Uzbekistan

Last Updated: 2026-04-01

Official Portal: Ministry of Internal Affairs — Citizenship and Registration Department

Embassy Finder: Uzbekistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Diplomatic Missions

Quick Facts

Category	Details
Residency for naturalization	5 years of continuous lawful residence
Language requirement	No formal language test (Uzbek proficiency expected)
Civics test	No formal civics test
Processing time	6—18 months
Naturalization fee	Approximately UZS 500,000—2,000,000 (USD 40—160)
Dual citizenship	No — strictly prohibited
Citizenship by birth in Uzbekistan	Limited jus soli (children of stateless parents born in Uzbekistan)
Citizenship by descent	Through either parent
Governing law	Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Citizenship (1992, as amended 2020)

Dual Citizenship

No. Uzbekistan strictly prohibits dual citizenship. Under Article 10 of the Citizenship Law, a citizen of Uzbekistan may not simultaneously be a citizen of another state. This prohibition is absolute — there are no bilateral agreements, exceptions, or discretionary waivers.

Consequences:

A citizen of Uzbekistan who acquires a foreign citizenship is considered to have voluntarily renounced Uzbek citizenship.
A foreign national naturalizing in Uzbekistan must renounce all prior nationalities.
Detection of undisclosed foreign citizenship may result in administrative penalties and loss of rights associated with Uzbek nationality.

Practical impact: Uzbekistan has a diaspora of approximately 2—3 million people, primarily in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and South Korea. Many have acquired foreign nationality and consequently lost their Uzbek citizenship. Since 2017, under President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s reform agenda, Uzbekistan has simplified procedures for diaspora members to formalize their renunciation and to obtain long-term visas to visit Uzbekistan, but has not moved toward allowing dual nationality.

Acquisition of Nationality

By Birth (Jus Soli)

Uzbekistan applies a limited jus soli:

A child born in Uzbekistan to stateless parents who are permanent residents acquires Uzbek citizenship at birth.
A child born in Uzbekistan to foreign parents does not acquire Uzbek citizenship.
A child born in Uzbekistan who would otherwise be stateless acquires Uzbek citizenship.

By Descent (Jus Sanguinis)

Uzbek nationality is transmitted through either parent (gender-neutral):

A child born to at least one Uzbek parent acquires citizenship at birth, regardless of the place of birth.
If the parents have different citizenships and one is Uzbek, the child’s citizenship is determined by mutual written agreement. In the absence of agreement, the child acquires Uzbek citizenship if born in Uzbekistan.
Births abroad to Uzbek parents must be registered at an Uzbek consulate.

By Adoption

A child under 18 adopted by an Uzbek citizen acquires Uzbek citizenship. If only one adoptive parent is Uzbek, the citizenship of the child is determined by agreement between the parents.

By Marriage

Marriage to an Uzbek citizen does not automatically confer citizenship. A foreign spouse may apply for naturalization, and the marriage may be considered favorably, but there is no statutory reduced residency requirement for spouses in the current law.

In practice, spouses of Uzbek citizens are generally expected to meet the standard 5-year residency requirement, though the government has discretion to reduce or waive requirements on a case-by-case basis.

By Naturalization (Residency)

Requirement	Details
Residency	5 years of continuous lawful residence in Uzbekistan
Language	Uzbek language proficiency expected (no standardized test)
Financial standing	Lawful source of income or means of support
Character	No criminal record; compliance with Uzbek law
Renunciation	Must renounce all prior nationalities
Approval	By decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Fee	UZS 500,000—2,000,000

Special provisions: Citizens of countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union may benefit from simplified procedures, particularly if they were born in Uzbekistan or had permanent residence there before independence (1 September 1991).

Recent reforms (2017—2025): Under President Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan has modernized many aspects of its immigration and residency systems, introduced electronic government services, and liberalized its visa regime (visa-free entry for citizens of 90+ countries for short stays). However, the naturalization framework remains conservative, and the dual citizenship prohibition is unchanged.

Loss and Renunciation

Voluntary Renunciation

An Uzbek citizen may renounce citizenship by applying to the President through the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Renunciation takes effect upon presidential decree. The applicant must hold or be assured another nationality.

Processing: Renunciation applications historically took 1—3 years to process. Recent reforms have shortened this, with the government committing to process renunciation applications within 6 months.

Involuntary Loss

Ground	Details
Acquisition of foreign citizenship	Deemed voluntary renunciation upon acquiring another nationality
Fraud	Citizenship obtained through false documents or misrepresentation
Service to a foreign state	Unauthorized service in a foreign military or government
Harm to state interests	Actions causing significant harm to the interests of Uzbekistan

Restoration of Nationality

Former Uzbek citizens may apply for restoration of citizenship through the President’s office. The Citizenship Law provides for restoration, but it is discretionary and requires:

Application to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Proof of former Uzbek citizenship.
Renunciation of all current foreign nationalities.
Demonstration of ties to Uzbekistan.
Presidential decree.

Diaspora re-engagement: Since 2017, Uzbekistan has actively sought to re-engage its diaspora through simplified visa procedures, “compatriot” programs, and cultural initiatives, though full restoration of citizenship remains contingent on renouncing foreign nationality.

Stateless Persons and Foundlings

Uzbekistan is a party to the 1954 Convention on Statelessness (acceded 2019) and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness (acceded 2019).

Foundlings: A child of unknown parentage found in Uzbekistan is presumed to be an Uzbek citizen.
Post-Soviet statelessness: The dissolution of the USSR left an undetermined number of former Soviet citizens in Uzbekistan without clear nationality. Uzbekistan has worked with UNHCR to identify and resolve these cases.
Crimean Tatars and other minorities: Some ethnic minorities who were deported to Uzbekistan during the Soviet era and their descendants experienced nationality difficulties during the post-independence registration process.
Biometric ID campaign: Uzbekistan’s ongoing national identification modernization has helped identify and resolve many residual statelessness cases from the Soviet era.

Document Checklist

Sources

Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Citizenship (1992, as amended 2020). https://lex.uz/
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan. https://www.iiv.uz/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan. https://mfa.uz/
UNHCR — Statelessness in Central Asia. https://www.unhcr.org/centralasia
Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2023 revision) — Articles on citizenship. https://lex.uz/
Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) — Uzbekistan. https://globalcit.eu/

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