Uzbekistan’s Interior Ministry to Transform Migration Units into “Smart” Service Centers with AI and Self-Service

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In Uzbekistan, migration and personal identification units within the Ministry of Internal Affairs will gradually be transformed into “service centers” offering citizens more accessible and higher-quality services based on principles of efficiency and transparency.

This initiative is outlined in a presidential decree signed by Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 19 January, aimed at bringing the work of the Interior Ministry in migration and personal identification to a new level through digitalization.

The Department of Migration and Personalization, formerly known as the Main Directorate for Migration and Citizenship, has been tasked with launching experimental “Smart Migration Stations” from 1 May. These stations will utilize artificial intelligence technologies and provide self-service capabilities.

Initially, such stations will operate within migration units in one district or city of Tashkent, Samarkand, and Ferghana regions, as well as in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Following the pilot, the network of “smart” stations is expected to expand next year to other regions, including locations in shopping and entertainment centers and key tourist zones.

From 1 February, citizens receiving their national ID card for the first time will automatically receive a free electronic digital signature certificate and will be registered in the Unified User Identification System of the “e-Government” platform.

From 1 May, the department will have the authority to extend the validity of an electronic visa for foreign nationals and stateless persons entering Uzbekistan on an e-visa once, for up to 30 days. Migration units will also be able to extend visas and residence registration for foreign citizens at educational institutions where they study or at companies and organizations where they work, on a contractual basis funded by these institutions.

The department will additionally be authorized to issue work permits to foreign nationals in Uzbekistan. From 1 September, a composite procedure will be introduced allowing students to register their place of residence while simultaneously concluding agreements for accommodation in student dormitories.

By 1 August, a mobile application called “Passport-Visa” will be launched, providing electronic government services, online legal consultations in the field of migration and personal identification, and information about units with low workloads. At the same time, the “E-Rozilik” platform will go live, allowing remote identity verification and consent confirmation via Face-ID for government services requiring third-party approval.

Starting in September, the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services My.Gov.uz and government service centers will offer new services, including invitations for compatriots and their family members living abroad, issuance of biometric travel documents for stateless persons, and cancellation of residence registration upon request by property owners or registered citizens.