Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 11 July, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the Law “On the Registration of Citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Foreign Citizens, and Stateless Persons at Their Place of Residence and Stay.”

The law introduces a series of amendments to the Code of Administrative Responsibility, specifically revising and softening penalties for violations of passport regulations and residency rules in the country. The updated provisions took effect immediately upon the President’s signature.

Article 223 of the Code has been revised:

Living without a valid passport or ID card, or with expired documents requiring renewal — whether by Uzbek citizens, foreign nationals, or stateless persons — is now punishable by a fine of ½ of the basic estimated value (BEV). Previously, fines ranged from ½ to 3 BEV. Repeat offenses within a year will incur a fine of 3 BEV (formerly 5 BEV).

A standard fine of 1 BEV is now applied for the loss or damage of a passport, ID card, or foreign passport, including documents held by foreign nationals and stateless persons. This replaces the previous range of ½ to 3 BEV. A second offense within a year increases the fine to 5 BEV.

The fine for living without registration at a place of residence or stay is now set at 3 BEV (previously from ½ to 3 BEV). Repeat violations will result in a 5 BEV fine.

Persons allowing others — citizens or foreigners — to reside in their home without documents or registration remain subject to a fine of 5 BEV. A repeat offense doubles the fine to 10 BEV.

The law also defines several categories of individuals exempt from administrative liability:

– Minors under the age of 18;

– Elderly persons aged 60 and above;

– Citizens fully supported by the state;

– Victims of emergencies, natural or man-made disasters, or domestic incidents (fires, destroyed housing, etc.);

– Accused or defendants whose documents have been suspended by court order;

– Individuals serving prison terms or those who applied for document restoration within one month of release;

– Persons who lost documents as a result of a crime committed against them;

– Citizens who lost documents while performing official or civic duties, or due to force majeure or lawful self-defense — provided proper documentation is submitted.

Additionally, Article 223-3 of the Code now sets a new fixed fine of 2 BEV for pledging a passport or ID card as collateral — a significant reduction from the previous 10–15 BEV range.

Illegal confiscation of a passport or ID card now carries a set fine of 10 BEV (previously between 10 and 15 BEV).