Uzbekistan plans more checks on foreign visitors
Hotels, guesthouses, and other places to stay in Uzbekistan may get tougher punishments if they do not report foreign visitors to the authorities, according to proposed legal changes.
A draft law raises fines for hotel, hostel, campsite, and healthcare facility managers who do not report foreign guests using an electronic registration system or fail to check their valid ID. The proposals were approved by the lower house of Uzbekistan’s parliament in the first reading.
Repeat offences would lead to higher fines, and police would also have direct power to investigate these cases.
Deputy Interior Minister Diyorbek Sattorov said unregistered visitors make it harder for authorities to track their whereabouts and accurately count foreign arrivals.
Changes respond to rising arrival numbers
Sattorov said Uzbekistan welcomed 5.5 million foreign visitors during the first five months of 2026, up 27% compared with the same period last year.
He said the rise is because people from over 80 countries can enter Uzbekistan without a visa and because of a new e-visa system. However, accommodation providers who do not register foreign guests may help the hidden economy and avoid paying taxes, the official said.
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