Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is proposing amendments to improve the procedure for registering foreign nationals and stateless persons at their place of stay and to strengthen the responsibility of organizations in this area. The relevant draft law has been approved by the Legislative Chamber in its first reading.

During a session of the Legislative Chamber, deputies considered in the first reading the draft law "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts in Connection with the Improvement of Migration Legislation."

According to the discussion, Uzbekistan has been simplifying procedures related to the entry and stay of foreign nationals in the country in recent years in order to promote tourism and attract foreign investment.

Currently, citizens of more than 80 countries enjoy visa-free entry to Uzbekistan, while an electronic visa system has also been introduced. As a result, during the first five months of 2026, the number of foreign tourists visiting the country increased by 27 percent, reaching 5.5 million.

Under current legislation, foreign nationals and stateless persons staying at hotels, motels, tourist camps, holiday resorts, sanatoriums, medical boarding facilities, public and private clinics, hospitals, and other medical institutions must be registered upon arrival by the receiving organization.

However, it has been noted that, in practice, some organizations and institutions fail to register foreign nationals at their place of stay in accordance with established procedures.

The draft law therefore proposes strengthening the liability of such organizations, including increasing responsibility for failing to enter information on foreign nationals and stateless persons into the E-mehmon information system.

It also provides for aligning existing legislation with the Law "On Registration of Citizens of Uzbekistan, Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons at Their Place of Residence and Place of Stay," adopted on 10 July 2025.

In particular, the draft seeks to unify terminology, legal concepts, and registration mechanisms. The terms "permanent place of residence" and "temporary place of residence" used in existing codes and laws would be replaced with "place of residence" and "place of stay," respectively.

Following the discussion, the Legislative Chamber approved the draft law in its first reading.

Source: https://kun.uz