- Uzbekistan’s legislature approved administrative liability for foreign nationals and stateless persons working without valid permits.
- Repeat immigration offenders face a three-year entry restriction under the sharpened enforcement framework.
- The newly established Migration Control Service will track tourist visa holders working illegally across the country.
Uzbekistan's Legislative Chamber passed a bill in first reading on July 15, 2026, creating administrative liability for foreign nationals and stateless people who work without work permits. The draft sharpens penalties around illegal hiring. It also points repeat offenders toward a 3-year entry restriction.
The draft lands on top of an older rule set. Separate migration rules already let officials fine foreigners for overstays, and some immigration cases can end in expulsion.
A legislative update published on Lex.uz on June 23, 2026, sets the latest employer-side sanctions. One base calculation value is about UZS 1,050,000, or about $85. The scale is still pegged to BCV.
Foreigners face a separate track for stay violations. The penalties climb fast. Short delays cost less than longer overstays.
Lawful hiring still runs in two steps. Employers secure permission first, then the foreign worker gets individual confirmation. It is a layered process.
Review power sits with the State Labor Inspectorate, internal affairs bodies, and local criminal courts. The net is wider. In April 2026, Behzod Musayev, director of the Migration Agency, announced a specialized Migration Control Service to track foreign workers and people who come on tourist visas and then work illegally.
The fines already on the books
| Conduct | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Foreign national or stateless person working without authorization | Administrative liability under the July 15 first-reading bill |
| Citizens violating the rules on attracting and using foreign labor | 5 to 10 BCV |
| Officials violating the rules on attracting and using foreign labor | 10 to 25 BCV |
| Repeat violation by citizens | 10 to 15 BCV |
| Repeat violation by officials | 25 to 50 BCV |
| Overstay up to 10 days | 5 BCV |
| Overstay more than 10 but not more than 30 days | 15 BCV |
| Overstay more than 30 days | 25 BCV |
| Repeat violations in some immigration cases | Administrative expulsion and a 3-year re-entry ban |
Tourist arrivals and hiring rules are being watched together
In the first half of 2026, Uzbekistan welcomed over 6.5 million foreign tourists. Officials tied the new control service to people who enter on tourist visas and then work outside the rules. The flow kept rising.
A separate bill passed on July 14, 2026, would simplify the hiring of authorized workers by using PINFL as the primary identifier and dropping physical paper history requirements. The lawful route is getting faster. The penalty route is getting sharper.
