Tashkent City is Uzbekistan's capital and largest city, a sprawling Silk Road crossroads of old-town madrasas, a vast blue-domed bazaar, Soviet-era monuments and a fast-changing modern centre.
Tashkent is generally safe for visitors. Violent crime against tourists is rare; petty theft, taxi overcharging and fake-police approaches are the main risks.
Current safety advisory
Low
Tashkent is generally safe for visitors; petty theft and taxi overcharging are the main risks.
Last updated: 2026-10-21
Official advisories
Guidance from national travel-advisory services.
Essential safety tips
Practical advice that applies everywhere.
Use Yandex Go rather than unmarked cars.
Keep passport copies and the original in the hotel safe.
Watch for pickpockets in Chorsu Bazaar and the metro.
Do not photograph military or government sites.
Carry the hotel registration slips; police can ask foreign visitors to show proof of where they stayed.
Declare large cash amounts on entry and keep the customs declaration form until departure.
Common scams to avoid
Recognise and sidestep tourist-targeted scams.
Unlicensed taxi overcharging
Drivers at the airport and station quote high fixed fares.
How to avoid: Order a Yandex Go ride and pay the app price.
Fake police ID checks
Rare cases of people asking to inspect your cash.
How to avoid: Refuse and ask to go to a police station; real police wear uniforms.
Currency changers
Street changers short-change or swap notes.
How to avoid: Use banks and licensed exchange offices.
Health considerations
Staying healthy on your trip.
- Vaccinations
- No mandatory vaccinations for most travellers; routine vaccines plus hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly advised. Check current official advice.
- Water
- Drink bottled or filtered water.
- Food
- Eat freshly cooked food; wash fruit.
- Facilities
- Good private clinics in Tashkent; carry insurance with medical evacuation.
Safety for specific travellers
Tailored advice for different groups.
Solo travellers
Share your itinerary with someone., Keep a hotel business card with the address in Uzbek and Russian.
Female travellers
Dress modestly and avoid empty streets late at night., Use Yandex Go rather than hailing cars.
Families
Cross roads carefully; drivers are assertive., Keep children close in markets.
LGBTQ+ travellers
Male same-sex relations are criminalised; discretion is advised.
Emergency contacts
Numbers to know before you go.
- Police
- 102
- Medical
- 103
- Fire
- 101
- General Emergency
- 112
- Main Hospital
- Check hotel for the nearest private clinic; many hotels can arrange a doctor.
- Embassy Us
- US Embassy Tashkent: +998 71 120 5450 (3 Moyqorghon Street, Yunusobod; also after-hours line)
- Embassy Uk
- British Embassy Tashkent: +998 78 120 1500 (67 Gulyamova Street; confirm on gov.uk)