Could you please let me know if there are enough free Wi-Fi hotspots in the cities of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara?
I usually don’t get local SIM cards when traveling abroad, as I find connecting via Wi-Fi once or twice a day is typically sufficient.
I’m just wondering if I can rely on this approach in Uzbekistan.
You’ll definitely find Wi-Fi once or twice a day in any city, no problem. Cafés are a sure bet.
But honestly, it’s easier not to stress about it and just get a local SIM card.
I agree. I just got back, and traveling without a local SIM card made things like taking taxis or looking up information quite inconvenient. Wi-Fi was available at hotels and familiar spots, but SIM cards here are very affordable. I got mine at the airport in just 10 minutes at the information desk, and the internet worked everywhere.
Could you share from experience which operator is the best to choose?
Could you please clarify: if you have hotel registration, do you have to go to the central office of the operator (Beeline or Ucell), or can you purchase a non-tourist plan at any branch?
they won't sell at any office, only in central onesCould you please clarify: if you have hotel registration, do you have to go to the central office of the operator (Beeline or Ucell), or can you purchase a non-tourist plan at any branch?
Let me share my modest experience. I bought a Uztelecom SIM card from a kiosk opposite the arrivals area at Samarkand Airport. It included around 8 GB of data and cost about $6-8, with unlimited calls. Why Uztelecom? Simply because the salesgirl offered it—I hadn’t researched options in advance.
The internet worked reliably, but unfortunately, my iPhone 12 couldn’t share it with other devices. Contacting customer support didn’t resolve the issue. The helpline number on the SIM card (1099) was impossible to reach. Thankfully, helpful people on Telegram advised me to call 1084 instead, and I managed to get through. However, even after confirming all settings were correct, the tethering feature still wouldn’t work. I never figured out why before leaving.
I used calls occasionally—for booking taxis and restaurants mostly.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Uztelecom. If I’d been more experienced, I would have chosen Beeline or another provider (it seems Beeline is the only one compatible with linking a bank card). Also, I couldn’t connect to the Wi-Fi at Samarkand Airport, as many others claim here.
Please advise. My wife is going to Uzbekistan (Tashkent) for a week and will need mobile internet. What do you recommend? I read above about the IMEI phone block—what does that mean?
I read above about the IMEI phone block—what does that mean?
This means that if you do not register your phone within 30 days after your Uzbek SIM card is activated, it (or rather, the slot where the SIM card was inserted) will no longer work in Uzbekistan, even if you buy a new one. However, if you have 2 SIM slots phone, after 30 days you can reinsert the SIM into another slot and this will work for another 30 days.
I recently bought in Uzbekistan with a British passport at a Beeline store.
1 physical SIM card - Hello1 package: 20GB, 1000 minutes, 1000 SMS - 50,000 som (around 5$)
1 eSIM - Bemalol package: 15GB + 15GB (for messengers), 1000 SMS - 30,000 som (around 3$)
Both packages could be registered as either a physical SIM or eSIM.
After activating the SIM, I received a message stating that the IMEI needs to be registered within 2 months to continue using the package.
Hey everyone! I couldn’t find the answer to my question, so I’ll ask directly. Do mobile operators still require hotel registration when buying a non-tourist SIM card? Here’s the situation: we’re landing in Tashkent at 4 PM and catching a train to Bukhara at 10:48 PM the same day. Since Beeline’s main office closes at 8 PM, we’re hoping to grab a SIM card to set up a bank card later. However, we’re not booking a hotel for that day, so we won’t have any registration. Will they sell me a resident plan, or will I have to arrange a fake registration at some hotel? We’re on a tight schedule, and I’m worried we might not make it in time.
No need for registration at all. You’re good to go!
Quick question: Do I need to register my phone’s IMEI if I’m only using a non-Uzbek SIM card? The rules are a bit confusing, and I’m not sure what to do.