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Couple charged £300 each for Uzbekistan visa available for £30

Friday, August 31, 2018

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uzbekisthanUzbekistan popular to tourists for ancient Silk Road and Samarkand has earlier introduced an e-visa scheme which takes only a few minutes and costs US$20 (£15), but a couple from Gloucestershire who used the visa agent recommended by their travel firm paid nearly £300 each.

 

 

Bruce Morris, 76, and his wife Margaret, 72, booked on an 11-day trip to the former Soviet republic with Great Rail Journeys, taking in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. The holiday cost £5,190. But visa fees increased the cost of the trip by 11 per cent.

 

 

The holiday company, based in York, tells customers that the visa agent they suggest all use is established and experienced and will save the time and worry. Dealing with their recommended visa agent avoids costly trips to London to visit embassies and consulates to spend several hours queuing. Whilst the passengers are free to apply with embassies and consulates directly, many customers have mentioned the peace of mind is the biggest advantage that our recommended visa agent offers through their service, knowledge and efficiency.

 

 

Great Rail Journeys recommends CIBT, a visa firm based in central London. CIBT levies an additional fee of £138, increasing the cost by 120 per cent. But Mr and Mrs Morris were each charged an additional £37, taking the total to £290.28 each.

 

 

Mr Morris said that they noticed the exorbitant fees and did most of the work themselves. They certainly did not ask for replacement passports coverage (£28.68) or for next day delivery service (£18). Great Rail Journeys directed us to this company. They are very disappointed and feel that have been ripped off.

 

 

The only complication encountered was that payment for the e-visa must be made by Visa card, rather than Mastercard. Carlos Claro, managing director of CIBT, told the couple that the e-visa system had proved unreliable in a series of tests. As a result the firm did not yet feel confident to recommend the service. CIBT issued a credit note to the couple for £254, reflecting the price they would have paid if they had gone through to Great Rail Journey’s dedicated visa portal.

 

 

Mr and Mrs Morris had booked their holiday in December 2017, and were sent additional information, including visa requirements, in June. Uzbekistan introduced e-visas in July. The couple applied for their visas in August.

 

 

Uzbekistan has now mirrored another former Soviet republic, Belarus, by introducing a five-day visa-free transit opportunity for travellers continuing to a third country.

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