Biometric passport
A biometric passport of Uzbekistan is a document that serves as confirmation of identity on the territory of the state and when traveling abroad and living there. What it looks like:
- looks like a book with a dark green cover;
- at the top there is the inscription “O’zbekiston Respublikasi/Republic of Uzbekistan”;
- below “Passport/Passport” (Uzbek/English).
For residents of Karakalpakstan, which is part of the republic, an inscription in the Karakalpak language is added.
Until what year is the old passport of Uzbekistan valid in Russia?
Not all foreign citizens know that in Russia the old-style passport of a citizen of Uzbekistan expired on December 31, 2015.
That is, the old passport of Uzbekistan was valid on the territory of the Russian Federation until 2021 and it was possible to freely enter and exit the territory of the Russian Federation using it.
However, from the first day of 2021, not a single citizen of Uzbekistan who has an old-style Uzbekistan passport in his hands can no longer cross the border of the Russian Federation either for entry or exit until he exchanges his old Uzbekistan passport for a new biometric one. And it turns out:
- leaving Russia with an old Uzbekistan passport is prohibited
- Entry to Russia without a biometric passport of Uzbekistan is prohibited
Differences between passports
The new passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan has significant differences from the old document:
- The presence of a microchip that contains basic data (passport series and number, who issued it and when, year of birth and photograph). The photo is also in the book itself, but it is not pasted in, but printed, which reduces the risk of forgery.
- The first page is thicker because made of plastic to avoid document forgery.
- Contains more pages for leaving the country.
- Has important notes (about military service, about the conclusion/dissolution of a marriage, registration/extract, permission to travel abroad).
Yangi (new in Uzbek) identity card was created to simplify and speed up the identification procedure (passport data is automatically punched by a special device). This will help you pass border control faster and ensure greater safety of movement.
Details
Registration of a biometric passport for a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Russia
In order to exchange an old passport for a new one on the territory of Russia, an Uzbek citizen will be required to perform certain acts. The point is to submit a package of documentation to the consular department of the state embassy in accordance with the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Uzbekistan, the Russian Federal Migration Service and follow the ICAO recommendations; when they are implemented, they will be checked.
To process a passport exchange, citizens of Uzbekistan must be registered with the Consulate due to regular residence in the state or registration of documentation for study, employment, therapy, etc.
Failure to comply with this condition can significantly increase the time period for reconciling the documentation submitted by a foreigner, and sometimes even “freeze” the entire registration procedure.
Obtaining a biometric passport of an Uzbek citizen at the Russian Embassy involves submitting an application of the established form, a photocopy and original of an outdated passport, a disposal sheet, a universal-size photograph and a receipt for payment of the state fee.
Important! The state fee for the passport exchange procedure today will cost approximately from forty to ninety US dollars, depending on the reasons for being on the territory of the state. If the old ID card expires, the fee may increase by fifty US dollars.
For exchange procedure
a biometric identity card for a child under eighteen years of age is expected to be added to the above documentary list, plus birth certificates, originals and photocopies of parental passports.
The validity period of a biometric passport depends on the age of the future owner and has restrictions. It is replaced every year, sixteen years, and about twenty-six years.
Do not forget that there are other non-standard cases of the procedure for obtaining a biometric passport for Uzbek citizens in Russia. Undoubtedly, they are very rare and need to be coordinated by a specialist. You will also need a passport translation into Russian.
From the above we can conclude that it is recommended to carry out the passport replacement procedure before leaving abroad. Otherwise, you may face the detention of an immigrant right on the border with Russia. This will be followed by an administrative fine, expulsion without the right to re-enter the state or, possibly, detention.
To avoid such negative consequences, you will need to independently monitor the validity period of your documents or use the services of a qualified lawyer.
Receipt and replacement
The new format of the identity card was introduced on January 5, 2011 in accordance with the Decree of President I. Karimov. However, the old-style Uzbek passport was valid until the end of 2021.
For those who did not change the document in a timely manner, a fine in the amount of 1-3 minimum wages is provided. If a citizen of Uzbekistan lived in the Russian Federation and missed the deadline, then when replacing it at the Consulate he will have to pay $50. If he lost the document, then $70.
Obtaining a passport is mandatory in the following cases:
- reaching the age of sixteen;
- expiration of the previous document;
- obtaining citizenship of the republic;
- change of full name, date of birth, nationality;
- detection of false information in documentation;
- end of pages with notes;
- damage and loss.
Also, the replacement of an Uzbek passport is carried out ahead of schedule if the citizen plans to travel abroad for a long time, and the validity of the document is less than 12 months.
When living in Uzbekistan, an identity card is obtained from the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the place of registration based on the submitted package of papers:
- application on a special form;
- a previously issued document or birth certificate upon first registration;
- photo 3.5*4.5 cm (2 pcs.);
- certificate of marriage/divorce;
- receipt of payment of state duty.
Citizens temporarily staying abroad must provide the same documents. Only instead of a receipt for payment of the state duty, you need a receipt for consular and other fees. If your passport is lost, then a corresponding certificate. A document confirming the legality of being in the country is also required. Before contacting the responsible structures to obtain/replace an identity card, you need to clarify the full list of required papers, because legislation is changeable.
Attention! Photos wearing a hat or glasses are not suitable for obtaining a passport. If you wish to take photographs in this form, the documentation will be refused.
Introduction and exchange of biometrics
The biometric passport of Uzbekistan has a number of differences from the previous type of ID:
- The cover is equipped with a special chip on which the necessary information is located. This is the series and number, expiration date, who issued it and when, date of birth, color photograph. If the photo was only pasted into the previous Uzbek passport, then in biometrics, in addition to the usual photo card, it is also stored in digital format. The regular one is not glued in, but imprinted, which makes it possible to increase security against counterfeiting.
Laminated biometric passport cover.
- The validity period of such a certificate is ten years. This qualification is established for cases where a document is issued after reaching the age of sixteen. Before this age, it is issued for five years.
- The new Uzbek passport has more pages than the old one. Additional sheets are intended for making notes when traveling abroad. The first page is thicker than usual and is made of plastic. This also helps protect it from counterfeiting.
Biometric passport device.
In the Republic of Uzbekistan, they began to change their passport to a biometric document in 2011, after the Decree of the President of the country “On additional measures to improve the passport system.” Certification was divided into two stages.
According to the first, the new certificate was received by:
- employees of ministries, departments and other government agencies;
- citizens traveling or staying abroad;
- residents who need replacement due to a certain age.
The second stage is all other citizens, in accordance with the procedure established by law. Replacement of passports in Uzbekistan takes place at the biometric data collection point, which was created to carry out the exchange procedure as a unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A citizen of Uzbekistan who is in another state must contact a similar point at the consular office.
Translation of passport from Uzbek into Russian.
In order to obtain a passport of Uzbekistan, you must provide a completed application form, which indicates the basic data of an individual: full name, date of birth, registration address, details of a valid identity certificate. The questionnaire also contains detailed information about work activity over the past ten years and answers to questions about military service, criminal record, and debt obligations.
The following list of documentation should be attached to the application:
- certificate of marriage/divorce;
- birth certificate, if received for the first time;
- two photos;
- confirmation of legal presence in the country if the exchange takes place abroad.
Driver's license in Uzbekistan.
Old-style certificates became invalid in 2021. But since conservative Uzbeks were very slow to go through the exchange procedure, on February 12, 2021, an amendment was made to the law for those who are outside the republic. If their ID has not expired, they have the right to leave a foreign country without replacement until the beginning of 2021. A certificate of return will not be required, as was previously the case. They do not have the right to leave their native republic without obtaining biometrics. The cost of the new document is twenty dollars, it is issued within ten days after submitting the application.
Obtaining a passport
Despite the fact that a biometric document meets international standards and is proof of identity in any country, it is still necessary to obtain a second passport for traveling abroad. It replaces exit visas, which are also called authorization stickers. Looks similar to a Russian passport. Its cover is also dark red.
For many, it is unclear why waste time on obtaining a foreign passport if the biometric one is essentially the same. After all, you can simply cancel the permit stickers. Visas are intended to restrict the exit from the country of certain categories of citizens: those who had access to state secrets, against whom a criminal case has been initiated or a statement of claim has been filed. Also, persons who are under the control of law enforcement agencies or who must undergo military service cannot leave Uzbekistan freely.
It is unrealistic to limit the possibility of obtaining a primary passport. But it is quite possible to refuse to extradite a foreigner. Thanks to this, the state reserves the right to restrict the travel of citizens abroad.
To obtain a foreign passport you need:
- application in 2 copies;
- a copy and original of the internal passport or birth certificate, if the citizen is under 16;
- previously issued passport (if available);
- a copy of the military and registration certificate;
- photograph 3.5*4.5 mm (2 pcs.);
- receipt of payment of the duty;
- decision of the responsible structure (when seizing a biometric passport as material evidence);
- consent of parents/guardians/trustees, certified by a notary office (for minors);
- notarized commitment of the person accompanying the minor.
Cost of obtaining a passport:
- 243,276 soums for citizens over 16 years of age;
- 162,184 soums for those who have not reached the specified age;
- 202,730 soums for people who do not have citizenship, but reside permanently in the territory of the republic.
How long does it take to get a passport:
- for 10 years, provided that the person is already sixteen;
- for 2 years, when the document is issued to a child from birth to 12 months;
- for 5 years if the recipient is more than a year old but under 16.
For reference! Persons 15-18 years old can travel outside the state independently, unaccompanied, if they have the consent of the persons responsible for them.
What should foreigners who are in the Russian Federation do: how to leave for Uzbekistan using an old passport?
In order for a foreign citizen to be able to travel with an old Uzbekistan passport, he needs to obtain a return certificate or exchange the old Uzbekistan passport for a new biometric passport.
A certificate of return to the Republic of Uzbekistan is a document that gives a foreign citizen temporarily abroad the right to enter Uzbekistan.
A certificate of return to the homeland is issued to citizens of Uzbekistan in cases where the validity of a travel document abroad has expired, as well as in the event of loss or damage to a travel document.
Upon arrival in Uzbekistan, a certificate of return to your homeland must be submitted to the internal affairs authorities at your place of permanent residence to issue a new biometric passport of Uzbekistan.
OVIR stickers
This is an exit visa, which was glued into the passport itself (since 2011 into the biometric one). From January 2021, the issuance of stickers has been cancelled. Those that have already been issued are valid until the deadline indicated on them.
The introduction of foreign passports instead of exit visas is much more convenient for citizens, because The first document is issued for a period of 10 years for those who have turned 16 (5 years for younger people). OVIR stickers were valid only for 2 years. Their term did not depend on how old the citizen was. In addition, the procedure for obtaining an exit visa is quite labor-intensive. It is necessary to provide information about the purpose of the trip, a good description, etc.
If you have an unexpired exit visa, you cannot use it together with a new passport to travel abroad. In one of his interviews, the head of the department of the Migration and Citizenship Registration Department of the Tashkent City Internal Affairs Directorate, Lieutenant Colonel Sanzhar Kosimov, said that this is prohibited at the legislative level. If a new biometric passport is received, the inscription “Cancelled” is affixed to the existing visa. Documents for its registration can be submitted no earlier than 6 months before the expiration of the OVIR sticker.
Do you want to get a passport in 1.5 months? Welcome to Tashkent region
In Uzbekistan, from January 1, 2021, they began issuing foreign passports instead of the OVIR sticker. According to the presidential decree of December 26, 2021 “On measures to further improve the passport system in the Republic of Uzbekistan,” a biometric passport must be produced within ten working days, but, as it turned out, this period is not enough for some regions.
In the capital, there are no problems obtaining a biometric passport for traveling abroad; in some areas it is issued in five to seven days. The same cannot be said about the Department of Migration and Registration of Citizenship of the Chirchik City Department of Internal Affairs of the Tashkent Region, where for a photo for a foreign passport you need to wait 20 days or stand in line for three to four days. Want to see blood, sweat and screams all over the block? Then welcome here.
What time does it start?
Early in the morning, citizens line up in different offices, where everyone asks each other which one is best for them to go to and what documents are needed. No sign about working days and hours, no information about the necessary documents, nothing. This is how people signed up for the wrong rooms at seven o’clock in the morning, which started a scandal in the institution.
On the second day, as expected, from seven in the morning my name was on the list and the people coming still asked who should go and where. There were two hours left before the opening of the treasured gates, and the list was getting longer and longer. The large flow of people was explained by the fact that one “device” for photos and fingerprints is distributed not only for the city of Chirchik, but also for Bostanlyk, Yukorichirchik and Parkent districts. This caused a lot of discontent among those present.
What's wrong with international passports?
An editorial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, spoke about the problem of the foreign passport system in Uzbekistan. According to him, the main problem is that the system was created by those people who have no idea how it should work.
It is not clear what and how is happening. For example, after receiving a biometric passport, a person may lose it, and to restore it, he submits an application. If a citizen writes in the application that he has never received a passport, then all the necessary information about him appears. If it is discovered that there was a passport, such an action is equivalent to giving false testimony and forgery of documents. Now there is no such opportunity in the international passport system,” the source noted.
According to the source, there is no full accounting like the passport system, since no one knows how to do it. Processing of international passports is slow and you have to manually search for all the necessary data in two databases. And the process of obtaining international passports is long due to additional checks by regulatory authorities.
The equipment used to print biopassports is expensive. The price from the manufacturer of fingerprint scanners will start from two to three thousand dollars. Servers also cost a lot of money.
When asked why foreign passports are the same as biometric ones, the source said that foreign passports are also made on the same equipment where biopassports are printed. As for quality, Uzbek passports use high-quality cotton paper, which is difficult to counterfeit.
Another problem with a foreign passport, according to the source, is that if it is lost outside the country, you need to contact the consular department of the Uzbek Embassy, where the citizen is issued a certificate of return to their homeland. This is where the “mess” begins due to the lack of a unified base, and even after arriving in your country, difficulties arise. A foreign passport is a very raw product.
Mess
When the long-awaited hour arrived, the entire crowd rushed into the treasured building. The building, rotten both outside and inside, with old Soviet doors, only one of which was modern, was filled with people in a matter of minutes. The gates opened at 8:30 am, and people waited until 9:20 am. Near the treasured office number 105, where passport photographs are taken, the line was the longest. When asked by citizens about what time the working day would begin, one of the employees of the passport office in the city of Chirchik silently looked at everyone and did not answer anything.
The first two people from the list entered the office without any problems, and then all the fun began. It turned out that the head of the Department of Migration and Registration of Citizenship of the Chirchik City Department of Internal Affairs, Jakhongir Mirkamilov, gave citizens license plates that indicated the serial number, date and time. Based on this data, the holders of the license plates came to take a photo. It turns out that people who were waiting 20 days for their turn at home wanted to enter the office at the time assigned to them, which slowed down the flow of people from the list.
The two-hour wait continued, and people began to worry. In addition to all this, the passport office employee did not allow people from the “live” queue and stated that his superiors had forbidden him to accept people without license plates. The citizens mutually agreed that people from both the list and those with serial numbers would enter through one. But the employee kicked the citizens out again, after which the scandal still took place.
Promise from above
When the time was approaching 10 o’clock, patience was running out, and I decided to call the numbers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs indicated on the poster. As often happens, none of the required numbers answered, and to find the right one I had to call nine different contacts.
The helpline answered after ten minutes on hold. The operator accepted the request with the note “consider urgently,” but clarified that complaints are usually considered within ten days. Encouraging. Perhaps by the fall I will be able to get a passport, I thought.
Next, having reached the deputy head of the Main Directorate of Migration and Registration of Citizenship, I heard on the phone a promise that the head of the passport office of the Chirchik City Department of Internal Affairs would call me and help me resolve my issue.
They called me 20 minutes after another call to the same person. Do you know what actions the boss took? He explained to me that people were complaining about the number plates, since with them you have to wait in line for a photo for as long as 20 days, and he suggested that they wait in line until six o’clock in the evening. It was after six that the reception of citizens in the “live” queue began. But there is no guarantee that more than 80 people from the list will be able to enter the coveted office that evening.
This is how the system for obtaining foreign passports works in some places, and hence the problem of resolving citizens’ complaints. In the end, nothing was done, nor was it possible to take a photo. And we are talking about a fairly standard procedure, not to mention citizens who urgently need to obtain a document. Considering that under the standard scenario it should be issued within ten days, a month and a half wait turns into a disaster.
Where is the justice and what should a person with children, the elderly or working people do? Standing in line is half the battle; you also need to withstand the heat and the constant attempts of some unscrupulous citizens to jump the line, and this is a huge stress.
The question is, why do you need to endure all this? This question remains unanswered and it is unknown whether it will be resolved at all.
Author: Rigina Madzhitova
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Foreign passport of Uzbekistan, extract for permanent residence, departure ticket
Clarifications on the issue of obtaining a new biometric passport for traveling abroad
From January 1, 2021, a new biometric passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan for traveling abroad (foreign) will be put into circulation. At the same time, the issuance of a permit sticker for traveling abroad is canceled.
A biometric passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan for traveling abroad (foreign) is issued: - for persons permanently registered in Uzbekistan - in the internal affairs bodies at the place of permanent registration; – for persons who have registered for travel abroad (confirmed by a certificate of departure from Uzbekistan to the Russian Federation for permanent residence) and who are registered with consular authorities - at the place of consular registration in diplomatic missions or consular offices of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Russia.
At the same time, we clarify that the current biometric passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan remains valid and will be used by citizens of Uzbekistan in Russia for residence, registration, obtaining a temporary stay permit, residence permit, carrying out any legal transactions, except for travel to non-CIS countries - until expiration of the passport.
A valid biometric passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan, if it contains a sticker of permission to travel abroad, can be used for trips to foreign countries - until the sticker expires. If you enter foreign countries with a valid sticker, this passport is valid for staying in these countries and traveling from one country with a visa regime to another foreign country - until the passport expires.
A valid biometric passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan is valid for travel from Uzbekistan to Russia and other CIS countries (with which a visa-free regime has been established) - until January 1, 2021, and if it contains a sticker of an authorization record for traveling abroad to non-CIS countries - until sticker expiration date.
Citizens of Uzbekistan permanently residing abroad and having an indefinite sticker of permission to travel abroad for permanent residence can use their biometric passports to travel to countries near and far abroad - until the passport expires.
For citizens located in countries near and far abroad, a valid biometric passport of a citizen of the Republic of Uzbekistan is valid for returning to Uzbekistan - until the passport expires
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RESOLUTION
P R E Z I D E N T A
REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
December 26, 2018
N PP-4079
https://nrm.uz/contentf?doc=575788_postanovlenie_prezidenta_respubliki_uzbekistan_ot_26_12_2018_g_n_pp-4079_o_dalneyshih_merah_po_sozdaniyu_sistemy_oformleniya_i_vydachi_biometricheskogo_pasporta_grajdanina_respubliki_uz bekistan_dlya_vyezda_za_granicu_i_modernizacii_biometricheskoy_pasportnoy_sistemy_respubliki_uzbekistan&products=1_vse_zakonodatelstvo_uzbekistana
POSITION
on the procedure for traveling abroad for citizens of the Republic of Uzbekistan
https://nrm.uz/contentf?doc=575817_polojenie_o_poryadke_vyezda_za_granicu_grajdan_respubliki_uzbekistan_(prilojenie_n_1_k_postanovleniyu_prezidenta_ruz_ot_26_12_2018_g_n_pp-4079)
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The amount of state duty for obtaining a foreign passport is: 120% of the minimum wage (243,276 soums).
The state fee for obtaining a foreign passport for children under 16 years of age is 80% of the minimum wage (162,184 soums).
For stateless persons permanently residing in Uzbekistan, regardless of their age, the state duty is 100% of the minimum wage (202,730 soums).
(information for January 2021)
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According to the presidential decree of December 26, 2021 “On measures to further improve the passport system in the Republic of Uzbekistan,” the following documents are submitted to obtain a biometric passport for traveling abroad during a temporary departure to a collection point:
Spoiler
application form in the established form in two copies;
copy and original of a biometric passport (kinderpassport) and birth certificate for citizens under 16 years of age;
a copy of a military or registration certificate (for those liable for military service);
receipt of payment of state duty;
two photos 3.5x4.5;
previously issued biometric passport for traveling abroad (if available);
decision of the authorized body (when seizing a biometric passport for traveling abroad as material evidence);
notarized consent of the parent (the child is entered into the form of one of the parents, and the other gives notarized consent) of the guardians (trustees) for the citizen to travel abroad (for minors)
notarized obligation of the person accompanying the citizen (for minors);
Citizens aged 15 to 18 years can travel abroad unaccompanied if they have a notarized consent of parents, guardians (trustees) for the minor to travel independently.
The processing time for a passport is 10 days.
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When applying for permanent residence, you must obtain an international passport of Uzbekistan
When applying for a biometric passport to travel abroad for permanent residence, the following must also be submitted to the collection point:
notarized consent of the parents and spouse (except for cases of joint departure), as well as former spouses, if there are minor children from the joint marriage, and in cases of their death or missing absence - a copy of the death certificate or a court decision recognizing the person as missing.
Duty 120% minimum wage (243,276 soums)