Starting July 1, the TLScontact visa center in Tashkent will implement a new system for scheduling appointments to apply for short-term tourist visas to France, the company announced.
Under the new procedure, applicants will no longer be able to choose or book their appointment date independently. Instead, appointments will be assigned automatically based on available slots. This change applies only to short-term tourist visas valid for up to 90 days. For other visa types, the booking system remains unchanged.
To obtain an appointment, applicants must register on the TLScontact website and provide the necessary information for their application. After verification, they will receive a confirmation that their request has been accepted and placed in a queue. Once an appointment time is set, a notification will be sent via email. Applicants then have 24 hours to pay the service fee and confirm the appointment.
TLScontact stated that the new system is designed to protect applicants from “fraudulent and expensive intermediary agencies” and to ensure fair access to appointments for all bona fide applicants.
Previously, blogger Nikita Makarenko, social media users, and Gazeta readers complained about the impossibility of booking appointments for French visas through TLScontact. According to them, no slots were available for months, and intermediaries offered to secure appointments for sums up to $500.
The French Embassy in Uzbekistan urged applicants not to pay unofficial fees and said that regular inspections are conducted. The diplomatic mission stated that if fraud is detected, sanctions will be applied to those responsible.
Citing data from the European Commission, Gazeta reported that in 2025, Uzbek citizens submitted 61,300 applications for Schengen visas — 4.5% more than the previous year. A total of 50,500 visas were issued, with an approval rate of 82.4%, nearly unchanged. The rejection rate rose slightly to 16.3%, while the number of multiple-entry visas decreased.
France ranked second in terms of application volume, with numbers rising from 9,301 to 11,549 — a 24.2% increase. The number of universal visas issued grew from 7,716 to 9,859 (from 83% to 85.3%). Rejections totaled 1,504, compared to 1,284 a year earlier, while the rejection rate fell from 14.1% to 13%. Meanwhile, multiple-entry visas increased from 1,436 to 2,046 (their share rising to 17.7%).
TLScontact is an international operator of visa centers serving various government clients. In Uzbekistan, the company handles applications for French and German visas, but these are processed through separate websites, under different rules, and at different visa centers. TLScontact’s French visa center is located at 32 Fidokor Street, while the German one is at 26 Oybek Street. However, decisions on visa issuance are made by the respective embassies, not the visa centers.
Source: www.gazeta.uz