Couple are charged nearly £600 for Uzbekistan visas available for £30

Following the ancient Silk Road to Samarkand has become easier this summer. For British travellers, Uzbekistan has 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: “The visa agent we suggest you use is established and experienced and will save you time and worry.

“Dealing with our recommended visa agent avoids costly trips to London to visit embassies and consulates to spend several hours queuing.”

“Whilst you 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.

When The Independent made an anonymous online enquiry to CIBT about the visa needed for a short tourist visit to Uzbekistan, the company said that a full visa was needed – for which the fee charged by the Uzbek Embassy is £115.

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.

“We noticed the exorbitant fees and did most of the work ourselves,” said Mr Morris.

“We certainly did not ask for replacement passports coverage (£28.68) or for next day delivery service (£18). We don’t understand all the other fees.

“Great Rail Journeys directed us to this company. We are very disappointed and feel we have been ripped off.”

The Independent made an application for an Uzbekistan e-visa through the official government portal. It took seven minutes and involved no more than answering a few basic questions, as well as uploading a photograph and the picture page from a passport.

The only complication encountered was that payment for the e-visa must be made by Visa card, rather than Mastercard.

After The Independent became involved, 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.

A spokesperson for Great Rail Journeys said the company “have no input or knowledge of the pricing structure CIBT employ, and customers are free to choose the most suitable way to obtain their visa“.

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.