Retiring in Uzbekistan: Right of Stay, Tax on Your Pension and Access to Healthcare

No visa is required for a stay of 30 days at most; for a longer period, obtaining a visa is compulsory, and France Diplomatie refers to the Uzbek embassy in Paris for the types of visa. The passport must be valid for at least six months from the planned return date. Any stay of more than 72 hours must be registered with the OVIR; extension requests are to be filed 10 days before expiry, and some visas cannot be extended on the spot. Failures expose you to heavy fines, expulsion at the traveller’s expense and an entry ban.

The pages consulted cover neither residence permits nor a category dedicated to retirees, nor the resources required of a pensioner: do not rely on conditions circulated by private websites, and have the scheme in force confirmed by the Uzbek embassy in Paris before any settling project. The guide to receiving your pension abroad completes this overview.

France and Uzbekistan signed on 22 April 1996 a convention to avoid double taxation on income and wealth taxes, approved by Law No. 2003-626 of 8 July 2003 and published by Decree No. 2004-136 of 6 February 2004. In force since 1 October 2003, it applies, for withholding taxes, to taxable amounts from 1 January 2004. It replaces the 1985 Franco-Soviet convention.

• Private pensions (article 18): pensions and other similar remuneration of a resident of Uzbekistan are taxable exclusively in Uzbekistan, even if their source is in France. A reservation prevents double exemption: they may be taxed in the other State if they are not taxed in the State of residence.
• Setting aside French withholding: the retiree resident in Uzbekistan hands the French payer, before payment, a document from the Uzbek tax authorities attesting their residence and the taxation of their pension, which avoids the withholding of article 182 A of the French general tax code. If withholding has already been taken, they can request a refund from the tax office for non-resident individuals, directly or through the payer, enclosing the residence certificate and the proof of taxation.
• Public pensions (article 19): BOFiP refers to the text of the convention, which you should consult for your scheme. For State pensions, the State pensions portal lists the countries where withholding does not apply because of a treaty; Uzbekistan is not on it. The annual withholding scale, revised each year, is 0% up to €17,275, 12% up to €50,112 and 20% above, after a COTAM of 3.2% and a 10% allowance.
• Social contributions: a retiree whose tax residence is outside France is not liable for the CSG and the CRDS (French social levies), but a health insurance contribution is still taken from their French pensions (CLEISS, the French Social Security Centre for European and International Liaison).

To avoid a double burden, report your departure to your pension fund and to the French tax administration, and have your situation validated by a professional who knows both systems.

Form S1 is reserved by the CLEISS for retirees of the French scheme who settle in the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland. In Uzbekistan, no social security agreement exists: the retiree arranges their cover alone, and France Diplomatie considers a contract covering all medical costs and repatriation imperative. See the glossary entry on form S1 and the guide form S1: how to use it.

• CFE: the offer intended for retirees, with no medical questionnaire, requires a pension from a French basic scheme; it covers only care received abroad. Waiting period: none if you join before departure or within three months of settling; otherwise three months before age 45 and six months beyond.
• International insurance: to be chosen on the ceiling, evacuation, how the insurer operates in Uzbekistan, the handling of medical history and chronic care; see CFE or private insurance.

The breakdown by status is on the page on healthcare reimbursement in Uzbekistan, and the local offer on the page on the healthcare system in Uzbekistan.

For a retiree, several topics weigh more. The medical and hospital network does not meet European standards, particularly outside the capital, and the international clinic in Tashkent is not equipped for emergencies. Air pollution regularly reaches indices above 200 in the capital: the elderly are among the vulnerable people that France Diplomatie invites to consider postponing their trip. Finally, very hot summers, sometimes above 50 °C, and harsh winters of -5 to -10 °C call for choosing your housing well.

Before settling, take stock of your medical history and how it is covered, because a medical questionnaire can lead to exclusions: see the guide to the medical questionnaire and medical history.

Assurance retraite asks every retiree living abroad to prove they are alive once a year, whatever their nationality. The proof-of-life certificate is completed by the local authority of the country of residence or validated through the “Mon certificat de vie” application; it must be returned within two months, failing which payment is suspended until it is received. Also report your address and bank details to your fund. Any sum above the equivalent of 100,000,000 soums must be declared to customs. The guide to quarters worked abroad and the page on retirement insurance abroad help you prepare the settlement of your rights.

High-speed trains link Tashkent to Bukhara and to Karshi via Samarkand, and direct Paris-Tashkent flights are operated by the national airline, sometimes via Urgench depending on the season: these links make round trips between France and Uzbekistan easier. On the road, an international licence is required, civil liability insurance is compulsory, night driving is discouraged and petrol stations are irregular: a driver or licensed taxis, whose fare is fixed in advance, are preferable.

For housing, the landlord or hotel registers the tenant for any stay of more than 72 hours, and the landlord can do so online at emehmon.uz. A phone bought abroad must be registered with UzIMEI within 30 days (75,000 soums) for a stay of more than 30 days, failing which it is blocked. Covering clothing and discretion in public are advised in a secular country with a large Muslim majority, and male homosexuality is punished by article 120 of the penal code.

No official source read sets a standard budget for a foreign retiree in Uzbekistan; inflation and the exchange rate appear in the economic benchmarks block of this page. The soum is the only legal currency, and the largest banknote (200,000 soums) is worth about 15 euros: cash payment remains common, but fuel, alcohol and tobacco are paid for electronically since 1 April 2026.

Tashkent, where the French embassy, the French lycée and the international clinic are located, remains the most practical base; Samarkand and Bukhara are cited among the main cities. See the page on living in Uzbekistan. For a retirement project, Expavy helps you compare expat health insurance contracts suited to your age and medical history.