Work Permit for Foreign Employees in Uzbekistan in 2026: Fees, Timelines, Exemptions

A work permit for a foreign employee in Uzbekistan has been a single document since 2022: the confirmation of the right to engage in labor activity. It is issued by the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction on an application filed through the Litsenziya information system or my.gov.uz, and the regulatory review period is 15 working days. State fees for most categories run from 2 to 31 BRV, that is from UZS 880,000 to UZS 13,640,000 at a BRV of UZS 440,000 (as of the publication date — October 2026).

The confirmation is valid for the term of the employment contract: up to 3 years for highly qualified and qualified specialists and up to 1 year for most other workers. It is not required for residence permit holders, for specialists of IT Park residents, or for an investor who has put in at least 8,500 BRV (to work in the company that received the funds); founders of foreign and joint enterprises are exempt for the first 3 months.

Key points

• One document. There has been no separate employer permit since 1 March 2022; the only document is the confirmation under Annex 20 to the Unified Regulation (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 86).
• 15 working days. This is the regulatory review period; the check by the territorial office, which looks for local candidates, takes 5 working days.
• The price depends on the category. 1 BRV for review plus 1, 2, 5 or 30 BRV for issuance.
• Salary often decides. A qualified specialist needs a salary equivalent to at least USD 30,000 a year, a highly qualified specialist at least USD 60,000. Below the threshold the foreigner falls into the “other” category (a fee roughly 10 times higher and a one-year term), unless another preferential category or an exemption applies.
• A founder-director gets 3 months. Founders of foreign and joint enterprises, including first heads, may work without the confirmation during this time. An investor who has put in at least 8,500 BRV may work in any position in the organization that received the funds, without permit procedures.
• The contract is tied to the confirmation. It cannot run longer than the confirmation and terminates on the day the confirmation expires (Articles 524–525 of the Labor Code).

What is out of date: then and now

Many guides were written before the reforms of 2022–2025.

Worker categories: what drives the fee and the term

The category determines the fee, the term of the confirmation, the multiple-entry work visa and the right to hold a second job. The criteria for highly qualified (HQS) and qualified (QS) specialists are set by Presidential Resolution PR-4008 of 07.11.2018; the rates and terms are in Annex 20 to CMR No. 86.

An engineer with a university degree and 5 years of experience on a salary of USD 2,000 a month is an “other” worker, while at USD 2,500 a month the same engineer is a qualified specialist: a fee 10 times lower, a term three times longer, and a visa that can be extended without leaving the country. The salary must be real. If pay is set in soums, build in a margin above the threshold for exchange-rate swings, and confirm the method of conversion into dollars on the filing date.

How much a work permit costs in Uzbekistan in 2026

The rates come from Annex 20; the sums are at a BRV of UZS 440,000 under Presidential Decree PD-115, in force from 1 September 2026 (as of the publication date — October 2026).

The multipliers have not changed since at least January 2025 (CMR No. 30); the sums rose with the BRV. Under the general rules of the Unified Regulation, an application without payment of the review fee is not accepted, and the issuance fee is paid within 30 days of the notice of the decision. The visa, registration and preparation of documents are paid separately; check the BRV on the filing date.

Step by step: from offer to first working day

• Determine the category. Match the diploma, experience and salary to the criteria. If no preferential category fits, budget for 31 BRV and a one-year term.
• Check the candidate’s visa and registration. Citizens of visa-requiring countries need a valid entry visa, and a copy is filed with the application. In Uzbekistan the candidate registers at the place of stay no later than 3 working days after entry (Law ZRU-1074, Art. 7). With an expired visa, or without registration for more than 3 days, the application will not be accepted (para. 9(d) of Annex 20).
• Prepare a draft employment contract with the salary. The contract term may not exceed the term of the confirmation (Art. 524 of the Labor Code), and the employee must be at least 18 (Art. 522 of the Labor Code).
• File the application with the documents from the list below and pay 1 BRV for review through the Litsenziya information system or my.gov.uz. The applicant may be the employer (a legal entity or an individual) or the foreigner personally.
• Pass the labor market check. The territorial office looks for local candidates; from 1 July 2026 the Ministry may also request opinions of other bodies.
• Receive the decision and pay the issuance fee within 30 days of the notice.
• Obtain a multiple-entry work visa (for HQS and QS) and keep the registration current. The visa is issued for the term of the contract, but for no more than 3 years; extend the registration for the new visa term.
• Sign the employment contract. A foreigner may not work without the confirmation (Art. 523 of the Labor Code).

Documents for the confirmation

The list is in paragraph 5 of Annex 20, and everything is filed electronically.

• Application: the foreigner’s details and education and address in Uzbekistan; the employer’s TIN or PINFL; the position, salary and payment frequency.
• Electronic copy of the passport and a 3×4 cm photo.
• Draft employment contract stating the salary.
• Qualification documents. For HQS and QS, the diploma and proof of work experience establish the category. Diplomas of universities in the top thousand of the ranking are recognized without testing (PR-4008, para. 6).
• Copy of the entry visa for citizens of visa-requiring countries: work visa “E”, “A-2” for teachers, business visa “B-1” or “B-2”, service visa “S-3”, or a compatriot visa.
• For brand specialists: under PR-286, documents under the contract with the brand owner; for international brands, proof of work at a branded organization.

Who does not need the confirmation

The main exemptions are in paragraph 12 of Annex 20, in PR-4008 and in the TIFC law. Visa rules, registration and taxes still apply.

If you are hiring developers, start with IT Park resident status and our breakdown of the IT visa for specialists and their families. For hiring at the financial centre, see the article on the TIFC.

Foreign director: the first 3 months and what comes next

A foreign founder who opens an LLC (see registering an LLC with a foreign founder) often becomes its director. The exemption in paragraph 12 covers founders of a foreign or joint enterprise, including those who hold the post of first head, so check the company’s status against its constituent documents in advance. A founder who is an individual works as director for the first 3 months without a confirmation. On the literal text, the exemption does not extend to a hired director who is not among the founders — apply for the confirmation at once.

After 3 months there are three routes:

• Confirmation as HQS or QS. The fee is UZS 880,000 or UZS 1,320,000 and the term is up to 3 years. File in the second month: allow 15 working days plus the time needed to obtain experience documents.
• The investment exemption. An investment of at least 8,500 BRV through a share or participation interest, or the creation of a foreign enterprise, supported by documents.
• Residence permit. The grounds available to investors are covered in the article on a residence permit for investment. An HQS and family members can, at their option, receive a residence permit for the term of the employment contract (PR-4008, para. 3(e)).

Otherwise, with a salary below USD 30,000 a year, the director falls into the “other” category: UZS 13,640,000 and one year. Plan the director’s remuneration already at company registration; branches and representative offices have their own rules.

Employer obligations after hiring

Under paragraph 9 of Annex 20 and Articles 523–526 of the Labor Code, the employer must:

• Notify the Ministry within one week of changes in the details, the dismissal of the foreigner and the liquidation of the organization.
• Terminate the contract on the day the confirmation expires, and, if it is annulled, on the day the notice is received (Art. 525 of the Labor Code).
• Not arrange part-time work without a separate confirmation. This does not apply to HQS and QS.
• Remember the 30 working days. After early termination of the contract, HQS and QS have 30 working days to find a new employer, and the confirmation, visa and residence permit remain valid for that period.
• Keep the number of foreigners within real need and insure the employer’s civil liability.

Fines are set by Article 49⁴ of the Code of Administrative Liability: individuals 5–10 BRV (UZS 2.2–4.4 million), officials 10–25 BRV (UZS 4.4–11 million); for a repeat offence within a year, 10–15 BRV (UZS 4.4–6.6 million) and 25–50 BRV (UZS 11–22 million). Violations of the rules of stay are handled separately, under Article 225: see registration of foreigners and employer fines. If you employ several foreigners, the whole setup is easy to check with an HR audit.

Common mistakes that derail a hire

• The employee starts work “while we process the papers.” This breaches Article 523 of the Labor Code and is grounds for a fine under Article 49⁴ of the Code of Administrative Liability.
• A salary just below the QS threshold. Without other preferential grounds the worker is “other”: one year instead of three and a fee 10 times higher.
• No explanation of why local candidates do not fit. For mass-market occupations this is the main risk of refusal: prepare the justification (certification, experience with the equipment, project language) in advance.
• Renewal at the last moment. The contract terminates on the day the confirmation expires, so file the new application with a margin of 15 working days.

Example: a JV hires six foreigners plus a founder-director

The example is hypothetical and the fees are as of October 2026. A foreign investor and a local construction company set up a JV in Tashkent for a contracting project, and the foreign founder becomes director. The JV needs two design engineers (universities in the top 1,000, 8 years of experience, USD 72,000 a year), a chief mechanic (higher education, 6 years of experience, USD 36,000 a year) and three foremen without higher education on USD 18,000 a year.

• Two engineers as HQS: 2 × 880,000 = UZS 1,760,000, up to 3 years.
• Chief mechanic as QS: UZS 1,320,000, up to 3 years.
• Three foremen as “other”: 3 × 13,640,000 = UZS 40,920,000, up to 1 year.
• The founder-director is processed as HQS after 3 months, if he or she meets the criteria: UZS 880,000.

The total is UZS 44,880,000, of which 91% is the foremen. But the main risk is not the money: local fitters exist, and without a justification (for example, equipment manufacturer certification) the labor market check may end in a refusal.

What changed in 2024–2026

• 17.10.2024 — PD-162: the External Labor Migration Agency ceased operations and the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers was created.
• 22.01.2025 — CMR No. 30: a new version of Annex 20, with the Ministry as the authorized body.
• 26.08.2025 — CMR No. 538: holders of the Vatandosh card were added to the exemptions.
• 12.10.2025 — ZRU-1074 took effect: registration no later than 3 working days after entry and new sanctions under Article 225 of the Code of Administrative Liability.
• 01.07.2026 — CMR No. 176 took effect: 2 years of experience for teachers and the Ministry’s right to request opinions of other bodies; fees and terms unchanged.
• 25.07.2026 — the Constitutional Law ZRU-1158 of 13.07.2026 on the TIFC took effect: participants of the centre hire qualified foreigners without a confirmation.
• 01.09.2026 — PD-115: BRV of UZS 440,000, and all fees in soums rose.

How Pactum helps

• We determine the employee’s category and check the HQS or QS criteria before the salary goes into the contract.
• We prepare the package, file the application and justify the need for a foreign hire to the territorial office.
• We check the exemptions for the director or investor and plan the filing before the three-month period ends.
• We track the deadlines for confirmations, contracts, visas and notices if you have several foreign employees.

If you plan to hire foreigners, start with a lawyer consultation: 60 minutes, UZS 300,000, credited toward the cost of the service. We name the cost of the filing after reviewing the task; for investor support, see the page Foreign investment in Uzbekistan.

FAQ

How long does it take to get a work permit in Uzbekistan?

The regulatory period is 15 working days. Additional opinions of other state bodies are allotted 10 working days; the rule does not say directly how this period relates to the general one, so build in a margin. Document collection and the visa are not included.

Does a foreign director of an LLC need a work permit?

A founder of a foreign or joint enterprise who becomes its director needs one 3 months after the employment contract is concluded, unless he or she holds a residence permit or has invested at least 8,500 BRV in that company. On the literal text of Annex 20, a hired director who is not among the founders needs one at once.

Can the family of a foreign specialist get a residence permit?

Yes, if the specialist qualifies as highly qualified: the specialist and family members can, at their option, be issued a residence permit for the term of the employment contract (PR-4008, para. 3(e)). For other categories a residence permit is issued on general grounds, for example through investment.

What if the confirmation is about to expire and the new one has not been issued yet?

Under Article 525 of the Labor Code the contract terminates on the day the confirmation expires, and work is not allowed until a new one is issued. The 30 working days available to HQS and QS apply to finding an employer after early termination, not to a delayed renewal, so file in advance.

Can I hire a foreigner remotely without a confirmation?

Yes, if he or she works online from abroad: such employees are expressly named in the exemptions in paragraph 12 of Annex 20. After relocating to Uzbekistan, a confirmation or another exemption ground is required.

Sources

• Annex 20 to the Unified Regulation, CMR No. 86 of 22.02.2022, as amended by CMR No. 176 of 16.04.2026 (official text in Uzbek)
• PR-4008 of 07.11.2018 on qualified foreign specialists (Russian)
• Labor Code, Arts. 521–526 (Russian)
• CMR No. 244 of 25.03.2019: the Regulation on attracting foreign labor ceased to be in force on 01.03.2022 (Russian)
• PD-162 of 17.10.2024 on reforming the management of migration processes (Russian)
• PD-101 of 08.04.2022 (Russian)
• Tax Code, Arts. 381–382 (Russian)
• Law ZRU-1074 of 10.07.2025 on registration at the place of residence and stay (Russian)
• Code of Administrative Liability, Arts. 49⁴ and 225 (Russian)
• Constitutional Law ZRU-1158 of 13.07.2026 on the TIFC (English text)
• PD-115 of 23.06.2026 on increasing salaries, pensions and the BRV (Russian)
• Litsenziya information system and my.gov.uz