Uzbekistan Registers 97.8 Million IMEI Codes Through UzIMEI

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — More than 97.8 million IMEI codes have been registered in Uzbekistan since the launch of the UzIMEI system, while payments for registration have exceeded 3 trillion soums, Otabek Azimov, head of a department at the Republican Centre for Telecommunications Network Management, told Gazeta.uz on 24 August on the sidelines of the Silk Road Finance & Technology Forum.

The IMEI registration system for mobile devices was introduced in Uzbekistan in 2019. Registration procedures and fees are set by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 778. Importers pay 20% of the basic calculated value, or 82,400 soums, while individuals pay between 20% and 25% of the basic calculated value, up to 103,000 soums. A device may be blocked if it is not registered within the established one-month period.

According to the data, 47.6 million IMEI codes, or 48.7% of all codes registered over the entire period, were registered automatically and free of charge during the system’s first year of operation. Importers accounted for 30.4 million codes, local manufacturers for 779,000 and individuals for 19.03 million.

Samsung devices account for the largest number of registrations, with 35.5 million IMEI codes. Xiaomi follows with 18.1 million, Nokia with 7.7 million, Apple with 5.8 million and Huawei with 2.4 million.

Smartphones make up the majority of registered devices, at 72.5 million. The system also includes 20.3 million feature phones, 1.4 million tablets, 238,000 portable devices and about 3,000 other devices. Another 366,300 devices were undergoing registration when the data were provided, while the number of blocked devices reached 20.1 million.

Total payments for IMEI registration have exceeded 3 trillion soums. Revenue amounted to 6.4 billion soums in 2019, 233.7 billion in 2020, 309.4 billion in 2021, 425.5 billion in 2022, 509.5 billion in 2023, 606.7 billion in 2024 and 694 billion soums in 2025. From January through July 2026, payments totalled 459.6 billion soums.

Centre representatives said the funds are directed to the state budget as well as to operating the system, maintaining and upgrading server equipment, developing the telecommunications sector and paying employees. Part of the funds is used to improve communications quality in remote areas.

Azimov said importers currently account for about 95% of mobile devices brought into Uzbekistan, while individuals bring in the remaining 5% for personal use. The centre believes the system creates conditions for the development of official retail trade and mobile-device servicing.

There is currently no official Apple store in Uzbekistan. According to Azimov, negotiations on the issue have been ongoing for more than a year. He said an official company store could open in the country once the relevant matters are agreed.

The share of legally imported mobile phones currently stands at 93%, according to the centre. The agency also said that abolishing the IMEI registration fee is not planned. Centre press service head Ahmadjon Orifjonov said that under a free-registration system, the costs of maintaining the system would have to be covered by the state budget.

Buyers of phones officially imported by importers do not pay a separate IMEI registration fee. The registration status of a device can be checked using its IMEI code, which is indicated on the packaging.

The system also uses Face ID to combat the illegal import of mobile devices. Azimov said passport details of people crossing the border were initially used for registration, but the data later began to be sold on the illegal market. Additional identification using Face ID and a phone number was introduced to prevent such cases.

Alongside IMEI registration payments, the state also receives customs payments from official imports of mobile devices. According to data cited by Gazeta.uz, their total amount exceeded 5 trillion soums in 2019-2025 and January-July 2026. Revenue amounted to 1.4045 trillion soums in 2025 and 1.2663 trillion soums in the first seven months of 2026.

Mandatory registration of mobile devices using IMEI codes is carried out by Information Technology Center LLC. According to publicly available data, 51% of the company is owned by US-based Delta Telecom International, while 49% belongs to the Republican Centre for Telecommunications Network Management. In 2024, a decision was made to put the state-owned stake up for sale as part of plans for the company’s full privatisation.