Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Customs officers at Tashkent International Airport have uncovered attempts by three passengers arriving from Dubai to illegally bring 14 new iPhone smartphones into Uzbekistan, the Tashkent-AERO customs post said.
Between 20 and 22 September, officers at the Tashkent International Airport border customs post found eight iPhone 18 smartphones and six iPhone 17 devices in the passengers’ possession. The total value of the undeclared devices was 227 million soums.
According to customs authorities, the passengers did not declare the mobile devices either during the oral questioning or in their passenger customs declarations. Checks into the cases are continuing.
Under the current rules, individuals may bring up to two mobile devices into the country for personal use. If the value of imported goods exceeds the established duty-free allowance, a unified customs payment of 30% is charged on the amount exceeding the allowance.
Mobile devices brought into Uzbekistan from abroad must be listed in the passenger customs declaration. The declaration is subsequently used as the basis for registering the device in the UZIMEI system.
Customs authorities also remind passengers that when a phone is declared upon entry, the 30% unified customs payment applies only to the portion of its value exceeding the established duty-free allowance.
If a device is brought into the country outside customs control, the payment is calculated based on the phone’s full value.
Since the beginning of 2026, Tashkent-AERO customs officers have prevented the illegal import of 162 mobile devices with a total value of 7.8 billion soums.
Customs authorities urged citizens returning from abroad to list all imported mobile devices in their passenger customs declarations.
