You can enter the Republic of Uzbekistan with a foreign passport. For citizens of some states, an entry visa is required (the list of documents for obtaining it may vary significantly). With the CIS countries, except for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the republic has signed bilateral Visa-Free Agreements.
So, to enter Uzbekistan you need to have a passport with you, and fill out the customs declaration in duplicate at customs. Arriving in Uzbekistan must register at the place of temporary stay: at the hotel or if you plan to stay with friends - in the territorial OVIR.
And now directly about the republic.
Official information
Uzbekistan is a state located in the heart of Central Asia. Its population is approximately 32 million people. The main documents of all citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan are passports, birth certificates, school certificates or higher education diplomas. Let's find out what the role of these papers is, and what is the latest news about passports.
Uzbekistan is rightfully considered one of the most developed countries in this region, and occupies a leading position in industries such as economy, trade, science and culture. Despite this, in some cities of the republic there is a high level of unemployment, as a result of which many leave to work in other countries.
The main document identifying the person who came in search of work is the passport of a citizen of Uzbekistan. It is there that the most important information is presented, namely: person, date of birth, place of residence, marital status, data on children and, of course, records of departure from the country.
From the history
In the winter of 2011, the late President Islam Abduganievich Karimov issued a decree on the introduction of biometric passports. Thus, each citizen is obliged to change the old passport of Uzbekistan to a new one. The Decree "On Additional Measures to Improve the Passport System in the Republic of Uzbekistan" stipulated the deadlines for validity of old documents: until December 31, 2015. Later, amendments were made, according to statements by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and this period was extended until 2018.
Appearance
Documents of the Republic of Uzbekistan - passports - are issued in a dark green cover. On it are written in golden letters inscriptions in two languages: Uzbek and English. The cover itself is decorated with the main symbol of independence of the state - the coat of arms, which depicts the bird Humo, a symbol of happiness and prosperity. A sample passport of Uzbekistan is presented in the article.
basic information
New passports of Uzbekistan have a total of 36 pages, each of which has a numbering and serial number of the document. The coat of arms is depicted on the very first page, and the inscription Republic of Uzbekistan is also present, indicating that the passport is the property of Uzbekistan. At the bottom are the series and document number in large black font.
On pages number 2 and number 3 is the most important information about the person. Here there is data on the name, surname, patronymic, written in Uzbek and English. On the second page on the left is a photograph of a person, next to which is indicated the date and place of birth, gender, as well as information about the authority that issued the document.
The biometric passport of Uzbekistan is very different from the old-style documents: the main feature is the presence of a special chip, which stores a file with information about human fingerprints.
Document Content
All pages are divided into several groups, the names of which are indicated in the upper corner of each sheet. The first three pages contain basic information proving the identity of the person, the next store no less important data.
From the 4th to the 6th page there are various information, for example, about the criminal record of a person. On the seventh, data on the place of residence are indicated, there is also a stamp on the permanent place of residence (registration). In the event of a change of place of residence, the next page under No. 8 is the new data.
The following pages, starting from the 10th to the very last page, provide information about leaving the country, dates of stay in another state, and also stamps from the passport control of airports or train stations in other countries and the Republic of Uzbekistan itself.
Passports: recent changes
The introduction of new passports caused a huge resonance. Many citizens were against the new decree, especially those who were in another state did not like it. And no wonder, because under a new decree, each of them was obliged to hand over the old passport and issue a new one as soon as possible. And in the current situation, when any receipt of documents entails a long bureaucratic process, it would become difficult to issue a new passport.
The main reason for worries about new documents is the fact that the biometric passport of Uzbekistan is equipped with supposedly "electronic gadgets for spies", namely:
- a special chip in which there are human fingerprints;
- digital photo of the owner;
- An electronic file that stores absolutely all the data about a person.
Many believe that these changes allow the state to exercise total control over citizens, regardless of their location. However, as experts and experts in this field assure, modern technologies available in biometric passports greatly simplify the process of identifying a person, and also contribute to improving the work of border control and provide greater security both during travel and in everyday life.
How to get a new passport?
The procedure for obtaining a document assumes that the passport of the old sample of Uzbekistan is replaced by a new biometric. So, let's look at how this event takes place.
Each citizen must personally come to the local office of the passport office, write a statement of desire to draw up a new document and pay the state fee for issuing a new passport, which is half of the minimum wage (about 60 thousand soums, which is equivalent to $ 15). Then various forms are filled in, and in a specially equipped room fingerprints are taken and photographs of the person are taken.
All citizens who have reached the age of 16 are required to issue a new biometric passport, which is valid up to 10 years. For traveling with children under the age of majority, a different kind is provided - Kinder Passport, it can be issued for both newborns and older children.
Despite its apparent simplicity, the process of obtaining documents may have some difficulties. We will discuss them below.
Features of the procedure
So, the most important thing when preparing a new document of the Republic of Uzbekistan - a passport - you need to be prepared for various kinds of conversations with civil servants. The situation is especially aggravated when a person spent a long time in another country. In this case, increased interest from the police or other authorities is possible. Questions of interest relate to the following points: what country and for what reason a person left, what kind of activity he was engaged in, and why he was absent for so long. These events are held in order to protect against extremism, terrorism and other dangerous problems of our time.
When a new passport of Uzbekistan is issued, the timing of its receipt can be different: on average, a finished document is issued within 1 month. After receiving the passport, you must appear at the passport desk with the house book, in which there are records of a person's registration at a specific address. Then, a record is made on the seventh or eighth page in the new passport, the address of the place of residence is entered, and the seal of the authority issuing the document is stamped. This completes this procedure. However, what about those citizens who are outside of Uzbekistan and are not able to come to their homeland?
Paperwork for those who live abroad
For those citizens who are in another country and do not have the opportunity to meet the deadline for replacing their passport, there is a very convenient option to do this while being outside the Republic of Uzbekistan. A passport (an embassy or consulate will advise on various issues) can be issued at any consular department located in the country in which the person lives.
The procedure for issuing a passport through the embassy takes about 2-3 hours, taking into account the queue and filling out various forms and applications. A ready passport of a citizen of Uzbekistan is issued within 30 business days. Let's look at each item of the conditions and requirements when replacing an old passport with a biometric one. So, the rules adopted by the embassy:
- The personal presence of the applicant is required.
- You should have your passport with you, a notarized translation, 3 copies of it, a 3x4 photo in 4 copies.
- Application addressed to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (passports are not issued without his consent and signature).
- Birth certificate, its notarized copy.
- Certificate of registration.
- Marriage certificate, if any.
- For minors (persons under the age of 16), attendance is required together with the parent or other legal representative, and it is necessary to add copies of birth certificates of the father and mother of the child to the package of documents.
- Receipt for payment of state duty, which is 60 US dollars.
All collected documents must be placed in a folder and transferred personally to the employee, who, in turn, must check them for errors. Upon successful completion of all papers, the consular officer accepts the folder and issues a certificate of acceptance of documents for changing the passport. Within one month, the citizen receives an email asking him to come and pick up the finished document.
Penalties for Violations
There are frequent cases when people, for various reasons, do not meet the deadlines for replacing passports. In such situations, an administrative fine is provided for under the article “Violation of the passport system”.
Its size can vary from one to three minimum wages established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. One such “minimum” is about 60 thousand soums ($ 20), respectively, the maximum fine can reach 180 thousand soums, which is equivalent to $ 60. For many elderly people in the country, this amount seems too large, which is why some pensioners still have not changed the old passport of Uzbekistan to a new one.