Compare a local number and a data plan
Ucell, Beeline, Mobiuz and UzMobile are among the mobile operators listed by Uzbekistan's government. A local line supplies an Uzbek +998 number as well as data, useful when a service asks for a domestic contact. Compare the actual tariff offered with the length of the trip and the documents required to join. A published allowance does not prove that a visitor can activate it. If maps and messages are the main needs, weigh the time needed to obtain a local line against arranging travel data before departure.
At the time of checking (2 October 2026), Ucell's tariff page listed New Bor 80 at 80,000 soums a month with 100 GB of data, calls within Uzbekistan and 1,500 domestic texts, and Bor 90 at 90,000 soums; its range changes, so check the list when you buy. A further data amount on the page is promotional; ask whether it still applies. These are operator prices, not a guarantee of stock or visitor eligibility. Confirm the first payment, renewal terms and any promotion at the sales point.
How Ucell and UZTELECOM issue eSIMs
Ucell offers new eSIM activation through its app's self-registration area, offices, dealers, Uzum pickup points and the Birda app. Its published charge was zero soums for a new eSIM connection and 25,000 soums for SIM or eSIM replacement when checked; tariff charges are separate. The page does not establish whether every foreign passport works with app registration. A staffed outlet can confirm identity requirements, tariff access and compatibility before you pay.
UZTELECOM asks a new subscriber to visit a sales and service office with an identity document and eSIM-capable device. Its eSIM connection charge was 20,000 soums at the time of checking. Existing subscribers must also visit an office to replace a physical SIM, and UZTELECOM says the old card stops working afterwards. If you are keeping a home physical SIM, ask to add a new Uzbek eSIM rather than replace the home line.
Plan around the IMEI and customs rule
UZIMEI says a non-resident's mobile device may use an Uzbek operator's network for up to 60 calendar days from its first network event. Its notice therefore does not require every short-stay visitor to register immediately. For a stay beyond 60 days, UZIMEI says the imported device should appear on the passenger customs declaration to allow registration. It warns that a device omitted at the border cannot later be registered through the ordinary process. Resolve the declaration at entry if a longer stay is possible.
Dial *#06# to display the phone's IMEI and check its status on UZIMEI's site. For office registration, UZIMEI lists a passport, device, application, payment and local mobile number registered in the applicant's name. Non-resident routes include UZIMEI offices, Ucell, UzMobile and Mobiuz offices, and post offices. UZIMEI gives 1108 for customs questions and 1170 for registration questions. A dual-SIM handset can show multiple identifiers; check what the phone displays before asking how to register it.
Check network reach and the phone's bands
Beeline publishes these LTE bands for Uzbekistan: 850 MHz bands 18 and 5, 900 MHz band 8, 1800 MHz band 3, 2100 MHz band 1, 2300 MHz band 40, and 2600 MHz bands 7, 38 and 41. It says 4G reaches major cities, but that is an operator claim rather than an independent quality measure. A suitable handset and 4G SIM are required. Use its coverage checker for each stop; compatible bands alone cannot guarantee reception in a building or on a rural road.
Ucell warns that its coverage information is indicative because terrain, weather, radio conditions, handset characteristics and network load affect reception. Check the relevant map around Tashkent and the planned stops in Samarkand, Bukhara and Khorezm, especially away from city centres. Ucell advertises 5G tariff benefits, but a 5G allowance does not establish service at every stop. Prioritise usable coverage along the itinerary over a tariff label.
Keep tickets and city transport usable
Uzbekistan's tourism portal identifies Afrosiyob trains linking Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara and points travellers to rail booking. It advises advance booking in busy periods. Save the ticket and booking details offline; the opened sources do not establish mobile reception at every station or along the track. If continuing to Khiva, verify the actual booked train and onward transport rather than assuming the same service runs through from Bukhara.
In Tashkent, the tourism portal names the metro, buses and ATTO payment card. It also identifies Yandex Go and MyTaxi for booking cars, making data useful on arrival and when finding a station pickup point. The portal reports tourist police in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, and lists 1173 for Safe Tourism assistance. Save maps, the hotel address and station names offline. The app listings do not confirm that a foreign bank card will work in every case, so retain another payment method.
Keep a home number without surprise roaming use
Check your home provider's Uzbekistan roaming terms before departure if retaining that SIM for calls or bank codes. Uzbekistan is outside the EU and EEA roaming area; a European domestic allowance should not be assumed to apply. On a dual-SIM phone, select the intended Uzbek or travel line for mobile data and review whether the home line may use roaming data. Calls and texts can have separate charges. Dual-SIM settings alone do not establish the home provider's price.
For Beeline prepaid service, its help page lists *102# to check balance and *103# for remaining internet traffic. It describes Beepul top-ups through an app or web service and the Hambi app for account information. These tools can distinguish an exhausted bundle from a signal problem between cities. Note a staffed office as a fallback if card payment or app login fails, and ask which renewal action applies to the exact package sold.
Set up at arrival and save emergency contacts
Before flying, check that the handset is unlocked, supports the intended operator's bands and accepts eSIM if needed. Bring identification for a local operator office. If the stay might exceed UZIMEI's 60-day allowance, ask customs about declaring the device at entry. After activation, test mobile data and the chosen data SIM near the outlet. Save offline maps for the Tashkent arrival transfer and the next rail or road leg.
Uzbekistan's Ministry of Emergency Situations directs callers to 112. Government and operator pages also list 101 for fire, 102 for police and 103 for ambulance. Save them before leaving Tashkent. The opened sources do not confirm that a data-only eSIM can place voice or emergency calls, so keep a voice-capable line or another available telephone. The tourism portal lists 1173 for Safe Tourism assistance.
Networks our Uzbekistan plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Uzbekistan, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Beeline5G
- Ucell5G
- Unitel4G
- Unitel LLC (Beeline)4G