50 Questions on Registration of Uzbek Citizens and Foreigners in Uzbekistan

1. What is the main purpose of the Law on Registration?

Answer: The purpose of the Law is to regulate legal relations connected with the registration of citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan, foreign citizens, and stateless persons at their place of residence and place of stay. The Law is aimed at ensuring the implementation of the constitutional right to freedom of movement, choice of place of residence and stay, as well as at establishing a reliable state population registration system.

2. Is registration a permissive institution?

Answer: No. The Law expressly provides that registration does not have a permissive nature. This means that the state does not “authorize” residence, but merely records the person’s actual place of residence or stay. Registration performs a recording function rather than a restrictive one.

3. Can the absence of registration limit a person’s rights and freedoms?

Answer: As a general rule, no. The absence of registration is not a ground for restricting rights and freedoms unless otherwise directly provided by law. This is a fundamentally important safeguard excluding discrimination on the basis of lack of registration.

4. What is the legal difference between place of residence and place of stay?

Answer: A place of residence is a residential premises where a person permanently or predominantly resides and is registered. A place of stay is a place of temporary residence (hotel, rented housing, medical institution, etc.) that is not the person’s place of residence.

5. How is the place of residence of minors determined?

Answer: The place of residence of children under 16 is determined by the place of residence of their legal representatives (parents, adoptive parents, guardians, or custodians). Independent choice of place of residence by a minor is not permitted by law.

6. Who is required to undergo registration?

Answer: The obligation to register applies to:

• citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
• foreign citizens;
• stateless persons.

This obligation applies regardless of the form of ownership of the dwelling and the civil-law basis for residence.

7. What obligations does the owner of residential premises bear?

Answer: The owner or person entitled to dispose of the residential premises must ensure timely registration of persons residing therein. Failure to comply with this obligation entails administrative liability.

8. Within what time period must a person register when changing place of residence?

Answer: Registration must be completed no later than 10 working days from the date of arrival at the new place of residence or place of stay.

9. Are there special deadlines for foreign nationals?

Answer: Yes. Foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing abroad must register within 3 working days from the moment of entry into the Republic of Uzbekistan, unless another period is established by an international treaty.

10. What are the consequences of failure to comply with registration deadlines?

Answer: Failure to comply with the deadlines constitutes an administrative offense and entails the imposition of a fine provided for by the Code of Administrative Responsibility.

11. Which authorities carry out registration?

Answer: Registration is carried out by:

• divisions for migration and citizenship registration of the internal affairs bodies;
• public services centers;
• electronic government portals and automated systems.

12. What role does the “Manzil” system play?

Answer: The “Manzil” system is a state information system intended for registering persons at their place of residence and maintaining a unified electronic register.

13. What is the purpose of the “E-mehmon” (E-guest) system?

Answer: The “E-mehmon” system is used for notification-based registration at the place of stay of persons residing in hotels, boarding houses, sanatoriums, and those undergoing inpatient treatment.

14. What is the “E-notification” system?

Answer: This is an electronic notification-based registration system for place of stay, used by citizens and residential property owners without personally visiting the internal affairs bodies.

15. Is fully electronic registration allowed?

Answer: Yes. The Law expressly allows registration on a notification basis through the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services and electronic systems, provided that the person’s identity is confirmed and the owner’s consent is obtained.

16. What documents are required for registration at the place of residence?

Answer: As a rule, the following are required:

• consent of the owner of the dwelling;

• an identity document;

• documents for the child (when registering a minor);

• guardianship or custodianship documents (where necessary).

17. Is the owner’s consent required for registration of a child?

Answer: No. When a child is registered at the place of residence of the parents, the owner’s consent is not required, even if the parents are not the owners of the dwelling.

18. Is registration at the place of stay possible without registration at the place of residence?

Answer: Yes. The absence of registration at the place of residence is not a ground for refusal to register at the place of stay.

19. For what period is registration at the place of stay made?

Answer: Registration is made for the period specified in the application or in the lease agreement, but not for more than one year (for citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan).

20. What should be done when the period of registration at the place of stay expires?

Answer: If the person continues to reside at that address, they must register again within 10 working days.

21. In what cases is registration annulled automatically?

Answer: Annulment takes place, in particular, in the event of:

• registration at a new place of residence;
• death of the person;
• departure for permanent residence abroad.

22. Can the owner initiate annulment of registration?

Answer: Yes, if the registered person:

• has no proprietary rights;
• is not related by family ties;
• does not have a court-established right to use the dwelling.

23. In what cases is a court decision required?

Answer: A court decision is required if:

• the person was registered in violation of the social housing norm;
• the person has been recognized as having lost the right to use the dwelling;
• forged documents have been identified;
• the annulment affects persons with a court-established right of residence.

24. Is children’s registration annulled separately?

Answer: No. The registration of minors is annulled simultaneously with the annulment of the registration of their parents or legal representatives.

25. What is the time limit for consideration of an application for annulment?

Answer: The period may not exceed one working day from the moment the electronic application form is submitted.

26. Who is considered a permanently residing foreign national?

Answer: A foreign national who has obtained a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

27. Can a foreign national without a residence permit register at the place of residence?

Answer: No. Without a permanent residence permit, registration at the place of residence is not allowed.

28. Where are temporarily staying foreign nationals registered?

Answer: Registration is carried out:

• through receiving parties;
• in hotels and medical institutions;
• in divisions of the internal affairs bodies.

29. What are the obligations of the receiving party?

Answer: The inviting person must:

• ensure the foreign national’s registration;
• provide the required documents;
• monitor compliance with the address of stay.

30. What is the maximum period of registration for a foreign national?

Answer: The period is limited by:

• the duration of the visa-free regime;
• the validity period of the visa;
• for CIS citizens — not more than 6 months.

31. What is the social norm of housing area?

Answer: This is the minimum amount of living space of not less than 16 square meters per person, and for wheelchair users with disabilities — not less than 23 square meters.

32. Who establishes the social norm?

Answer: The Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan, as well as the khokimiyats (mayyor’s office) of the regions and the city of Tashkent, but not below the federal minimum.

33. In what cases does the norm not apply?

Answer: The norm does not apply when registering:

• spouses;
• parents and children;
• grandparents and grandchildren;
• brothers and sisters;

• persons released from places of deprivation of liberty.

34. Can registration be refused due to exceeding the norm?

Answer: Yes. If the person does not belong to privileged categories, exceeding the norm constitutes a lawful ground for refusal.

35. What grounds for refusal are lawful?

Answer: Only those expressly specified in the Law (incomplete package of documents, false information, non-payment of the state fee, etc.). Other grounds are prohibited.

36. Who monitors compliance with registration rules?

Answer: Control is exercised by:

• prevention inspectors of the internal affairs bodies;
• the Prosecutor General’s Office and subordinate prosecutors.

37. Can refusal of registration be appealed?

Answer: Yes. A refusal may be challenged in court as an unlawful administrative act.

38. Does registration create title to property?

Answer: No. Registration neither creates nor confirms ownership or any other proprietary right to housing.

39. What liability is stipulated for living without registration?

Answer: Administrative liability in the form of a fine in the amounts established by the Code of Administrative Responsibility, taking into account recurrence and the subject of the violation.

40. Does the owner of the dwelling bear liability?

Answer: Yes. The owner may be held liable for allowing residence without registration.

41. Is registration in dormitories allowed?

Answer: Yes, on the basis of a warrant or written permission from the management of the organization.

42. Are persons in places of deprivation of liberty registered?

Answer: Yes, registration at the place of stay is carried out on the basis of notification from the administration of the institution.

43. How are orphaned children registered?

Answer: Registration is carried out at the location of the institution on the basis of a letter from its head.

44. How does registration occur upon the birth of a child?

Answer: Registration is carried out automatically through integration of the civil registry office system and “Manzil.”

45. Is compulsory deregistration possible?

Answer: Only by court decision, if the person has a court-established right to use the dwelling.

46. In which territories may registration be restricted?

Answer: In border zones, closed military settlements, emergency zones, and territories under a state of emergency or martial law.

47. What is the significance of international treaties?

Answer: If an international treaty establishes different registration rules, the provisions of the international treaty shall apply.

48. What is the legal status of a registration certificate?

Answer: It is an official supporting document having legal force in both electronic and paper form.

49. Can registration be recognized as unlawful retroactively?

Answer: Yes, where the fact of forged documents or unlawful actions of officials is established — on the basis of a court judgment.

50. What is the systemic role of the Law on Registration?

Answer: The Law forms a unified digital mechanism for population records, balancing the public interests of the state and the constitutional freedoms of the individual, and serves as a basis for migration, housing, and administrative law.