Uzbek citizens have increasingly been refused entry at foreign airports and borders in recent years, and several countries have tightened or scrapped visa-free access for them, local media reports and official statements show.
Uzbek citizens made 7.6 million trips abroad for tourism in 2025, according to the National Statistics Committee. About 1.5 million more work overseas.
In Türkiye, 163 Uzbek citizens were refused entry in the first two months of 2024 as checks on foreigners aged 20-35 tightened, Uzbekistan’s External Labor Migration Agency said. Uzbekistan’s Consulate General in Istanbul said people suspected of terrorism, human trafficking or smuggling are classed as “undesirable passengers” and sent home.
In Russia, scrutiny of Central Asian migrants increased after the March 22, 2024 attack on Crocus City Hall near Moscow. Dozens of Uzbek citizens said they were held at Russian airports and turned back. Russia’s Interior Ministry attributes tighter controls to security and the fight against illegal migration.
Mongolia refused entry to 167 Uzbek citizens in 2024, citing incorrect visa categories and insufficient funds, among other reasons. In July 2026, about 20 Uzbek citizens were reportedly denied entry at Tbilisi International Airport.
In the United Arab Emirates, 31 Uzbek citizens were refused entry less than a week after three Uzbek citizens were arrested over the killing of rabbi Zvi Kogan in November 2024.
Thailand ended 60-day visa-free entry and visa on arrival for Uzbek citizens from Sept. 15, 2026. Montenegro scrapped its limited visa-free regime in October 2025, and Ecuador introduced a transit visa.
A visa-free regime between Uzbekistan and the UAE took effect in February 2024. Under Georgian law, Uzbek citizens can stay in the country visa-free for up to one year.
