Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan has increased fines for conducting Muslim marriage ceremonies, known as nikah, without prior state registration of the marriage at a civil registry office. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the relevant law, which has been published in the national legislation database.
The amendments affect Article 47-3 of Uzbekistan’s Code of Administrative Responsibility, which covers violations of legislation on the legal age for marriage and marriage procedures. The law was adopted by the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis, approved by the Senate and entered into force upon official publication.
Under the new rules, the fine for conducting a nikah without state registration has increased from 15–30 to 30–50 basic calculation units (BCUs). According to estimates cited in the original report, this is equivalent to approximately US$1,200–1,840.
Fines for entering into marriage before the age of 18 have also been increased by 10–15 BCUs, equivalent to approximately US$400–550, according to the source data.
In 2017, Uzbekistan prohibited imams from conducting Muslim marriage ceremonies without prior registration at a civil registry office. In 2023, the country also introduced administrative liability for promoting polygamy, with penalties including detention for up to 15 days.
