Uzbekistan

Is Uzbekistan safe to visit?

Yes, and for most visitors it is calmer than they expect. Uzbekistan recorded 1.4 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2021 (UNODC), the US rates it Level 1, and it ranks 37th of 163 countries on the 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary, above Kazakhstan at 44th. The Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva see little crime beyond pickpocketing. What lowers the score is the roads, the hospitals and a few political and border risks. We score Uzbekistan 74.

Roads and taxis

Road deaths are the main physical risk. A report reviewed by the news site Kun.uz counted 1,854 deaths in 2025, about 5 per 100,000 people, a little down on 2024. Other official figures for the same year go as high as 2,188, and the WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 11.7 per 100,000 in 2019. The true rate is probably between the two, which is still far above Western Europe. Samarkand region had the most deaths in 2025, followed by Tashkent region and Fergana.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary describes poor road surfaces, bad lighting and erratic driving. Many taxis have no rear seat belts, and many buses and taxis run on compressed natural gas with lax safety checks. Book taxis through Yandex Go or MyTaxi, choose a newer car, and take the fast Afrosiyob trains between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara instead of driving.

Bazaars, pickpockets and money

Petty theft is common in the bazaars, such as Chorsu in Tashkent and Siab in Samarkand, and on public transport. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary mentions distraction techniques and says burglaries happen even in wealthy neighbourhoods. Keep your phone and wallet in a front pocket and split your cash.

Money is a practical risk of its own. Outside the big cities few ATMs take foreign cards, so you will carry cash. Change it only at banks or official booths: black-market exchange is illegal and harshly punished.

Politics, Karakalpakstan and the Afghan border

Uzbekistan is stable but tightly controlled. In July 2022, protests broke out in Nukus, the capital of the autonomous republic of Karakalpakstan, over planned constitutional changes to the region's status. According to Human Rights Watch, security forces used explosives against mainly peaceful protesters on 1 and 2 July; 21 people died and more than 270 were injured. The government blames the protesters. Karakalpakstan, where visitors go for the Aral Sea and the Savitsky Museum, has been quiet since, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary advises avoiding any demonstration.

The 137-km border with Afghanistan runs along the Amu Darya river. Its banks are fenced off as a military "neutral zone", and you risk arrest if you approach the fence or photograph soldiers. The Friendship Bridge crossing is closed to foreigners. In April 2022, rockets fired from Afghanistan landed in southern Uzbekistan; Islamic State Khorasan Province claimed them. Termez is open to visitors, but some sites near the border need a permit or an organised tour.

Several laws matter for visitors. You must carry your passport at all times, and police check it. Same-sex relationships are illegal. Criticism of the government, the flag or national customs on social media can lead to fines or detention, and photography near airports, bridges, border posts and some metro stations can upset the police.

Health care, heat and air

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary is blunt about health care: hospitals are generally poorly equipped and unhygienic, drugs are in short supply and equipment may not be sterile, especially outside Tashkent. It advises avoiding all but essential treatment, and insurers usually fly serious cases to Europe or New Delhi. Bring a full supply of your medicines and get insurance that covers evacuation. Stomach upsets are common, so drink bottled or boiled water.

Air quality is poor in winter, from November to February, in Tashkent and the Fergana Valley. In Karakalpakstan and Khorezm, storms carry salt and dust from the dried Aral Sea year-round. Summers in Bukhara and Khiva are extremely hot, so plan sightseeing for the early morning and evening between June and August.

The country lies in an active seismic zone. Tremors are regular; Tashkent was largely rebuilt after a major earthquake in 1966.

How to stay safe in Uzbekistan

• Use app taxis and the high-speed trains rather than long road trips.
• Keep valuables split up and in front pockets in bazaars and on the metro.
• Carry your passport and keep your registration slips.
• Bring clean dollar notes and change them only at banks or official booths.
• Stay away from the Afghan border fence and do not photograph soldiers or checkpoints.
• Save 112, the unified emergency number introduced in 2024.

How we scored it

Violent crime (88) is the strongest factor, followed by conflict (82), which reflects the Afghan border, the 2022 unrest and tight political control rather than any threat on the tourist route. Health care (58) is the weakest factor, then road safety (64), where official counts are well below the WHO estimateWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary. The homicide figure dates from 2021 and the road data disagree, so confidence is medium.