Uzbekistan to introduce separate passports for overseas trips

According to him, acting biometric passports in Uzbekistan will not be recognized as foreign ones.

"The procedure for issuing an exit document is different from the procedure for issuing an internal passport," he said. In addition, the foreign passport will differ both in structure and in number of pages.

All citizens must have an internal passport, regardless of whether there are any restrictions on their travel abroad, including in connection with the investigation, Turakhodjaev said.

Foreign passports are necessary for the security of each state, since the state is responsible for every departing citizen. This is also stipulated by the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). "There are many such nuances," the head of the GPC stressed.

Speaking about the introduction of ID-cards, Najmiddin Turakhodjaev said that until 20 March, a draft regulatory legal act will be developed, which will envisage stage-by-stage introduction of ID cards.

"We fully support implementation of ID-cards, they are easy to use. But it takes some time to create the appropriate infrastructure, take into account the technological processes, "he explained.

Uzbekistan plans to introduce foreign passports starting from 1 January 2019. The passports will be issued for 10 years. Uzbekistan abolishes procedure to issue stickers, allowing to travel abroad.

After 1 January 2019, Uzbek citizens will be able to enter countries with a visa regime on their national passport before the expiration date of the sticker. In the states, for entry into which no visa is required, the current passport can be used until 1 January 2021.