Uzbekistan will simplify the process of obtaining citizenship and exiting it. What changes are planned?

Who can obtain citizenship?

The following categories of citizens can apply for an Uzbek passport:

Those who have gone through the full naturalization process - a temporary residence permit, passing an exam on knowledge of the state language, obtaining a permanent residence permit.
By right of birth. Applies to people who were born in the country, but then were forced to leave it for one reason or another.
Children whose one of the parents has citizenship of Uzbekistan. Even if a child was born far outside his homeland, he has every right to obtain the citizenship of the country that his mother or father has.
Children of parents where both spouses have an Uzbek passport.
Based on commercial activities. If a foreigner has invested a large amount in the state’s economy, then he has the right to citizenship without obtaining permanent residence. You just need to provide papers proving that the business really exists, and the foreigner regularly pays taxes to the budget.
Marriage with a citizen of Uzbekistan.

Special categories that may qualify for a passport are:

Those undergoing military or public service in bodies working for the republic
People whose profession, knowledge and qualifications are needed by the country.
Research staff.
Outstanding technicians or engineers.
Athletes or cultural workers who have served the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The most difficult way is naturalization. For it you need:

renounce citizenship of another country;
have income;
have resided in Uzbekistan for the last five years.

Forced termination of citizenship

In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the law on citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the citizenship of an Uzbek citizen who has become a citizen of another state can be terminated after the adoption of a corresponding decree of the President of Uzbekistan forcibly.

The consul or embassy does not have the right to deprive an Uzbek citizen of citizenship, even if they learn about his foreign status.

The presence of foreign citizenship for an Uzbek citizen is grounds for deprivation of Uzbek citizenship.

The decision to terminate citizenship is made by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. After submitting a notification about the existence of a second status, as well as after acquiring foreign citizenship itself, several years may pass before the documents of a particular citizen are submitted for consideration to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

When is citizenship granted?

Nationality of a country is granted in the following cases:

Persons born on the territory of Uzbekistan.
Children of citizens of the republic, even if born in another state.
Applicants who have invested a sufficient amount of money in the country and have been living in the country for five years.
For those who are married to a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
To refugees. These are people who had to leave the country for political reasons, because of persecution, wars, epidemics, and environmental disasters. But in this case, it is necessary that the authorities consider the applicant’s presence in his homeland to be unsafe. Then he is given permanent residence, on the basis of which he can apply for citizenship.

There are categories of applicants who can most likely count on receiving an internal passport:

technicians and engineers with qualifications that allow them to benefit the republic;
scientific workers, honored figures;
people whose professional skills are needed in the country;
athletes and cultural workers who have performed significant services to the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Naturalization is the hardest way to become a resident. The following conditions must be met:

Refuse citizenship of your native state.
Have an official income.
Live in Uzbekistan for at least five years.

After the applicant has received permanent resident status, he has the right to renew it 3 times, after which he is obliged to either leave the country or become a resident. If a person becomes a permanent resident after 60 years of age, then there is no need for renewal, since his status is issued for life.

Today, September 15, a new version of the law “On Citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan” came into force in Uzbekistan.

Let us remind you that the document was adopted by the Legislative Chamber on February 18, approved by the Senate on February 28 and signed by the President on March 13 of this year. The law was published on March 15 and came into force 6 months later, that is, on September 15.

According to the document, a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan is:

a) a person who permanently resided in the republic as of July 28, 1992, who is not a citizen of a foreign state and has expressed a desire to become a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan;

b) a person who lived on the territory of Uzbekistan and, before July 28, 1992, left Uzbekistan to study and continuously studied or underwent military service and returned to Uzbekistan within one year after completing his studies or military service and was permanently registered in the Republic of Uzbekistan, subject to the absence he has citizenship of a foreign country;

c) a person who has citizenship of Uzbekistan on the date of entry into force of this Law;

d) a person who has acquired citizenship of the republic in accordance with this law.

The general procedure for granting citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan is carried out in relation to a citizen of a foreign state or a stateless person if he:

a) formalized the renunciation of citizenship of a foreign state;

b) from the date of receipt of a residence permit for a stateless person and until the day of filing an application for admission to citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan, permanently resides in the territory of the republic for five years continuously;

c) has a legal source of existence;

d) undertakes to comply with the Constitution;

e) speaks the state language to the extent necessary for communication.

The procedure for determining the level of knowledge of the state language is approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.

In addition, the document introduced such a concept as a compatriot. The law states that a compatriot is a person and his relatives in a direct descending line, born or previously residing in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who are not citizens of the republic, living outside the territory of Uzbekistan, provided that their relatives in a direct ascending line live in the territory Uzbekistan and are citizens of the republic.

“A person who arrived and was permanently registered on the territory of Uzbekistan before January 1, 1995, who did not accept the citizenship of a foreign state and resides before the entry into force of the above law on the basis of a residence permit in the republic for a stateless person, upon expression of desire, is recognized as a citizen of Uzbekistan,” - the document says.

In addition, the law specifies the terms for consideration and grounds for termination of consideration of materials on issues of citizenship of Uzbekistan, as well as the procedure for determining citizenship and recognition of citizenship of the republic.

Law on citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan

According to the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan, confirmation of this status is a passport, and before receiving it, a birth certificate or other document indicating citizenship.

The status is retained for citizens regardless of their country of residence. Also, according to this law, citizens of Uzbekistan are prohibited from having dual citizenship. This innovation has been in effect in the republic since 2021.

The document that explains how to become a resident of the republic specifies all the reasons, as well as the nuances of renouncing their citizenship and changing the status of minors following their parents.

Permanent residence in the Republic of Uzbekistan

A residence permit is a temporary document. To obtain permanent residence, you need to become a permanent resident of this country, namely a citizen.

According to the Law “On Citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, foreigners who:

officially renounced their previous citizenship;
lived in the country for at least the last 5 years with a residence permit;
have a means of subsistence obtained legally;
recognize and implement the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

After 5 years of residence under a residence permit, you can become a citizen of Uzbekistan

Persons cannot become citizens:

those advocating a change in the country's constitutional order;
members of organizations banned in Uzbekistan;
convicted and serving sentences in prisons.

An application for citizenship should also be submitted in person to the offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic. Applicants will be required to:

a completed and signed application form (issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs);
paper on renunciation of citizenship of a foreign state;
autobiography written in free form;
4 photos;
residence permit;
check for payment of state duty (about 300 thousand soums);
documents about marital status, children.

In general, the procedure for obtaining citizenship is complex and quite lengthy (takes about a year). Other documents may be requested during the application review process.

Important: a negative decision to grant citizenship to a specific applicant can be appealed in court.

Video: principles of Uzbek citizenship

The process of obtaining a residence permit in Uzbekistan is quite simple and straightforward. Holders of this document are endowed with almost the same rights as local citizens. After 5 years of residence in the country, you can obtain Uzbek citizenship.

Author: Elizaveta Shulgina
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Conditions that an applicant for citizenship must fulfill

In order for a foreigner to be able to apply for Uzbek citizenship, it is necessary to strictly comply with all the requirements established by the Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In particular, the following conditions must be met:

Renounce citizenship of another country.
Provide irrefutable evidence that the person has been permanently residing in the country for 5 years. The exception is those who have proven kinship with relatives from Uzbekistan and proven that they do not have citizenship of another state.
Availability of financial income that is stable and permanent.
Provided a certificate of knowledge of the state language, recognizes and implements the Basic Law of the country.

Law on dual citizenship in Uzbekistan

The question being studied is most often asked by natives of the Central Asian country. There is no dual citizenship between Russia and Uzbekistan. At the same time, the Republic of Uzbekistan prohibits its residents from having such a status. In accordance with the amendments adopted to the citizenship law, from September 2021, persons who have obtained foreign citizenship are required to report this to the authorized bodies within 30 days.

The adopted amendments do not give Uzbeks the right to apply for foreign status. They also do not have the opportunity to enjoy the rights and responsibilities of residents of 2 states. Accordingly, there is no law on dual citizenship in Uzbekistan.

After a resident has reported that he has 2 passports, he is asked to choose the status of the state that he would prefer to renounce. If a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan has received foreign citizenship, after submitting a notification, he will have to collect a certain package of documents in order to voluntarily renounce citizenship of Uzbekistan.

What documents are needed?

To obtain Uzbek citizenship, you should contact the internal affairs bodies of Uzbekistan with the following documents:

Application according to the established form.
Birth certificate.
Marriage certificate.
International passport.
Certificate of residence.
Photos 3.5 x 4.5 cm, 5 pieces.
Certificate of no criminal record.
Medical certificate confirming the absence of dangerous diseases.
fact of renunciation of previous citizenship;
paper from the place of residence listing all family members;

St. Petersburg, Leningrad region call: +7 (812) 467-36-94

From other regions of the Russian Federation call: +7 (800) 350-31-76

If the basis for obtaining residence is marriage with a citizen of Uzbekistan, then you must provide a supporting document. For children who become citizens, parents or guardians fill out everything. If the child is aged 14-18 years, then written consent will be required from him. In order for a minor to obtain citizenship, it is necessary that the mother or father have this status.

How to become a citizen: algorithm of actions

To understand exactly how to obtain citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan, you need to carefully study the law on this status and strictly follow the proven algorithm of actions. The procedure is not complicated. If you don’t want to deal with bureaucracy when the process is delayed, then you can simply get a residence permit, which gives you the opportunity to find a job, get an education and run your own business. There is no need to renounce your native citizenship, and you can live on the territory of Uzbekistan freely.

Features of filing an application

According to the law, documents are submitted to the head of state, and the submission is carried out with the help of the Department of Internal Affairs. If the applicant lives in another state, then he will need to collect a complete package of necessary documents and submit it to the Consular Section of the Embassy of Uzbekistan.

Set form

Applications for citizenship are considered only if they are filled out strictly according to the sample. If for some reason the applicant cannot sign on his own, it is possible for an authorized person to sign for him. But there must be an inscription about this directly on the application.

Design features

According to domestic law, an applicant for citizenship must submit documents directly and in person. If it is completely impossible to appear yourself, then it is possible to submit an application by mail or with the help of an authorized person. The latter must have a supporting document in his hands, certified by a notary. When applying, you must pay a state fee, the amount of which is established by the law of the republic.

How is the application processed?

The decision to grant citizenship is made by a special commission that examines in detail all documents, as well as the applicant’s arguments, his certificate of language proficiency and the grounds for obtaining citizenship of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The review period may take up to a year.

The commission examines the following factors:

witness's testimonies;
financial capabilities of the applicant;
availability of permanent residence and official work;
applicant's arguments.

The decision of the commission is documented in the form of a protocol. It is delivered directly to the current head of state, who formalizes it in the form of a decree. As soon as the decree is signed, the applicant becomes a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan. After receiving the long-awaited status, the applicant acquires a full package of rights, including electoral rights, all social rights, and can also fully use banking services.

The commission may also decide to refuse. There are a number of reasons for rejecting an application:

The applicant did not fulfill his obligations to the republic.
Bound by property obligations.
Criminal cases have been recorded.
Renouncing one's native citizenship is a controversial procedure.

If refused, the applicant has every right to appeal the verdict in the manner prescribed by law.

Loss of citizenship

In some cases, a person wants to renounce Uzbek citizenship, but this is quite difficult to do. With a voluntary application, the authorities can resolve the issue over several years. There are other reasons why a republic may be deprived of citizenship:

voluntary adoption of citizenship of another country;
the person remained to serve in a foreign army;
a citizen has not registered at the consular department for 5 years;
a person became a resident by submitting false information.

The final decision in this case is made by the president, who relies on well-known arguments.

Of course, getting a passport for a citizen of Uzbekistan is much easier than for a resident of the European Union. But in any case, there are certain nuances. The main thing is not to be a resident of another state or to present a document renouncing it. Only then will it be possible to obtain citizenship of Uzbekistan. If you have no family ties or no investment in the country, you will have to live here permanently for at least five years to achieve what you want.

Can citizens of Uzbekistan have a second citizenship?

The topic of second citizenship in Uzbekistan still remains relevant. It is worth noting that today Uzbeks cannot have either a second or dual citizenship.

If an Uzbek has two passports, then by law he is faced with a choice: which country’s document to keep and which to refuse.

If a resident of Uzbekistan decides to obtain a Russian passport, then, in accordance with the legislation of Uzbekistan, it is his responsibility to contact the embassy of his country with a package of documents necessary to renounce Uzbekistan citizenship.

The passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation is the main identity document for a citizen of Uzbekistan

The citizen of Uzbekistan will have in his hands a passport of a Russian citizen, which will serve as the main document proving his identity. After receiving a passport, we can talk about the citizenship of an Uzbek to another state.

Citizenship through relatives

It is easier to become a citizen of Uzbekistan if close relatives live there - children, parents, grandparents or siblings. By personal invitation and guarantee, which guarantees the provision of housing, residence in this case is possible for no more than three years. Students studying at higher educational institutions of Uzbekistan can obtain temporary resident status, for this they must provide a study agreement. The residence permit is issued for one year and must be renewed annually. After completing your studies, you can obtain a permanent residence permit; for this you need to stay and work in Uzbekistan.

Refugees can apply for a five-year residence permit; if the situation in their homeland does not change for the better, they can obtain a permanent residence permit and then obtain citizenship.

Individual approach

Applications for a residence permit are considered on an individual basis, because the reasons for its provision may be different - workers in in-demand professions, the need for long-term treatment, etc.

The following persons can apply for a residence permit:

– those who have reached the age of 16, without citizenship, who live on the territory of the Republic;

– foreign citizens who want to live in Uzbekistan;

– who previously received such permission or had Uzbek citizenship;

– who live on the territory of Uzbekistan, do not have citizenship or have voluntarily renounced it.