New Legislative Norms in Uzbekistan to Take Effect from 1 February 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The portal norma.uz published an overview of key changes to national legislation in Uzbekistan, which will come into force on 1 February 2026. The reforms touch on social policy, youth support, entrepreneurship, transportation, digitalization, and public services.

Among the measures, participatory funding of community initiatives will be supported by the state: if citizens cover 50% of project costs, the remainder will be funded from the republican budget, and such projects will automatically be recognized as winners.

A new information system, the “Unified Electronic Youth Platform,” will begin operation, designed to conduct sociological surveys, provide information on benefits and opportunities for youth, and facilitate all administrative procedures related to social assistance within the “Youth Notebook” program.

Based on the “Unified Social Protection Register” and the Register of Low-Income Families, a Unified Social Register will be created. This will serve as the main tool for identifying recipients of social support and assessing their socio-economic status. Comprehensive social assistance packages will be provided to families under state support, and appeal councils will be established at district and city hokimiyats to quickly resolve disputes regarding inclusion in social registers.

A professional foster care service will also be established for children in socially dangerous situations or subjected to abuse.

In public and digital services, foreign citizens will be able to receive VAT refunds in cash upon leaving Uzbekistan. Additionally, the issuance of electronic digital signature certificates integrated into ID cards during initial registration will be provided free of charge.

Several changes affect transportation. Special serial state license plates will be introduced for certain vehicle categories, including heavy trucks, specialized equipment, and antique vehicles. Vehicles older than 50 years will be prohibited from operation and re-registration and will be removed from the state register. Transport companies will be able to submit claims through the EPIGU (my.gov.uz) system for compensation of losses on unprofitable regular minibus routes.

In education and culture, the program “Book — Source of Enlightenment” will be launched, with government-promoted reading campaigns equated to social advertising. Applicants for driving licenses in categories “A” and “B” will be allowed to study the theoretical portion of the training program independently.

For youth included in the Register of Low-Income Families, a social contract with the state will be implemented, providing additional financial support and benefits. At the same time, a proactive legislation principle is introduced: through the platform Lex.uz, entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals will receive updates on new regulatory acts affecting their activities.

Additional measures include reduced fees for seismic research reports, stricter requirements for certain categories of jewelry manufacturers, and the completion of discounts for trading precious metals on stock exchanges.

Separately, it is noted that the national population census will conclude on 28 February 2026.