Bhutan or Uzbekistan
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Bhutan | Uzbekistan | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | — | — |
| Citizenship | 20 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | no | — |
| Parents | no | — |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | no limit | 2 |
| Quarantine | 20 days | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 196 · estimate | $ 719 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 16,2 | $ 19,3 |
| Life expectancy | 73.26 | 72.53 |
| Homicides/100k | 2.47 | 1.4 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 2.8 | 4.8 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Bhutan — 13, Uzbekistan — 48. Types present in both: work, study, family, investment and talent. Uzbekistan adds: startup and repatriation.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Bhutan: the fee is 40 USD wherever it is published. Routes with a published decision deadline: 8; the shortest is 5 days. Uzbekistan: fees range from 352,440 to 396,000 UZS. Routes with no fee: 4. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 30,000 USD a year. Routes with a published decision deadline: 44; the shortest is 1 days.
Beyond the first permit
Citizenship: Bhutan after 20 years, Uzbekistan after 5 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship.
Bhutan in brief
Bhutan is the most closed case for long-term relocation in this guide. Grounds for staying are limited to a narrow list: a tourist visa through a licensed tour operator with a mandatory daily Sustainable Development Fee (US$100 per day plus a one-off US$40 visa fee for most foreigners; a separate "entry permit"/visa-on-arrival arrangement with a reduced fee applies to citizens of India, Bangladesh and the Maldives), work permits tied rigidly to a specific employer and position (up to one year for skilled workers, up to three years for highly skilled workers), and student and business visas. There is no separate permanent resident status between a temporary permit and citizenship. Naturalisation is governed by the Bhutan Citizenship Act 1985: 15 years of residence for those with a Bhutanese parent or for civil servants, 20 years in all other cases, plus an exam in the Dzongkha language and knowledge of the country's culture; the government expressly retains the right to reject an application without giving reasons. Dual citizenship is not permitted — acquiring another citizenship automatically terminates Bhutanese citizenship. Marriage to a Bhutanese citizen gives the foreign spouse a residence status (Special Residence Permit or Immigration Card depending on the date of marriage) but does not speed up naturalisation. Land and real estate are reserved by the Land Act of Bhutan 2007 for citizens, the institution of the monarchy, the state and recognised Bhutanese organisations — foreigners, including spouses of Bhutanese citizens, are not on this list and may only rent housing. The country lies in a zone of high seismic hazard in the Himalayas.
Uzbekistan in brief
Uzbekistan is built as an easy way in and a hard way out. The way in really is easy: citizens of the CIS and several dozen other countries need no visa, and IT specialists have a three-year IT visa that grants work without a separate permit, social rights on a par with citizens and the purchase of property at any price; the thresholds are income from IT work of at least 30,000 dollars a year and employment with an IT Park resident. The cost of living is among the lowest in this guide, pets get through without quarantine, and Russian is in everyday use. The hard part is citizenship: multiple citizenship is not recognised, giving up the previous passport is the first condition, and the five-year residence period is counted from the residence permit of a stateless person — that is, it starts only after the renunciation. The softening is a guarantee letter, valid for a year and issued before the renunciation. The exam is in Uzbek. Seismicity (Tashkent was destroyed in 1966) and air quality deserve separate weight. Routes for reuniting with parents and children are not confirmed by official sources.
Other comparisons
Bhutan or… Taiwan · South Korea · Japan · Thailand · Kazakhstan · Lebanon · Malaysia · Azerbaijan
Uzbekistan or… Philippines · Bangladesh · Kuwait · Iraq · Mongolia · Oman · People's Republic of China · Sri Lanka
More on each: Bhutan · Uzbekistan. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.