Indian leisure and business travellers just gained a powerful new option in Central Asia. In a late-night advisory released by the Embassy of India in Tashkent and confirmed by Uzbekistan’s presidential decree on 14 September 2026, the republic has waived its visa requirement for Indian citizens who already possess a valid, multiple-entry business or tourist visa for the United States, the United Kingdom, any Schengen-Area country, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan or the Republic of Korea. Qualifying Indians may enter Uzbekistan visa-free for up to 30 days provided they also hold a confirmed onward or return air ticket. The change took effect immediately and was highlighted in Indian media on 17 September. Context and background: Uzbekistan has experimented with targeted visa-free corridors since 2020 to stimulate inbound tourism without fully liberalising its border regime. India was long on Tashkent’s wish-list because pre-pandemic visitor numbers from India were growing at double-digit rates, fuelled by Bollywood film shoots, medical travel and the emergence of Samarkand as a MICE destination. Until now, most Indian nationals had to apply for an online e-visa or a traditional sticker visa, both of which required invitation letters and processing fees. By leveraging visas already vetted by high-trust jurisdictions, Uzbekistan reduces its own screening burden while tapping into a cohort of travellers with proven spending power. Practical implications: The 30-day window aligns neatly with typical Indian holiday and project assignments, making multi-city itineraries (Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, the Fergana Valley) feasible without bureaucratic lead-times. Tour operators in Delhi and Mumbai told Business Today they are repackaging Silk Road circuits that combine Uzbekistan with Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan, taking advantage of growing non-stop flight options on IndiGo and Uzbekistan Airways. Corporates with regional projects can now dispatch staff at short notice, but mobility managers should double-check that employees carry printouts of their qualifying third-country visas and onward tickets to avoid disputes at the border. Limitations and compliance tips: The waiver is not open-ended—travellers who overstay even by a day must regularise their status with the migration service and face fines. Indian passport holders lacking the specified foreign visas must still obtain a standard Uzbek visa. Carriers are likely to enforce the onward-ticket rule at check-in, so travellers transiting via hubs such as Dubai or Istanbul should keep hard copies of their entire itinerary. For companies running short-term projects, HR teams should update travel policies and brief employees on the new documentation checklist. Strategic outlook: The move deepens people-to-people links ahead of the 2026-28 India-Uzbekistan Tourism Cooperation Programme. If uptake is strong, Uzbek officials say they may extend visa-free access to all Indian citizens or launch a dedicated e-visa lite product. Neighbouring Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are watching closely and could introduce reciprocal measures to stay competitive for Indian outbound traffic.
Source: Business Today
