Under the current difficult conditions, both for employees of diplomatic missions and for our fellow citizens abroad, it is important, not aggravating the situation, to make the best possible decisions that do not contradict the laws of foreign countries, as well as common sense.

TASHKENT DNA – As previously reported, on the instructions of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a special Republican commission to prepare a program of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country in order to ensure sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population decided to completely stop air traffic and suspend all airports of Uzbekistan from 00:01 hours on 30 March 2020 to 00:01 hours on 20 April 2020.

However, this does not mean that citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan who are abroad will be left without the support of their state. In the current difficult situation, the operational headquarters established during the diplomatic missions of Uzbekistan are taking active measures to protect the interests of our citizens abroad.

Currently, for citizens of Uzbekistan located in a number of foreign countries, issues of extending the legal period of stay have already been resolved.

So, for Uzbeks who cannot leave the UK due to travel restrictions and who expire to stay in the country, the visa will be extended until 31 May 2020. To extend the visa, they need to contact the immigration service by e-mail [email protected] and provide the necessary information about themselves (full name, citizenship, number of the previous visa) and briefly explain the reason for the impossibility of leaving the UK (for example, border closure). A confirmation of receipt of the request will be sent to the applicant and information on visa extension will be provided. In addition, by 31 May, you can also apply online for a long-stay permit while in the UK.

The diplomatic missions of Uzbekistan in Turkey are closely cooperating with local authorities on the issue of extending the terms of the permitted stay of our citizens who are in Turkey and cannot leave for Uzbekistan.

In order to quickly resolve issues of visa extension for citizens of Uzbekistan temporarily staying in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Denmark, the Operational Headquarters at the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Brussels (Belgium) is in constant contact with the migration services of these countries.

In order to quickly resolve issues of visa extension for citizens of Uzbekistan temporarily residing in the United States, the Embassy of our country is actively negotiating with the State Department and American lawyers in the field of immigration. At the same time, our diplomatic missions (Embassy in Washington and the Consulate General in New York) are in constant contact with the diaspora organizations of Uzbeks and community activists in the USA and Canada to identify the facts of the possible infection of our compatriots with coronavirus and timely provision of practical assistance to them.

The operational headquarters at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Moscow worked out the issue of extending the period of temporary stay and labor patents of our compatriots in Russia without leaving the country, worked with the relevant Russian ministries and departments on the subject of not evicting Uzbek students from hostels of Russian universities despite the quarantine measures.

Under the current difficult conditions, both for employees of diplomatic missions and for our fellow citizens abroad, it is important, not aggravating the situation, to make the best possible decisions that do not contradict the laws of foreign countries, as well as common sense. By acting together and supporting each other, the Uzbeks will be able to overcome all the difficulties that people around the world are experiencing now.