Uzbekistan to extend e-Visa facility for India from July

With an aim to increase more people to people exchanges, especially tourism from India, the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan, said it will extend electronic-Visa facility for India starting from July 2018. The country had already initiated friendly-visa regime for Indians from early this year by doing away with the mandatory ‘invitation letter’ clause for applying for visa.

“The e-Visa system will further ease the processes to enhance more travel exchanges between the two countries. Uzbekistan offers a wide range of attractions for tourists starting from religious to spiritual to eco-tourism, adventure, educational, etc. With less than three hours of flying time from Delhi, Uzbbekistan is the closest neighbour with lot of common heritage and culture to share. Indians can feel at home in our country,” said Farhod Arziev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to India.

“There are more than 7,000 historic and heritage spots in Uzbekistan, out of which at least 1,000 places are closely connected with Islamic culture. There are so many places associated with the life of renowned Islamic scholars across Uzbekistan. The country therefore attracts lot of spiritual tourists for Ziyarat,” he said. The Ambassador mentioned places in Samarkhand where the memorial complex of Imam al Bukhari is located; and Bukhara where there are monuments associated with the life of Khwaja Baha-ud–Din Naqshband, the founder of Naqshbandiya order which has lot of followers in countries like India.

He said that Uzbekistan has its unspoilt natural landscape which can appeal to Bollywood production units in a big way. Besides natural beauty, Uzbekistan has a highly developed domestic cinema industry which can provide infrastructure and support system for Indian film production units, the Ambassador added. “We have already started negotiations with couple of Bollywood companies and they admitted that the package that we are offering is quite attractive. Traditionally, we have a well-developed cinema industry in Uzbekistan, that gives us a special strength,” he said.