Expat insurance and health insurance in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan's healthcare system remains, according to France Diplomatie, behind European standards, particularly outside the capital: the hospital and medical network inherited from the Soviet era suffers from uneven under-equipment depending on the region, and access to specialist care or modern equipment remains concentrated in Tashkent. The Republican Research Centre of Emergency Medicine, with 12 regional branches and more than 170 sub-branches attached to district hospitals, forms the backbone of the public emergency service nationwide.

Some facilities may refuse to treat a patient without proof of solvency or insurance, even in life-threatening emergencies according to France Diplomatie, which makes health and repatriation cover taken out before departure essential for any stay, regardless of its length.

An international clinic, the Tashkent International Clinic, was founded in 1997 on the initiative of the diplomatic corps to meet the needs of diplomatic missions, their families and foreign residents in Uzbekistan; it provides English-speaking medical cover around the clock and works with several international insurers. A second private facility, the MDS Medical Centre, operates in Russian. For the most serious conditions or major procedures, medical evacuation to Europe or Turkey remains, according to the sources consulted, the most common practice recommended by international insurers, for lack of sufficient local medical equipment.

• No visa required for a stay not exceeding 30 days, since 5 October 2018, under presidential decree УП-5551, on presentation of a passport valid for at least 6 months after the planned departure date; beyond 30 days, a visa must be obtained from the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Paris before departure.
• Mandatory registration beyond 72 hours with the visa and registration department (OVIR), usually handled automatically by the hotel; for private accommodation, online registration is possible via the official platform emehmon.uz.
• Health/repatriation insurance described as essential by France Diplomatie, as no medical or repatriation costs are covered by the French embassy; some healthcare facilities may refuse to treat a patient without proof of solvency or insurance, even in a life-threatening emergency.
• No European Health Insurance Card: as Uzbekistan belongs to neither the European Union nor the European Economic Area, the EHIC does not apply there, regardless of the length of stay.
• Declaration of medicines carried: any medicine must be declared at customs with the corresponding prescription, translated into Uzbek, Russian or English.
• Seconded employee : in the absence of a France-Uzbekistan agreement, staying on the French scheme falls solely under French law (unilateral secondment), for a period of 3 years renewable once, with no exemption from any contributions that may be due in Uzbekistan.

Without health insurance cover, care is billed at the full rate by the facility, whether public or private, a rate that varies by facility and is not disclosed uniformly in public; the risk remains primarily financial, with no help from the French embassy for medical costs.

France and Uzbekistan are not linked by any bilateral social security agreement: CLEISS lists Uzbekistan neither among the countries where the European coordination regulations apply, nor among those that have signed a bilateral agreement with France, and no Central Asian country appears on its list of agreements in force. There is therefore neither a European Health Insurance Card, nor an A1 or S1 form enforceable with the Uzbek authorities, nor a direct reimbursement mechanism between the two systems.

• Temporary stay: no European or bilateral coordination applies; only health/repatriation insurance taken out before departure covers costs on site, with France Diplomatie describing this cover as essential.
• Secondment from France: in the absence of an agreement, French law provides for unilateral secondment of 3 years renewable once. The employee remains affiliated with the French scheme, with contributions paid in France, but with no exemption from any contributions that may be due in Uzbekistan. Care received locally is reimbursed after the fact by the French fund, within the limit of French rates, on presentation of supporting documents and the S3125 form.
• Long-term move: no local health scheme is automatically accessible to foreign residents, and no transfer of rights from France is provided for. Voluntary enrolment with CFE remains possible.
• Retiree: no coordination mechanism allows rights acquired in France to be claimed; international health insurance remains necessary for any extended stay.

1. Before departure: notify French agencies of your departure (CPAM, CAF, France Travail, pension funds).
2. Before departure: take out health/repatriation insurance covering the full cost of medical care and medical evacuation, described as essential by France Diplomatie — some facilities refusing to treat patients without proof of insurance.
3. Check your passport's validity (6 months after the planned departure date) before leaving.
4. On arrival: make sure you are registered with OVIR beyond 72 hours of stay (usually handled by the hotel, or via emehmon.uz for private accommodation).
5. Declare any medicine carried to customs, along with the prescription translated into Uzbek, Russian or English.
6. Seconded employee: arrange unilateral secondment with your employer through your French fund before departure (maximum duration of 3 years renewable once).
7. Keep proof of care and the S3125 form for any after-the-fact reimbursement request with the French fund (in the case of secondment).
8. Register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (French Embassy in Tashkent).