Using your phone in Uzbekistan

Hi there, Our trip is just around the corner—only 10 days to go! Quick practical question: what’s the easiest and most budget-friendly way to use my phone while I’m there? Thanks in advance! Céline

Hi there,

Buy a SIM card that you can top up at a terminal with cash.

Michel

Good evening,

Buy a SIM card, which you can top up at a terminal with cash.

Michel

Good evening, Thanks for this solution. I still need to find a way to keep my number and stay reachable, though. Thanks, Tatra

Hi there,

It's great to have a dual-SIM phone, so you can keep your line for SMS or any calls while also having local data and a local line. Some phones are eSIM-compatible, but it's still pretty rare. Sometimes your French carrier might offer a short-term plan with data in Uzbekistan, but I'm not sure if you'd then be able to download the most useful apps on the spot, like YandexGo—worth checking.

Michel

Hi, Yes, we looked into Orange for a short-term plan because calls from France would be expensive, and we need to stay reachable. Thanks and have a great Easter weekend!

I’m a bit of a special case because I never answer the phone, even in France, and I never call anyone. So in situations like this, I have two phones: one dual-SIM with two cheap French SIM cards (Free and Prixtel), which offer safety roaming for SMS, and another phone with a local SIM for data.

Data is super cheap in Central Asia and is essential for lots of things, like taxis.

Michel

Use WhatsApp—you keep your number and only need data.

Thanks for the replies. We do have WhatsApp. Thanks and have a great weekend!