💰 Quick Context: The Uzbekistani Som
Uzbekistan uses the Uzbekistani Som (UZS). Since the 2017 currency reform, the som is freely convertible with no black market. A coffee costs 15,000–30,000 UZS, a restaurant meal 50,000–150,000 UZS, and a hotel night 300,000–1,500,000 UZS. Quick math: roughly 12,800 UZS = $1 USD. Think "divide by 13,000" or "100,000 UZS is about $8." Uzbekistan is very affordable. Tashkent is increasingly card-friendly, but carry cash for bazaars, smaller cities, and the Silk Road towns.
🎧 Order Uzbekistani Som Before You Fly
Have cash in hand when you land. Insured delivery, 2–5 day shipping.
Order UZS → CEI Currency ExchangeCash vs. Card: What to Expect in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has modernized rapidly since the 2017 currency reform. In Tashkent's Amir Timur Square area, modern restaurants, hotels like the Hilton and Hyatt Regency, and upscale shops accept Visa and Mastercard reliably. Samarkand and Bukhara have improving card acceptance at tourist hotels and restaurants near major sites.
Cash is essential for Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent (one of Central Asia's largest covered markets), Siab Bazaar in Samarkand, chaikhanas (teahouses), taxi rides, smaller guesthouses, and Bukhara's historic trading domes where silk and ceramic merchants operate. Khiva is the most cash-dependent of the major Silk Road cities. Bring enough som before arriving. How much to carry: 200,000–500,000 UZS ($15–40) daily. More if visiting Khiva or the Fergana Valley.
How to Get Som for Your Uzbekistan Trip
Uzbekistan uses the som (UZS) as a closed currency: it cannot be ordered from US banks before you fly. The 2017 currency reform unified the official and parallel exchange rates, ending a decade-long FX distortion, and the country has modernized rapidly since. Cards work in Tashkent at the Hilton, Hyatt Regency, modern restaurants around Amir Timur Square, and upscale shops, plus a growing layer at Samarkand and Bukhara tourist hotels and restaurants near the Registan and Lyabi-Hauz. Cash dominates Chorsu Bazaar (Tashkent), Siab Bazaar (Samarkand), Bukhara's historic trading domes, all of Khiva (the most cash-dependent of the Silk Road cities), and the Fergana Valley.
Bring USD cash before you fly
Som are closed-currency: a currency-exchange service like CEI Currency Exchange can ship USD to a US address with insured 2–5 day delivery in clean post-2009 bills. Bank of America, Chase, Wells Fargo, and Citi all stock USD by default. Most travelers handle Uzbekistan by bringing USD (the working second currency for Khiva guesthouses and silk-merchant negotiation in Bukhara) and exchanging at a Tashkent bank counter or licensed bureau on landing. Uzbekistan does not have a Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner. The cleanest setup for a Tashkent + Samarkand + Bukhara + Khiva loop: a Wise card for hotel and Tashkent restaurant card payments, plus a CEI envelope of USD sized to your Khiva and Fergana Valley cash budget. Withdraw or exchange a base amount in Tashkent before heading to Khiva.
Withdraw from an Uzbek bank ATM
Once you're in Uzbekistan, the cheapest source of som is one of the major bank ATMs. Kapitalbank (most reliable for foreign cards), Hamkorbank, NBU (National Bank of Uzbekistan), and Asaka Bank all give the actual interbank rate (post-2017 reform unified the rate) with no markup. Most charge a small per-transaction operator fee for foreign cards. Withdrawal limits run roughly UZS 2,000,000–5,000,000 per transaction (about $160–$400). ATMs cluster around Tashkent (Amir Timur Square, Mustakillik Maydoni, the Hyatt area), Samarkand (Registan, University Boulevard), Bukhara (Lyabi-Hauz, Mehtar Ambar), and at TAS airport arrivals. Coverage thins fast in Khiva (one or two machines, often offline) and the Fergana Valley. Decline DCC every time the screen offers "charge in USD". See the Best ATMs section below for the bank-by-bank lineup. Want to know what a Kapitalbank withdrawal will actually cost on your card? Drop it into our ATM fee calculator.
Airport counters & hotel exchange windows
Three traps to walk past in Uzbekistan. The currency-exchange counter at TAS (Tashkent International) airport advertises rates that look reasonable but routinely runs 5–8% off the unified market rate. The exchange windows inside Tashkent hotel lobbies (Hilton, Hyatt Regency, Lotte City Hotel) bake the markup into the rate. Honest exception worth knowing: licensed exchange booths inside Asaka Bank, NBU, and Kapitalbank branches in central Tashkent and Samarkand exchange clean USD cash to UZS at competitive rates close to interbank. Stick to bank-branded ATMs at Kapitalbank, Hamkorbank, NBU, or Asaka; decline DCC; and central-city bank-counter exchange is the acceptable cash-to-cash route. Uzbekistan does not yet have a city-specific guide on this site, but the Best ATMs section below covers the bank lineup.
For a side-by-side comparison of every method (bank wire, travel card, pre-order, ATM, exchange counter) including USD-to-UZS timing tips, see our complete Getting Currency guide →.
Best ATMs to Use in Uzbekistan
ATMs in Uzbekistan may have lower withdrawal limits than you are used to, and not all machines accept foreign Visa/Mastercard cards. Kapitalbank is generally the most reliable for foreign cards. Always choose UZS when prompted.
National Bank of Uzbekistan
The largest state-owned bank with the widest ATM network across the country. You will find NBU ATMs in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and most regional cities.
Recommended
Kapitalbank
The largest private bank in Uzbekistan with modern ATMs. Kapitalbank is generally the most reliable option for foreign card withdrawals (Visa and Mastercard). Good coverage in all major cities.
Recommended
Hamkorbank
A well-established bank with good ATM coverage, especially in tourist cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Reliable machines with foreign card support.
Recommended⚠ Watch Out for Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)
DCC is rare in Uzbekistan but has appeared at some hotel terminals in Samarkand and Bukhara that cater to international tourists. If an ATM or card terminal offers to charge you in USD instead of UZS, always decline and select UZS. The conversion markup is typically 4–7%, and your own bank will give you a far better rate.
ATMs to Avoid in Uzbekistan
Standalone, unbranded ATMs are uncommon in Uzbekistan, but they do exist near some tourist areas. Stick to the bank ATMs listed above for the best experience.
Standalone Unbranded ATMs
Avoid unbranded machines that are not clearly affiliated with a recognized Uzbek bank. These may charge extra fees, have lower withdrawal limits, or fail to process foreign cards. Walk to a Kapitalbank or NBU ATM instead.
AvoidPaying by Card in Uzbekistan
Card Networks
Visa and Mastercard work at hotels, upscale restaurants, and modern shops in Tashkent, and increasingly at tourist-oriented businesses in Samarkand and Bukhara. Uzcard and Humo are Uzbekistan's domestic payment networks used by locals, but foreign visitors do not need these. American Express and Discover have virtually no acceptance in Uzbekistan.
Contactless & Mobile Payments
Tap-to-pay works at newer terminals in Tashkent's Hyatt Regency, Hilton, modern restaurants near Amir Timur Square, and Korzinka supermarkets. Some tourist hotels in Samarkand and Bukhara have contactless terminals, but coverage is spotty. Apple Pay and Google Pay have very limited acceptance. Do not rely on mobile payments outside of Tashkent. Yandex Go (ride-hailing app) accepts card payments, but many drivers still prefer cash.
Where Cards May Not Work
Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent, Siab Bazaar in Samarkand (fresh bread, dried fruit, nuts), and all traditional markets are entirely cash-only. Chaikhanas (teahouses) serving plov and lagman are cash-only. Taxi drivers expect cash even when booked through Yandex Go. Bukhara's trading domes (Toki Sarrafon, Toki Telpak Furushon) where silk merchants and ceramic artisans sell are cash-only. Khiva's Ichan-Kala old city is almost entirely cash-dependent.
Tipping in Uzbekistan
Tipping Guide
Tipping is not traditionally expected in Uzbekistan, but it is becoming common at tourist-oriented establishments. At tourist restaurants near the Registan or in Tashkent's modern districts, 5–10% is appreciated. At local eateries and chaikhanas, no tip is expected. Cafés do not expect tips.
Tour guides at historical sites (Registan, Poi Kalon, Ichan-Kala) receive $5–10 per day. Taxi drivers: round up to the nearest convenient amount (45,000 UZS fare, pay 50,000). Hotel porters receive 5,000–10,000 UZS for luggage assistance.
Tashkent, Samarkand & the Silk Road: Practical Money Tips
Things to Know
Post-2017 currency reform: The som is freely convertible with no black market. Exchange money at any bank or official exchange point. Rates are transparent and consistent. USD cash gets the best rates: Bring clean, undamaged, post-2006 US bills ($50 and $100 preferred). Worn, marked, or pre-2006 bills are often refused.
Samarkand's Registan area has improving card acceptance at hotels and tourist restaurants, but the Siab Bazaar (famous for non bread and dried fruit) and smaller shops are cash-only. Bukhara's old city guesthouses and restaurants increasingly accept cards, but the trading domes (Toki Sarrafon, Toki Telpak Furushon) are cash-only. Withdraw som in Urgench before making the 30-minute drive to Khiva, where ATMs are unreliable.
Tashkent Metro costs 1,400 UZS per ride ($0.11) and requires a rechargeable metro card or cash at the station. The stations are worth visiting for their Soviet-era mosaic artwork alone. Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS) has Kapitalbank and NBU ATMs in the arrivals area. Expect thick stacks of notes: the largest denomination is 200,000 UZS ($15), so a $100 withdrawal fills your wallet. This is normal.
Money Safety in Uzbekistan
Staying Safe
Uzbekistan is very safe for travelers. Violent crime targeting tourists is extremely rare. Police presence is high, especially around historical sites. Carry cash carefully at bazaars: Chorsu and Siab bazaars get crowded, and pickpocketing can happen. Use a money belt or front pocket for large amounts of som.
Use Kapitalbank or NBU ATMs inside bank branches rather than street-facing machines, especially when withdrawing larger amounts. Not all Uzbek ATMs accept foreign cards, so having both a Visa and a Mastercard gives you the best chance of a successful withdrawal. Kapitalbank is the most reliable for foreign cards. Tell your bank you are traveling to Uzbekistan before departure. Central Asian transactions commonly trigger fraud alerts, and a frozen card in Khiva with no reliable ATMs nearby is a serious problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still a black market for currency in Uzbekistan?
No. Since the 2017 currency reform, the som is freely convertible at market rates. There is no black market. Exchange money at any bank, official exchange point, or ATM. Rates are transparent and consistent across the country.
Can I use credit cards in Samarkand?
Tourist hotels and restaurants near the Registan accept Visa and Mastercard with improving reliability. However, the Siab Bazaar, ceramic workshops, and smaller guesthouses are cash-only. Bring som for most purchases outside of hotels.
Should I bring US dollars to Uzbekistan?
Yes. Bring clean, undamaged, post-2006 US bills in $50 and $100 denominations. These get the best exchange rates at banks and official exchange points. Worn, marked, or pre-2006 bills may be refused. Euros are also accepted but USD gets slightly better rates.
How much does the Tashkent Metro cost?
The Tashkent Metro costs 1,400 UZS per ride (about $0.11). You can pay with a rechargeable metro card or cash at the station. The metro is clean, efficient, and its stations are famous for their Soviet-era architecture and artwork.
Is Khiva cash-only?
Mostly yes. Khiva's main tourist hotels may accept cards, but restaurants, handicraft shops inside the Ichan-Kala old city, and transport are all cash-only. Withdraw enough som before arriving. The nearest reliable ATMs are in Urgench, about 30 minutes away.
Why do I get so many banknotes in Uzbekistan?
The largest som note is 200,000 UZS (about $15). For a $100 ATM withdrawal, you will receive a thick stack of notes. This is normal. The 50,000 and 100,000 UZS notes are the most common denominations you will handle.
Skip the Foreign Transaction Fees
The Wise card converts your money at the real mid-market exchange rate. No markups, no surprises. Spend Uzbekistani som like a local.
Get the Wise Card →Quick Comparison
| Method | Cost | Convenience | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-FX-fee card (contactless) | Best (no fees, mid-market rate) | ★★★★☆ | Hotels and restaurants in Tashkent |
| Uzbek bank ATMs (Kapitalbank, NBU) | Low (fair rate, possible small fees) | ★★★★☆ | Cash for bazaars, taxis, Silk Road cities |
| USD cash exchange at banks | Low (transparent official rate) | ★★★★★ | Best rates for larger amounts |
| Airport exchange counters | Moderate (slightly less favorable rate) | ★★★☆☆ | Quick cash on arrival only |
Uzbekistan Quick Facts
| Currency | Uzbekistani Som (UZS). Roughly 12,800 UZS = $1 USD |
| Cash vs. Card | Cards growing in Tashkent. Cash essential for bazaars, taxis, and smaller cities |
| Best ATMs | Kapitalbank (best for foreign cards), National Bank of Uzbekistan, Hamkorbank |
| Contactless | Growing in Tashkent. Limited in Samarkand, Bukhara. Rare in Khiva |
| Card Acceptance | Good in Tashkent hotels and restaurants. Variable in Silk Road cities. Rare in small towns |
| Tipping | 5–10% at tourist restaurants, not traditionally expected |
| DCC Risk | Rare, but always choose UZS when prompted |
| Best Strategy | Bring clean USD cash for exchange. Use Kapitalbank ATMs. Card for Tashkent hotels |