Uzbekistan on GuideMeet

Rules for overlanding in Uzbekistan

Updated October 2026

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 6 September 2026.

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Which driving licence do I need in Uzbekistan?

• All vehicles — An International Driving Permit on the 1968 Vienna Convention model is required. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

• Driving yourself — If you drive a car, motorbike or bicycle yourself, the ministry asks for extreme caution: find out in advance what condition the roads on your route are in, and stick strictly to the traffic code, watching the speed limits and local driving habits.
• Fuel — Filling stations are not widespread outside Tashkent and a foreigner can find them hard to locate.
• Repairs and spares — In the outlying areas workshops are rare and poorly stocked with spare parts.
• Language barrier — Getting information can be very difficult without the local languages, which is one of the reasons the ministry points to a local driver.
• Hire with a driver — Self-drive rental is now available, but hiring with a driver is strongly recommended, is easy to arrange at reasonable rates and works for city-to-city legs as well.
• Onward visas — Get visas for neighbouring Central Asian countries before you leave home rather than counting on obtaining them in Tashkent. A delay there can leave you past your 30 visa-free days or past your visa expiry, which means serious trouble at the border.

What catches travellers out

• Temporary registration — Any stay has to be registered within 3 days, excluding public holidays and Sundays, and you must carry proof of every registration when you leave the country. Hotels and hosts file it for you, but if you are travelling independently and sleeping in campsites, caravans or a camper you have to file it yourself through a tourist information centre or the nearest tourist accommodation — check it was actually done and get the receipt.
• Can I bring and fly a drone in Uzbekistan? — Drones are banned outright: importing, selling, buying, holding, storing or flying one without authorisation means immediate seizure at customs and serious criminal consequences. Since 1 March 2026 e-cigarettes and their liquids are banned as well, with fines that can top 20,000 USD, corrective labour or up to 12 years in prison, although handing the devices over voluntarily avoids prosecution. Laser devices, explosives, fireworks and pornographic material are also prohibited.
• Cash and exchange — Cash above 100 million sum, roughly 7,800 EUR, must be declared in writing on the red channel, and you cannot leave with more cash than you declared on the way in, so keep the stamped entry declaration or the excess is confiscated. Change money only at banks and authorised exchange points, passport in hand: the black market still exists and is a criminal offence, with immediate seizure, heavy fines and the risk of detention. Banks and exchange desks refuse worn, creased, marked or slightly torn notes, so bring recent ones in excellent condition.
• Phone IMEI — If you use a local SIM you must register your phone's IMEI or the handset is blocked on Uzbek networks after 60 days for visitors. Declare your phones on the customs declaration on arrival — tourists can bring in two duty-free up to 2,000 USD — then register at the desk in the arrivals hall or later online. Staying on your home SIM in roaming needs no registration at all.

Vehicle, drones and permits

• What do I need to bring my own vehicle into Uzbekistan? — A visitor's vehicle can enter Uzbekistan free of customs duty for up to 3 months within any 12-month period, cleared on a simplified Form T-6 declaration with no carnet needed. Beyond 3 months a periodic payment of 5% of the applicable duty is charged per month, and a vehicle not re-exported or re-declared in time is charged 0.01 US dollars per day for each cubic centimetre of engine size. (lex.uz — Resolution No. 106 of the Cabinet of Ministers, on the conditions of temporary import (export) of goods and vehicles in the Republic of Uzbekistan)
• What insurance do I need to drive in Uzbekistan? — A vehicle registered abroad is exempt from Uzbekistan's compulsory insurance only if it already carries cover from an international insurance system valid on Uzbek territory; a Green Card that does not extend to Uzbekistan does not count, so local cover has to be bought on entry. A policy issued to a foreign vehicle must cover its whole stay and run for at least 15 days. (lex.uz — Law No. ZRU-155, on compulsory insurance of civil liability of vehicle owners)
• Drones — Importing, buying, selling, storing or flying a drone in Uzbekistan is prohibited without a government permit under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 658 of 15 November 2022, which also requires radio-equipment clearance and registration with the civil aviation agency Uzaviation before flying. Toy aircraft models are exempt if kept below 50 metres, at least 150 metres from an airfield's approach path, and within constant visual contact. (Civil Aviation Agency of Uzbekistan (Uzaviation), via gov.uz — Drones)

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 6 September 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Uzbekistan before you travel. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

The points in "Vehicle, drones and permits" come from official sources of the country itself, cited next to each one.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 6 September 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.