 51 57, 233 53 82;
www.ambafrance-uz.org; istikbol 25, Tashkent)
German Embassy
(
%
120 84 40, 24hr emer-
gency line 181 54 06; www.taschkent.diplo.de;
Rashidov 15, Tashkent)
Iranian Embassy
(
%
268 38 77; Parkent 20,
Tashkent;
h
9am-noon Mon-Thu)
Italian Embassy
(
%
252 11 19; www.amb
tashkent.esteri.it; Yusuf Khos Khodjib 40,
Tashkent)
Kazakhstan Embassy
(
%
252 16 54; Chekhov
23, Tashkent;
h
drop off 9am-noon, pick-up
4-5pm Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri)
Kyrgyz Embassy
(
%
237 47 94; Samatov 30,
Tashkent;
h
10-11.30am & 2.30-4pm Mon-Fri,
closed Tue morning & Thu)
Pakistani Embassy
(
%
248 21 73; Kichik
halqa Yoli 15, olmzor, Tashkent)
Russian Embassy
(
%
120 35 04; www.russia.
uz; Nukus 83, Russia, Tashkent;
h
drop off
10am-12.30pm, pick up 3-4pm Mon-Fri)
Tajikistan Embassy
(
%
254 99 66; Abdulla
Kahhor Lane Vi 61, Tashkent;
h
8am-11.30am
Mon-Fri)
Turkmenistan Embassy
(
%
256 94 01; Afro-
siab 19, Tashkent;
h
10am-noon Mon-Thu)
UK Embassy
(
%
120 15 00; www.gov.uk/
government/world/uzbekistan; gulomov 67,
Tashkent)
US Embassy
(
%
120 54 50; uzbekistan.us
embassy.gov; Moyqorghon 3, Block V,
Tashkent;
h
9am-6pm Mon-Fri) Take bus 51
from Amir Timur ko'chasi.
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
There are colourful celebrations throughout
the country during the vernal equinox festival
of
Navrus
(celebrated on 21 March). Festivities
typically involve parades, fairs, music, dancing
in the streets, plenty of food and, in some plac-
es, a rogue game of
kupkari
(traditional polo-like
game played with a headless goat carcass).
Samarkand has a good one, although the best
place to enjoy Navrus is in the countryside.
INTERNET ACCESS
internet cafes are found in most places travel-
lers go, although access is annoyingly slow out-
side a handful of spots in Tashkent. Unreliable
and slow wi-i is common in most hotels in bigger
cities and other places tourists commonly go
(Bukhara and Khiva, for example), but remains
practically nonexistent elsewhere.
MONEY
Money is a complicated issue in Uzbekistan, due
to the black market. The oicial rate of the Uzbek
som is kept artiicially high, and so everyone
uses the black market, where your dollars get
you approximately 30% more som. And it's easy
to feel rich in Uzbekistan - the highest Uzbek
note (1000S) is worth less than US$0.50 on the
black market. one US$100 bill turns into a plas-
tic bag full of ragged bills, usually tied together
with a rubber band.
Bring US dollars with you to Uzbekistan. euros
can also be changed, but it's not as easy. out-
side a few larger banks in Tashkent other curren-
cies are totally useless.
A select few ATMs can be found in Tashkent,
but you can't rely on them having cash in them.
in the provinces, cash advances are usually pos-
sible at Asaka Bank for MasterCard holders and
at the National Bank of Uzbekistan for Visa card-
holders. Commission is 1% to 2% on MasterCard
advances and 1% to 4% on Visa card advances.
The NBU is also usually the best bet for cashing
travellers cheques.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1
New Year's Day
January 14
Day of Defenders of the Motherland
March 8
international Women's Day
March 21
Navrus
May 9
Day of Memory and honour (formerly
Victory Day)
September 1
independence Day
October 1
Teachers' Day
December 8
Constitution Day
REGISTRATION
Registration rules are stricter in Uzbekistan than
in most former Soviet countries. The law states
clearly that you must register somewhere within
three days of arriving in Uzbekistan.
Beyond that, the rules get hazy. oicially you
don't need to register if you are staying in a
given town for less than three nights. But like
everything else in Uzbekistan, this rule is open to
interpretation. if the authorities decide you need
to be registered for shorter stays, well then you
need to be registered. Failure to comply with the
'law' can result in anything from a small bribe
