Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (IATA code TAS) is the front door to Uzbekistan for almost every visitor. It sits roughly 10 to 12 kilometres south of the city centre — remarkably close by international standards, and on a quiet evening you can be checked into a hotel near Amir Timur Square less than 45 minutes after touchdown. What trips people up isn’t distance but process: a terminal layout under near-constant renovation, an arrivals hall where the taxi touts are far more visible than the actual taxi rank, and a currency situation that rewards a few minutes of preparation.
This guide covers what actually happens between the aircraft door and the city, and what you need on the way back out. We have separated international arrivals from domestic connections, because at Tashkent those genuinely happen in different buildings — a detail that catches out travellers connecting onward to Samarkand, Bukhara or Urgench on a separate ticket. Worth knowing as background: a completely new airport for Tashkent had its public-private partnership signed in mid-2026, with construction running to around 2030 and an opening targeted near 2029, after which the current airport is expected to close. Nothing changes for this year or next, but it explains why upgrades to the existing terminals have been incremental. (Last checked: August 2026.)
Terminals: which building you actually want
Tashkent’s airport isn’t one building:
- Terminal 2 — all international arrivals and departures. This is where your flight from Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul, Frankfurt or Almaty lands.
- Terminal 3 — domestic flights within Uzbekistan. A smaller, more modern building set apart from Terminal 2.
The critical point: Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 are not connected by a covered walkway or an airside corridor. To move between them you exit the building and take ground transport — a short taxi hop, or a walk of roughly fifteen minutes if you’re travelling light. If you’re connecting from an international arrival onto a domestic flight on a separate booking, three hours is a sensible minimum.
Terminal 2 itself has been rebuilt in stages. A new departure hall opened in 2024, and the arrivals hall gained around 2,100 square metres, an extra baggage carousel and a 120-seat waiting area for greeters, with the operator aiming to merge the separate arrivals and departures halls into one integrated terminal. Expect hoarding, changed signage and relocated desks — follow staff rather than an old terminal map. (Last checked: August 2026.)
Arrival: passport control, visas and customs
Uzbekistan has liberalised entry dramatically. Citizens of more than ninety countries — including the EU states, the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and, since the start of 2026, the United States — enter visa-free for up to 30 days. Everyone else applies for the e-visa online: USD 20, valid 90 days from issue, a stay of up to 30 days, normally processed in two to three business days. Apply only through the official portal at e-visa.gov.uz; the agency sites ranking above it in search results charge a large markup for the same document. More detail in our Uzbekistan visa guide. (Last checked: August 2026.)
Passport control at Terminal 2 is straightforward: no arrival card for most travellers, and officers rarely ask more than where you’re staying. Queues are dictated by bunching — several wide-body arrivals land in the same early-morning and late-night windows, and a 30 to 45 minute wait is normal then, against under ten minutes off-peak. Customs no longer requires a declaration form for ordinary tourists, though if you’re carrying more than a few thousand dollars in cash, use the red channel and declare it: the same paperwork protects you on the way out.
Registration — the 72-hour rule
Foreign visitors must be registered at their place of stay within 72 hours of arrival. Hotels and licensed guesthouses do this automatically and hand you a small paper slip; keep every slip in your passport until you leave the country. Staying with friends or in an unregistered private rental makes you responsible for registering yourself, and gaps in the chain can draw questions on departure. It’s the single most common piece of Uzbekistan admin that visitors get wrong.
Money: ATMs, exchange and the som
The Uzbek som (UZS) trades at roughly 12,800 to the US dollar, so everyday prices carry a lot of zeros and a 100,000-som note is worth under nine dollars. (Last checked: August 2026.) There are ATMs and exchange counters in the arrivals hall, both accepting Visa and Mastercard. Withdraw som from an ATM rather than exchanging cash at the counters — the rate is consistently better. Take out at least 200,000 to 300,000 som: enough for a taxi, a SIM card and your first day or two, since many small transactions here are still cash-only.
Two warnings. Airport exchange desks have been known to refuse to convert som back into dollars, so don’t plan on dumping leftover local currency there on the way out. And airport ATMs occasionally run dry after a cluster of night arrivals, so landing with fifty dollars or euros as a backup is cheap insurance.
SIM cards and getting online
Getting connected at TAS is genuinely easy. The arrivals hall has operator desks — typically Ucell and Beeline, alongside a tourist information point — open around the clock, accepting som, US dollars and cards. Expect around five dollars for a tourist package with a generous data allowance. Bring your passport: SIM registration is a legal requirement and you can’t buy or activate a card without it.
One caveat: Uzmobile, which generally has the strongest rural and intercity coverage, doesn’t have an airport desk. For an itinerary of Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara the airport options are fine; if you’re heading to Nurata, the Aral region or the mountains, add an Uzmobile SIM in the city later. Full comparison in our Uzbekistan SIM card and internet guide. Airport wifi is free but slow. (Last checked: August 2026.)
Getting from the airport to the city
This is where preparation pays for itself. The moment you clear customs, unofficial drivers will approach quoting fares in dollars — typically ten to twenty for a ride that costs three or four. They aren’t dangerous, just persistent and expensive. Walk past them, out of the building, and order a car on the app.
Yandex Go is the dominant ride-hailing app in Uzbekistan. A ride to the central districts typically runs 30,000 to 60,000 som depending on time, destination and surge. Register the app before you fly, since SMS verification is easier on a working connection. In-app card payment isn’t reliably supported in Uzbekistan, so assume you pay the driver in som cash — another reason to hit the ATM first. (Last checked: August 2026.)
| Option | Typical cost | Time to centre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yandex Go | 30,000–60,000 UZS (~USD 2.50–5) | 20–30 min | Best value; pay cash in som; meet the car outside |
| Airport taxi rank | ~60,000–100,000 UZS | 20–30 min | Fixed or negotiated; agree the price before you get in |
| Touts inside arrivals | USD 10–20 | 20–30 min | Avoid — three to five times the app price |
| City bus (routes 67, 94) | 1,700 UZS electronic fare | 25–45 min | From the Aeroport stop; every 15–20 min; awkward with big bags |
| Pre-booked hotel transfer | USD 10–25 | 20–30 min | Worth it for 3am arrivals or first-time visitors |
Reaching the metro
There’s no metro station at the airport. The usual connection is bus 94 to Mirzo Ulugbek station on the Chilonzor line, under twenty minutes; bus 67 also runs into the city. City transport uses the ATTO card, and the electronic fare on both metro and buses is 1,700 som — you can also tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard at metro turnstiles for the same fare, while a paper QR token from a kiosk costs 3,000 som. See our Tashkent metro guide for how the lines fit together, and our Tashkent travel guide for what to do above ground. (Last checked: August 2026.)
With luggage we would take the car every time and save buses and metro for the city itself. Still deciding where to base yourself? Our notes on where to stay in Tashkent break the city down by district.
Departures, transit and layovers
For international departures from Terminal 2, arrive three hours before your flight. That’s not padding — security screening happens at the terminal entrance before you reach check-in, creating a queue that doesn’t exist at most airports, and the early-morning Gulf and European departures congest the desks. For domestic flights out of Terminal 3, two hours is comfortable.
Airside facilities in Terminal 2 are adequate rather than lavish: cafés, duty free, and CIP and VIP lounges accessible via business-class tickets, certain lounge programmes, or paying at the door. Food is limited and priced for a captive audience. Left luggage is available if you want to explore the city on a long layover.
On layovers: under five hours, stay at the airport. Between five and eight, a trip into the city is feasible — Chorsu Bazaar and the Khast Imam complex make a tight but rewarding loop, and visa-free entry means most nationalities can simply walk out and back in. Uzbekistan Airways operates most domestic connections; check schedules and baggage rules at uzairways.com, and note that domestic aircraft often carry tighter baggage allowances than your inbound long-haul flight. Our guide to getting around Uzbekistan compares flying with the high-speed Afrosiyob trains, which for Samarkand and Bukhara are usually the better choice anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a visa to land at Tashkent airport?
Citizens of more than ninety countries, including most of Europe, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea, enter visa-free for up to 30 days. Everyone else needs an e-visa obtained in advance through the official government portal, at USD 20 for a 30-day stay. There’s no visa on arrival at TAS, so sort this out before you fly. (Last checked: August 2026.)
How much should a taxi from Tashkent airport to the centre cost?
Roughly 30,000 to 60,000 som, about USD 2.50 to 5, booked through Yandex Go. Anything quoted in dollars inside the arrivals hall is likely three to five times that. Walk outside, order on the app, pay in som cash.
Can I get from the international terminal to the domestic terminal on foot?
Yes, but only outside the building and only if you’re travelling light — about fifteen minutes between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, with no covered connection. Most people take a short taxi instead. Allow at least three hours between an international arrival and a domestic departure on a separate ticket.
Should I buy a SIM card at the airport or wait?
Buy at the airport. The arrivals desks are open 24 hours, take cards and cash, and tourist data packages cost around five dollars. Bring your passport, which is legally required for registration. The only reason to wait is if you specifically want Uzmobile for rural coverage, which isn’t sold there.
Is there a metro line to Tashkent airport?
No. The nearest link is bus 94 from the airport to Mirzo Ulugbek station on the Chilonzor line, which takes under twenty minutes. The electronic fare on buses and the metro is 1,700 som, payable with an ATTO card or by tapping a contactless bank card at metro turnstiles.
The short version
Tashkent is one of the easier major airports in Central Asia to arrive at, provided you do three things: check your visa status before you fly, withdraw som from an ATM before leaving the arrivals hall, and order a Yandex Go car from outside the terminal rather than accepting the first offer inside it. Do those and you’ll be in the city within half an hour for under five dollars. Everything after that is the easy part.
Featured image: Giorgio Montersino (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
