Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages was established on November 8, 1994, by a decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In its early years, the institute saw the creation of several faculties. In 1994, the Faculties of German and French were established, followed by the Faculty of English Philology and the Faculty of Oriental Languages in 1995. The Faculty of Roman-German Languages commenced its activities in 2005. In 2014, the BA program of Foreign Language and Literature (English) was introduced, leading to the foundation of the Faculty of English.

On November 2, 2018, the Faculty of English was restructured into two separate faculties: English I and English II. Further expansion took place on July 1, 2021, with the establishment of the Faculty of English Philology and Translation Studies. Additionally, Narpay Faculty of Foreign Languages was launched, specializing in training professionals in “Foreign Language and Literature: English” and “Foreign Language in Preschool and Primary Education: English.” That same year, Payarik Faculty of Foreign Languages also commenced its operations.

The institute continued its development with the establishment of the Faculty of Evening Education on January 1, 2023. Most recently, in 2024, the Institute Council merged the Faculties of English I and English II to reconstitute the Faculty of English.

From its humble beginnings with approximately 500 students, the institute has grown significantly. As of January 2025, it accommodates 13,000 students across 8 faculties and 25 departments, offering 20 undergraduate and 15 graduate programs.

The institute boasts a distinguished academic staff of 531 teachers, including 26 Doctors of Science, 28 Candidates of Science, and 75 Doctors of Philosophy (PhD). Among them, 25 are professors, 68 are associate professors, and 37 are part-time faculty members who hold academic degrees.

Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages has established strong international partnerships, signing memorandums of understanding and fostering cooperation with higher education institutions in numerous countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, the United States, Turkey, the Sultanate of Oman, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mexico, and Indonesia.