Living in Uzbekistan as a French National: Cities, Stay, School, Safety and Daily Life

Uzbekistan has more than 37 million inhabitants according to France Diplomatie, of whom 85% are Uzbeks, 5% Tajiks, 2% Russians, 2% Karakalpaks and 1.5% Tatars. The official language is Uzbek; the dominant religion is Sunni Islam (94%), ahead of Orthodox Christianity (4%). The country is a secular republic with a large Muslim majority: covering clothing and covered shoulders are recommended, as are dress rules in mosques and madrasas. The currency is the soum.

The constraints lie in registration of the stay, precise customs rules, a hospital network that does not match European standards and air pollution that regularly affects the capital. The page on the healthcare system in Uzbekistan details the care on offer and the page on healthcare reimbursement in Uzbekistan explains who pays depending on your status.

The capital, Tashkent, is home to the French embassy (Istiqbol 25), also accredited to Tajikistan, the French lycée and the main healthcare establishments. France Diplomatie also cites Samarkand, Bukhara and Kokand among the main cities. High-speed trains link Tashkent to Bukhara and to Karshi via Samarkand, and night trains serve other cities; you must book several weeks in advance and arrive 30 minutes before departure, because security checks resemble those at an airport.

• Tashkent: the natural base for families and working people; the city was largely destroyed by the 1966 earthquake, and air pollution there regularly reaches indices above 200.
• Samarkand and Bukhara: historic cities; in an emergency, contact the republican emergency service whose details are on the embassy website.
• Fergana Valley: an earthquake there killed several people in 2011; Kokand is part of it.
• Border regions: the zone along the Afghan border is formally advised against; mines may remain on the borders with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

No official source read sets a standard budget for a foreign resident. France Diplomatie gives a GDP of the order of USD 110 billion and sustained growth; the inflation and exchange-rate indicators, updated continuously, appear in the economic benchmarks block of this page. The soum is the only legal currency: dollars are recognised and sometimes accepted, banks exchange without a limit on the amount, but customs rules on foreign currency must still be respected. The highest banknote (200,000 soums) is worth about 15 euros: plan for many banknotes. Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards are spreading without being universal, and ATMs can be scarce.

For housing, the official pages consulted do not detail the rules for renting and acquisition by a foreigner: have any lease reviewed by a local legal professional. Be aware that the landlord or hotel registers the tenant for stays of more than 72 hours, that the landlord can do so online at emehmon.uz and that registration proofs can be cross-checked against hotel invoices and train tickets.

No visa is required for a stay of 30 days at most; for a longer period, 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; French emergency passports and laissez-passer are valid only to leave the territory. Extension requests must be filed 10 days before expiry, and some visas cannot be extended on the spot.

• Registration: any stay of more than 72 hours is declared to the OVIR; for private and business visas, the host registers, and in a hotel it is the establishment. Failures expose you to heavy fines, expulsion to France at the traveller’s expense and an entry ban.
• Mobile phone: a phone bought abroad and not registered with UzIMEI is blocked 30 days after its first connection with an Uzbek SIM card; registration costs 75,000 soums and is done within 30 days, after declaration to customs.
• Currency: any sum above the equivalent of 100,000,000 soums is declared; on exit, any increase compared with the entry declaration must be justified.
• Consular registration: the French embassy strongly recommends registration on the register of French people living abroad for a stay of more than six months.

See the page on working in Uzbekistan and the checklist for the first 90 days.

The directory of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) lists the French lycée of Tashkent (14 Kalandar Street, Mirzo Ulugbek district), a partner establishment of the network. Its listing shows 15 levels, 8 of them accredited, from the petite section to CM2, the levels from sixth to final year being offered through the CNED (the French distance-learning centre), with second year not marked in the directory, as well as 147 pupils. The French embassy recalls that a child of French nationality enrolled in an establishment accredited by the AEFE or by the Mission laïque française can, under conditions, claim a school grant.

Ask the school for the admission calendar and open levels before fixing your arrival date. For children’s health cover, see the guide to children’s health cover abroad.

Outside the border zones, the whole country is under heightened vigilance; the situation is described as calm, with a structured police presence. The zone along the Afghan border is formally advised against. The advice below is presented without political comment.

• Crime: low level of insecurity, but violent assaults at night against foreigners and pickpocketing on public transport are reported; do not display signs of wealth, do not walk alone at night, use licensed taxis.
• Road: many accidents, sometimes fatal, especially at night, because of pedestrians, cyclists, animals and vehicles stopped without lights; night driving discouraged.
• Earthquakes: zone of high seismic risk; major tremors are generally followed by aftershocks.
• Borders: the only crossing point with Afghanistan, the Termez–Hairatan Friendship Bridge, is closed to foreigners; two rocket firings from Afghan territory were recorded in 2022; the terrorist threat cannot be ruled out and you should not stray from official crossing points.
• Checks: do not try to avoid the frequent security checks on roads and in towns; some military sites, dams, power plants and nature reserves require prior authorisation from the Ministry of the Interior, which a travel agency requests at least 30 days in advance, with an escort.

Numbers: ambulance 103 (from a mobile, dial # or *, then 103), French embassy +998 71 232 81 00. Register with Fil d’Ariane to receive alerts.

The climate is continental: summers are very hot, sometimes above 50 °C, and winters harsh but dry, between -5 and -10 °C, with peaks close to -20 °C. To drive, an international licence, applied for from the ANTS (the French national agency for secure documents) before departure, is required; civil liability insurance is compulsory and the green card is not valid. Main roads link the large cities but may be poorly maintained, petrol stations are irregular, diesel is sometimes hard to find and petrol quality varies: bring a reserve for long journeys and agree the price of a taxi ride in advance.

Use and possession of narcotics are severely punished, and driving after drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited. Photography is free except for buildings designated by law and signposted, and it is prohibited for military personnel, their equipment and installations and diplomatic missions; ask permission before photographing people. Drones are banned, e-cigarettes have been since 1 April 2026, and possession of a single one can lead to criminal prosecution. Relations between men are punished by article 120 of the penal code, up to three years in prison, and France Diplomatie advises discretion in public.

To prepare your move, compare expat health insurance contracts with Expavy, checking cover for evacuation and repatriation.