URL: https://esimgo.in/international-sim/uzbekistan/
Buy: https://esimgo.in/esim-uzbekistan/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/
Updated: 14 Oct 2026

# Uzbekistan SIM card for Indian travellers: roaming, local SIM or eSIM

Your Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM can get data in Uzbekistan through a roaming pack; the other options are an Uzbekistan SIM card as a local SIM on arrival and a data eSIM installed in India. Our Uzbekistan eSIM starts at ≈ ₹333 (13 Oct rate) for 1 GB over 7 days, charged US$3.49 by card, with no calls and no SMS.

Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee.

## Uzbekistan eSIM or local SIM: what Indian travellers need

A trip along the Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara route leans on data for train bookings, maps and messages. An eSIM for Uzbekistan installed in India works from arrival and keeps your Indian SIM in for bank OTPs. A local SIM on arrival, the kind sold as an Uzbekistan tourist SIM, gives you an Uzbek number, and an Uzbekistan SIM card takes a physical slot; we quote no Uzbekistan SIM card price because we have not verified current rates, and no plan is the best eSIM for Uzbekistan on every trip. For other Central Asian stops, see our [SIM and eSIM guides](/international-sim/).

India's Ministry of Tourism counted 47,941 departures of Indian nationals to Uzbekistan in 2025, against 53,434 in 2024, about 10% fewer (our calculation).

Our plan uses Unitel, which our Uzbekistan page shows as 4G. It is a country plan, and we promise no signal in any given spot. We hold no regional coverage data for Uzbekistan, so ask us before you rely on the stretches between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. Unlimited data plans slow to 1 Mbps after 3 GB in a day. Hotspot / tethering use draws on the same data allowance; our plan details do not state a hotspot rule.

## Your Jio, Airtel or Vi pack in Uzbekistan vs this eSIM (checked 13 Oct 2026)

Jio, Airtel and Vi each sell roaming packs that list Uzbekistan, and the six in our table cost ₹951 to ₹3,495 as listed on 13 Oct 2026. Each adds minutes on your Indian number, which our data-only eSIM lacks. Uzbekistan is outside Vi's unlimited zone, so Vi's Ultra pack gives limited data here.

We sell travel eSIMs, so we have an interest here. The table still shows when your operator pack is the better choice.

| Pack | Price | Data · days | Calls · SMS | ≈ ₹ per GB | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jio IR Voice & Data (100 countries) | ₹951 | 4 GB · 10 days | 100 min out + 100 in · 25 SMS | about ₹238 | [Jio plan list](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Jio IR Voice & Data (100 countries) | ₹1,551 | 8 GB · 14 days | 100 min out + 100 in · 50 SMS | about ₹194 | [Jio plan list](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) |
| Airtel prepaid IR, 5 days | ₹998 | 4 GB · 5 days | 150 min · 20 SMS | about ₹250 | [Airtel T&C PDF](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Airtel prepaid IR, 10 days | ₹1,298 | 6 GB · 10 days | 200 min · 20 SMS | about ₹216 | [Airtel T&C PDF](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Ultra, 7 days (non-UL zone) | ₹3,495 | 2 GB · 7 days | 200 min | about ₹1,748 | [Vi prepaid T&C PDF](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |
| Vi prepaid Budget, Set 2 | ₹1,495 | 750 MB · 15 days | 100 min | about ₹1,993 | [Vi prepaid T&C PDF](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf) |

Source: operator documents linked in each row; Jio checked 13 Oct 2026, Airtel 13 Oct 2026, Vi 13 Oct 2026. Our division of price by data gives the ≈ ₹ per GB column. Airtel's FAQ page still shows older prices; its T&C dated 24 Sep 2026 list ₹998 and ₹1,298.

Uzbekistan sits in two Vi lists for two separate reasons. It is in the non-unlimited zone, so the Ultra pack gives 2 GB and 200 minutes. It is also in Budget Set 2, so the ₹1,495 pack gives 750 MB and 100 minutes over 15 days. The two packs and their limits are unrelated. Vi's postpaid table lists Uzbekistan in Set 2 as well, though we could not confirm that this country table is current.

Jio's 100-country list names Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan next door is not on it: Jio lists Kyrgyzstan only for its World Pack, Annual IR Plan and data packs, and for its Global Pack balance. Jio states: "Your plan validity begins only with your first usage—call, text, or data." Airtel counts a prepaid pack from when your phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage; book it up to 30 days before travel, because an unused pack expires with no reimbursement.

For a 10-day trip at prices on 13 Oct 2026, Jio's ₹951 pack costs less than our 5 GB row at ≈ ₹1,047 (13 Oct rate), and Airtel's ₹1,298 pack for 6 GB costs less than our 10 GB row at ≈ ₹1,714 (13 Oct rate), charged US$17.99. The packs include minutes on your Indian number and our rows do not, so that is the real choice.

## No 10-day plan: pick 7 or 15 days at purchase

Our Uzbekistan catalogue has no 10-day row. Fixed-data rows run 7 days (1 GB), 15 days (2 GB) and 30 days (3, 5, 10 or 20 GB), and the unlimited rows run 3, 5, 7 and 15 days. For ten days, the 15-day unlimited plan at ≈ ₹5,335 (13 Oct rate) costs more than the 10 GB row at ≈ ₹1,714 (13 Oct rate); unlimited pays off only if you pass 3 GB a day.

Size by pace. At 0.3 GB a day, ten days use about 3 GB (our calculation), which fills the 3 GB row at ≈ ₹761 (13 Oct rate) with no margin; the 5 GB row leaves room. At 0.8 GB a day they use 8 GB, which needs the 10 GB row. Our [data guide](/how-much-data-do-i-need/) explains the pace profiles. We make no top-up promise for this plan, so choose the size before you pay.

## Uzbekistan with Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan: country plans or the Global plan

We sell no Central Asia plan. The choice on a Silk Road route is country plans or the [Global plan](/esim-global/), which lists Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan; keep the Global line switched off until you land abroad.

At prices on 14 Oct 2026, a 5 GB row over 30 days costs ≈ ₹1,047 (13 Oct rate) for Uzbekistan, ≈ ₹952 (13 Oct rate) for [Kazakhstan](/international-sim/kazakhstan/) and ≈ ₹904 (13 Oct rate) for [Kyrgyzstan](/international-sim/kyrgyzstan/), against ≈ ₹2,572 (13 Oct rate) for the Global plan's 5 GB row. For two countries the Global plan costs about 29% more than the two country plans; with Kyrgyzstan added, the three country plans cost about 13% more than the Global plan (our calculation). The flip comes at the third border, in exchange for one install instead of three.

Vi's prepaid terms list Kazakhstan with the same two lists as Uzbekistan and list no pack for Kyrgyzstan; the [Vi roaming page](/roaming/vi/) has the zone rules.

## Setting up the Uzbekistan eSIM before you fly

Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. Scan the QR code from your order e-mail on home Wi-Fi and keep the line off until the flight. Data plan validity starts at the first connection to an Uzbek network, so a QR code install at home uses no days. iPhone and Android fill in the access point name themselves, and our Uzbekistan page states no install window.

After landing, turn data roaming on for the eSIM line; the [data roaming guide](/help/data-roaming/) has the steps. Look up your phone on the [eSIM phone list](/esim-compatible-phones/), read the [install guide](/how-to-install-esim/) for each screen, and find the plans on the [Uzbekistan eSIM page](/esim-uzbekistan/).

Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

## Bank OTPs and your Indian number in Uzbekistan

Bank OTPs reach you as SMS on your Indian number, and the Uzbekistan plan carries no SMS. Keep the Indian SIM in as a second line with its mobile data off, and ask Jio, Airtel or Vi whether SMS reaches you in Uzbekistan on your plan. Vi's ₹118 prepaid pack makes incoming SMS free for 28 days, other use at standard rates (13 Oct 2026); on Jio, check the MyJio app.

No page can promise that every OTP will reach you. The [OTP guide](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/) covers the dual-SIM settings, and [how card payments work](/how-to-pay/) explains the dollar charge.

## Sources

Checked on 13 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Jio roaming plan list](https://www.jio.com/selfcare/plans/mobility/prepaid-plans-list/?category=International%20Roaming&categoryId=SW50ZXJuYXRpb25hbCBSb2FtaW5n) and [100-country list](https://myjiostatic.cdn.jio.com/jio/plan/ir-new-packs.pdf)
2. [Airtel prepaid IR terms, dated 24 Sep 2026](https://assets.airtel.in/static-assets/online-recharge-ui/assets/pdf/tnc.pdf)
3. [Vi prepaid IR terms (UL, non-UL and Budget country lists)](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_VF_Prepaid_TnC.pdf)
4. [Vi postpaid IR terms](https://www.myvi.in/content/dam/vodafoneideadigital/ir/Vi_Postpaid_IR_T&C.pdf)
5. [Ministry of Tourism, India: departures to Uzbekistan, 2025](https://data.tourism.gov.in/chart-data-outboundcountry/2025?country=UZBEKISTAN) and [India Tourism Data Compendium 2025, for 2024](https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/sep/doc2025927648801.pdf)

## FAQ

### Will my Jio SIM work in Uzbekistan?

A Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM works once international roaming is on, but mobile data needs a roaming pack: without one, Airtel bars prepaid data abroad and Vi keeps mobile data off. Jio's 100-country list names Uzbekistan, with ₹951 for 4 GB over 10 days as listed on 13 Oct 2026.

### Which Uzbekistan plan fits a 10-day trip?

There is no 10-day row, so choose by data: the 3 GB row for light use, the 10 GB row for heavier use, or the 15-day unlimited plan if you pass 3 GB a day. The days count from the first connection, not from purchase.

### When do the days on an Uzbekistan eSIM start?

At the first connection to an Uzbek network; installing at home on Wi-Fi uses no days. Jio's packs start at first usage, and Airtel's prepaid packs once your phone latches on to a covered foreign network and makes chargeable usage.

### Can I get OTPs and use WhatsApp with an Uzbekistan eSIM?

WhatsApp runs on the eSIM's data. Bank OTPs come as SMS to your Indian number, which the data-only Uzbekistan plan cannot receive, so keep that SIM on as a second line with data off. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you.

### Is one eSIM enough for Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan?

Not on the Uzbekistan plan, which covers Uzbekistan alone. We sell no Central Asia plan, so the choices are one plan per country or the Global plan, which lists both. Compare the prices for your route before you buy.

### Does my phone support eSIM?

Check your exact model on our eSIM phone list before you pay. The phone must run an eSIM and a physical SIM at once, so the Indian SIM can stay in for OTPs while the eSIM handles data.