Uzbekistan eSIM

Staying connected in Uzbekistan

Getting online in Uzbekistan is simple along the classic route from Tashkent through Samarkand and Bukhara to Khiva, where 4G is the norm. Install a travel eSIM at home and switch it on when you land in Tashkent. AirOva sells Uzbekistan plans from $1.49, with fixed GB or unlimited data, on Beeline, with 5G where available — each plan card lists its network.

Which Uzbekistan plan to choose

GB plans suit most trips: about 5–8 GB covers two weeks in the Silk Road cities with maps, ride apps, train tickets and photos. Unlimited plans give unlimited data with no data cap and no fair-usage limit, priced by the number of days — for long stays or remote work in Tashkent. Plans are data-only, with no local phone number. Not sure how much you need? Our Central Asia eSIM guide has data estimates by route.

Networks and coverage

Our plans run on Beeline. A plan card that shows Unitel means Beeline, since Unitel is the company that trades as Beeline. In a 2021 Omdia count Beeline had the most users, ahead of Ucell, Uzmobile and Mobiuz. Beeline’s 4G reaches Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Urgench and Nukus as well as Tashkent. 5G arrived in 2022 and is still concentrated in Tashkent and Samarkand, so expect 4G elsewhere.

Arriving in Tashkent

Most visitors land at Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), the country’s main and busiest airport, about 6 km south of the city centre; Samarkand (SKD) also takes international flights. After landing, turn off airplane mode, switch the eSIM line on, choose it for mobile data and enable Data Roaming for that line; the plan is prepaid, so roaming adds no charge. Validity starts on the first connection in Uzbekistan.

Phone registration (IMEI)

Uzbekistan registers phones by IMEI, and a phone used with a local SIM must be registered: foreign visitors get 60 days from the first connection, and Tashkent airport has a registration desk in the arrivals hall. If you only use roaming on a foreign SIM, which is how a travel eSIM works, registration is not required. If you plan to add a local SIM later, check the current deadline with the operator first.

Tip: An Uzbekistan plan covers Uzbekistan, so if your route continues into Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan or Kazakhstan, set up coverage for the next country before you cross the border. Keep your home SIM in for bank codes, with data roaming off.