Copyright The Street
As China completely reverses a formerly closed-off course and takes major steps to open up to international visitors after the pandemic, a number of Asian countries are following suit by getting rid of or significantly reworking their visitor visa requirements. Earlier this year, the government of Sri Lanka officially scrapped the $50 visa fee for travelers from over 40 countries. While the country initially intended to replace it with an electronic authorization that travelers apply for online before the trip, this rollout was walked back in October. Most travelers can still secure the visa immediately upon arrival at the airport. Over the last year, countries such as Japan and South Korea have also introduced digital nomad visas for those who can visit for extended periods by supporting themselves through remote work. Do Americans need a visa for Uzbekistan? Rules are about to change In May 2025, the president of the Central Asian nation of Uzbekistan also ordered the parliament to develop a mechanism allowing American citizens to visit the country for short stays. Uzbekistan already granted 30 days of visa-free access to tourists from the United Kingdom, Canada, and countries making up the European Union, while Americans could only take advantage if over the age of 55. On Nov. 3, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a presidential decree extending visa-free access to all Americans beginning January 1, 2026. The decree states that the decision was made in order to “create favorable conditions for the further development of interstate relations between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States of America in the trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian and tourism spheres.” It follows Central Asian neighbors such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in already offering visa-free access. In October, Uzbekistan also opened up visa-free travel to citizens from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. As travelers seek new destinations, Uzbekistan aims to attract tourists in 2026 While the previous process of visiting Uzbekistan was also pretty simple, as one could simply apply for a visa online, travelers from the United States will soon be able to skip that step and simply come to Uzbekistan by plane or through a land border. The presidential decree signed last spring officially instructs the country’s leadership to construct 108 new hotels and bring the number of international tourists to 15.8 million, although details remain scant on how progress toward that ambitious goal will be tracked. More on travel: Major airline launches surprising flight between Las Vegas and Paris United Airlines CEO gives stark warning on Olympic Games The highest rooftop in Barcelona is in a surprising place US government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel Numbers from the Uzbekistan Tourism Committee do show that the country is experiencing a tourism spike since opening up to visitors from multiple nations over the last half-decade. As travelers increasingly look to avoid popular destinations during crowded periods and seek out new destinations amid a global tourism boon, over 8.6 million foreign visitors came to Uzbekistan in the first nine months of 2025. This represents a 112.5% increase from the numbers recorded during the same period a year ago. Countries sending the largest numbers of tourists included Britain, Qatar, the United States, and France.
