Uzbekistan Cuts Deadline to Legalize Squatted Land, Buildings to 50 Days

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Major legislative amendments have officially entered into force in Uzbekistan, designed to radically accelerate and simplify the procedure for legalizing squatted land plots, as well as residential houses, buildings, and structures erected on them.

The corresponding Law No. ZRU-1153 was signed and entered into force on 15 June 2026. The document is aimed at reducing bureaucracy, increasing the personal responsibility of employees at authorized agencies, and creating maximum convenience for citizens.

The new act introduces precise amendments and additions to two basic laws of the republic: "On the recognition of rights to arbitrarily seized land plots and buildings and structures built on them" (ZRU-937 dated 5 August 2024) and "On state registration of rights to immovable property" (ZRU-803 dated 28 November 2022). The reform eliminates key barriers that the population faced when trying to register their rights.

One of the main innovations is an unprecedented threefold reduction in the total timeframe for reviewing applications from citizens. Instead of the previously effective 150 days, the procedure is now legally limited to 50 days. In addition, legislators specified in detail the legal framework of the concept of "citizens' tax arrears," significantly improved out-of-court mechanisms for reviewing complaints against decisions of state bodies, and clearly regulated the conditions for granting installment plans.

An important step toward the population is the expansion of the timeframe for the so-called "construction amnesty." The deadline for erecting buildings that fall under the simplified procedure for recognizing rights has been officially extended by another six months, from the previous 1 July 1998 to 1 January 1999.

Furthermore, to reduce the financial burden on citizens, the state has allowed the mandatory one-off payment for the recognition of leasehold rights to a land plot to be paid not only as a single tranche, but also in parts under flexible installment terms.