New policies make Uzbekistan visa free for Singaporean nationals

Singaporeans still enjoy the best passport for Asians in the world as Uzbekistan visa free countries were announced.

After Paraguay lifted visa restrictions in October last year, Uzbekistan has also granted 30-day visa-free access to Singaporeans just this February 10.

The United States of America, on the other hand, has showed a lesser number of visa-free entry countries for the Western superpower ever since the start of Trump’s presidency. USA citizens can only go to 158 countries without a visa.

Germany, however, may be neck-and-neck with Singaporeans for the top passport spot with a score of 161. With Uzbekistan visa free for Singaporeans, does this make it a tie?

Still, Germany is not one of the countries that has visa free entry to Uzbekistan.

Read how last year, Singaporeans had the world’s best passport.

Only 16 countries have visa free entry to Uzbekistan

According to the official site of the embassy of Uzbekistan, “The citizens of Kyrgyzstan (up to 60 days), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Indonesia, Japan, Israel, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Moldova, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Turkey and Ukraine can visit Uzbekistan without visas for the period of 30 days.”

Push for simplified visa issuing

While other countries still need to get visas, Uzbekistan has allowed other countries to acquire visas more simply, and has amended their processes. What that entails, is that certain nationalities no longer need a person in Uzbekistan to invite them to the country in order to secure their travel. These countries include:

Countries with a simplified mode of issuing visas:

• Australia
• Albania
• Andorra
• Bulgaria
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Vatican
• Hungary
• Greece
• Denmark
• India
• Ireland
• Iceland
• Kuwait
• Canada
• Lithuania
• China, including the Hong Kong SAR
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Malta
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• United Arab Emirates
• Oman
• Portugal
• Romania
• San marino
• Saudi Arabia
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• USA
• Finland
• Croatia
• Montenegro
• Sweden
• Estonia

Here are the countries who have long enjoyed the simplified mode of acquiring visas:

• Austria
• Belgium
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Spain
• Italy
• Latvia
• Malaysia*
• Poland
• Thailand
• Turkey*
• France
• Czech Republic
• Switzerland
• Japan*

Take note that the processes only get simplified for the mentioned countries starting July.

Singaporeans react

Travel has always been an obsession for Singaporeans and here at Alvinology *coughcoughBestTravelBlogoftheYearcoughcough* we understand that everyone is excited for this new country to explore in an easier manner.

Here’s what people online have to say about this new development:

Predictably, travel-savvy and adventurous Singaporeans immediately wanted to know about Uzbekistan and what could be done there.

Some people were concerned about what would happed with Uzbekistan citizens coming to Singapore.

Some people had to be corrected on which side of Europe Uzbekistan was actually located.

Other netizens certainly had their priorities straight.

While others were able to give their opinion on the country.

Is it really gorgeous?

You decide. Here are some sights around the country. You decide if you’d want to take a look around.

Here are some gorgeous rugs and textiles on display.

Image from Shutterstock

Here is a lit up shop in Samarkand.

Image from Shutterstock.

Header image from Shutterstock.

So are you heading to Uzbekistan to flex our passport powers? Let us know in the comments and mention us on your trip!