VisaUzbekistan rejects India and Bangladesh student admission ban claims
A September ministry clarification directs foreign applicants to the official admissions platform; admission, student visas and identity registration remain separate steps.
Official source date: 2026-09-21
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
September clarification applies to foreign applicants
Uzbekistan’s education ministry said on 21 September 2026 that reports of an oral instruction barring universities from admitting Indian and Bangladeshi citizens were untrue. This current follow-up explains what applicants should do with that clarification. It does not represent an individual admission offer, a visa exemption or evidence that every institution still has places available for the current intake.
The ministry says foreign admissions now operate through the Study in Uzbekistan platform, where registration is free. It recommends obtaining conditions directly from the chosen institution and avoiding unjustified intermediary payments. Universities determine their foreign intake against their own teaching, laboratory, accommodation and staffing capacity. An applicant affected by a refusal should therefore ask for the institution’s actual reason and use official platform complaint channels for a specific problem, rather than accept a claim that nationality alone has been prohibited.
Select a programme before arranging immigration support
The education ministry’s separate international forum website identifies Study in Uzbekistan as an official service operated by its Center for the Development of Higher Education and Global Cooperation. It links directly to the platform and describes information on universities, programmes, scholarships and admission. Use that government link to locate the service instead of relying on an agent’s similarly named page or social-media account.
Compare the programme, teaching language, fees and admission requirements with the university itself. An electronic submission is an application to study, not permission to cross the border. Before paying tuition or buying a flight, ask the institution which office will arrange immigration sponsorship, what confirmation it will supply and whether the proposed arrival date is compatible with enrolment. The sources reviewed do not establish one nationwide late-application deadline or a guaranteed scholarship for foreign applicants; those questions require programme-specific answers.
Student visa categories and consular documents
The foreign ministry lists A-1 for students studying at educational institutions and STD for temporary higher-education exchanges or institutional cooperation. Both may be issued for up to one year on an eligible institution’s request. Ask the host to identify the appropriate category. British guidance separately describes its 30-day visa-free concession as tourism or business and directs other purposes to the embassy; it should not be treated as a substitute for study permission.
The foreign ministry’s consular checklist requires a passport valid at least three months beyond the visa, two completed application forms and two 35-by-45-millimetre colour photographs. Its published single-entry tariff reaches US$160 for up to a year, while nationality agreements or category arrangements may affect the payable amount. Obtain the mission’s applicable quotation before payment. The stated four-working-day consideration of invitation requests is not a promise that every stage of a student visa will finish within four days. Arrange the process ahead of the institution’s confirmed reporting date.
PINFL registration supports services after arrival
The government services portal provides a distinct checklist for obtaining a personal identification number, known as PINFL. This number enables registration in the national identification system. It is different from admission, the visa and the registration of a foreigner’s place of stay: completing one does not automatically prove completion of the others. Students should ask the international office which local service centre can handle their situation.
For the public-services-centre route, the portal lists a passport, an electronic photograph against a white background and a power of attorney when using a representative. For migration and citizenship departments, it lists the passport and foreign-citizen registration certificate. The page does not publish a universal fee or turnaround commitment for this step. Carry the appropriate documents and confirm those operational details with the office before attending. Keep the resulting number and immigration records securely, and resolve any discrepancy in passport particulars before using them for university or other official transactions. A spelling or document-number mismatch can make the records difficult to reconcile even where each application was otherwise accepted. Compare the passport used for admission with the passport used for travel, and tell the university promptly if a replacement document changes the details on which its immigration request was based.
