Afghan traders account for nine in ten business visits to Uzbekistan

Afghanistan was by far the biggest source of foreign commercial visitors to Uzbekistan in the first nine months of 2026, according to figures released by Uzbekistan's National Statistics Committee on 26 October. Of 357,500 foreign citizens who visited the country for commercial purposes between January and September 2026, roughly 90.5% — 323,660 people — were Afghan nationals.

Key facts

• 357,500 foreign citizens visited Uzbekistan for commercial purposes in January–September 2026, up 34,800 people, or 10.8%, year on year
• Afghanistan supplied 323,660 of those visitors, about 90.5% of the total
• Turkmenistan followed with 24,196 visitors and Tajikistan with 6,412
• Afghan citizens can enter the Airitom Free Zone in Termez without an Uzbek visa
• The National Statistics Committee does not say how many Afghan commercial visitors entered through Airitom

Who is coming to Uzbekistan for business?

Uzbekistan received more than 13 times as many commercial visitors from Afghanistan as from Turkmenistan, the second-largest source country. After Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, the figures drop sharply: Kyrgyzstan accounted for 695 visitors, Kazakhstan for 629, Russia for 370 and Türkiye for 346. A further 1,150 commercial visitors came from other countries.

What is the Airitom Free Zone?

The Airitom Free Zone in Termez, just across the border from Afghanistan, has become a popular destination for Afghan traders and shoppers. Opened in August 2024, the complex allows Afghan citizens to enter a designated area without an Uzbek visa to buy groceries, clothing and household appliances, or to receive treatment at its clinic. It also has restaurants and a hotel.

Uzbekistan's Centre for Economic Research and Reforms surveyed visitors to the zone and found that 91% came mainly for food products, 48% for clothing and 38% for household appliances. Some 71% of respondents considered prices at Airitom lower than elsewhere, though the study did not specify which markets they were comparing them with.

How many Afghans enter through Airitom?

The National Statistics Committee does not specify how many of the Afghan commercial visitors entered Uzbekistan via the free zone. However, the centre's visa-free arrangements and its proximity to Afghanistan have made it an important destination for Afghan shoppers and traders, and reporting from a visit to Airitom in August 2025 put daily entries at between 1,500 and 2,000 Afghan citizens at that time.

What this means for travellers

Afghan citizens planning to shop or seek treatment at the Airitom Free Zone should note that the visa-free arrangement covers entry to the designated area of the complex. The statistics relate to commercial visits to Uzbekistan as a whole; the source does not set out the visa rules for travel beyond the free zone.

Uzbekistan's National Statistics Committee published the January–September 2026 figures on 26 October. No further updates to the free zone's arrangements are mentioned.