Medical Licence in Uzbekistan (2026): How to Get It, Requirements and State Fee

As of October 2026, only a legal entity can obtain a licence for medical activity in Uzbekistan: the application is filed with an electronic digital signature (EDS) through license.gov.uz or my.gov.uz, and the Ministry of Health (acting since 1 July 2026 through the Centre for Licensing and Accreditation of Medical Organisations) decides within 30 days. For one specialty the review fee is 15 BRV and the state duty is 5 BRV — 20 BRV in total, or UZS 8,800,000 at a BRV of UZS 440,000; the licence is valid for 5 years. Clinics, dental practices, laboratories and diagnostic centres all obtain the same licence, and operating without it costs a legal entity a fine of 300 BRV (UZS 132,000,000).

In short

• Who. Legal entities only: an individual doctor or a sole proprietor cannot hold the licence, so a legal entity, usually an LLC, is needed (licence passport, para. 3).
• How much. Review fee of 15 BRV (UZS 6,600,000), plus 4 BRV (UZS 1,760,000) for each further outpatient or diagnostic specialty and 5 BRV (UZS 2,200,000) for each inpatient one; state duty of 5 BRV (UZS 2,200,000).
• Who decides and when. The Ministry of Health (working body: the Centre) decides in 30 days; the duty is paid within 30 days of the notice; the licence runs for 5 years.
• What is checked. Premises, equipment, doctors with qualification categories and valid certificates, sterilisation (a dental practice needs its own unit), connection to the electronic health systems.
• Separately. X-ray equipment needs a permit (it can be obtained together with the licence); pharmacies and narcotic drugs need separate licences.
• New in 2026. Decree UP-74 raised the review fee from 2 to 15 BRV; Resolution PP-170 ordered the requirements to be updated.

What is licensed and what is not

Medical activity is a licensed activity: Annex 1 to Law No. ZRU-701 (item 25) lists the “licence for medical activity”, issued by types of medical specialties, with the Ministry of Health as the licensing authority. One licence covers all the specialties and forms of care (outpatient, inpatient) named in the application; “medical licence” and “licence of a medical organisation” both mean this document. After the 2021–2026 reforms medical activity remained licensed: the list of notification-based activities (Annex 3) contains no medical types, and permits cover separate elements, for example X-ray equipment, the accessibility conclusion for people with disabilities and registration of medical equipment. For the general picture see the overview of licensed activities.

Pharmacies and the circulation of narcotic drugs are licensed separately (Annex 1, items 26 and 23).

• Dentistry and laboratories. Same licence. Surgical specialties, dentistry included, need their own sterilisation unit; for therapy and diagnostics a contract is enough.
• Cosmetology. Medical services require the licence for medical activity. Neither Law ZRU-701 nor the passport mentions cosmetology; the action plan to PP-170 names “medical services in the cosmetology field” and orders a proposal on regulating them by October 2026. No act yet lists which procedures are medical, so we check this before opening.
• Folk medicine. Without medical education it is practised on the conclusion of the Special Commission of the Ministry of Health (Art. 41 of the Law on Protection of Citizens' Health); doing it without that right is fined under Art. 59⁵ of the Administrative Code.
• Private practice. Only legal entities hold the licence (Art. 11 of the same law): a doctor either forms an LLC or works in a licensed clinic.
• Telemedicine needs the same licence, but the premises and equipment requirements do not apply to remote consultations via mobile apps (passport, para. 9(b)). More in the article on telemedicine and HealthTech.

Who decides and on what basis

The procedure is set by the Unified Regulation (Annex 1 to Cabinet Resolution No. 80 of 21 February 2022); the fee, term and requirements by the licence passport for medical activity (Annex 27 to the Unified Regulation, in Uzbek) as worded by Presidential Decree UP-74 of 5 May 2026; the state duty by Law ZRU-600. The Ministry of Health issues the licence, and since 1 July 2026 the Centre acts on its behalf (PP-170, para. 2(a)). Opinions are given by the territorial departments of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Committee, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Ecology; on accessibility for people with disabilities by the construction control inspectorate (5 working days); on X-ray, when the permit is obtained together with the licence, by the Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety (10 working days).

How to get a licence for medical activity: step by step

• Legal entity. Usually an LLC: online registration takes up to 30 minutes after the full package is filed (Annex 3 to Cabinet Resolution No. 66); a foreign participant is allowed — details.
• Specialties and premises. Choose specialties a year ahead: fees, staffing and sterilisation depend on them, and work outside the list in the licence is a gross violation. Check sanitary, fire and accessibility norms before signing the lease, and select equipment and doctors under the requirements below.
• Application. The director, with an EDS, registers on license.gov.uz or my.gov.uz, selects the activity and each specialty, completes the application and pays the fee; an unpaid application is not accepted. Public service centres may also accept it (para. 4 of the Unified Regulation).
• Review. An expert group is formed and the approving bodies issue opinions. The Centre reports deficiencies within 1 working day and gives up to 30 working days to cure them; the review period is suspended meanwhile.
• State duty. After a positive decision an invoice arrives; pay it within 30 days or the decision is cancelled. The licence with a QR code appears in your personal account.
• Launch. Connect to the electronic health systems, obtain the X-ray permit if you have X-ray equipment, and only then start seeing patients.

Documents. More than the passport lists may not be required (Art. 26 of Law ZRU-701). You need the application (details of the legal entity, addresses, specialties and services, forms of care, consent to the requirements) and an equipment statement (name, quantity, series and number, manufacturer, date of manufacture). The experts check the rest, so keep diplomas, qualification categories and certificates ready.

Passport requirements for a clinic

Staff

• The chief doctor needs higher medical education and a qualification category; other doctors need higher education, a category and a valid professional-development certificate (except those practising folk medicine).
• An operating unit in an inpatient facility: an operating surgeon, an anaesthetist-resuscitator and nurses (anaesthesiology-resuscitation, operating theatre) of at least the first category, and an assistant doctor with a category in surgery.
• Foreign doctors: nostrification of the diploma; it is waived with an invitation or the consent of the Ministry of Health, at least 5 years of experience (7 for operating doctors) and a recommendation of a foreign medical organisation.

Premises and equipment

• Premises and equipment must belong to the clinic “by right of ownership or another real right” (the passport's wording), meet sanitary and metrological norms and provide an accessible environment for people with disabilities. The passport does not mention a lease, so we check the contract with the Centre before signing.
• Sterilisation: for therapy and diagnostics — a contract or a unit; for surgery and dentistry — a unit. Medical waste: a centralised disposal unit or a contract with a disposal organisation.

Clinic operations

• Records on the licensing authority's forms, reporting to the Ministry of Health, treatment standards, only authorised medicines and reagents.
• Cameras with sound in operating and resuscitation rooms, recordings kept for at least a year.
• Work strictly within the licence; X-ray only with a permit; connection to the “Digital Health” platform (until it is launched — to the “Electronic Health” system) and data exchange with the modules “Electronic Polyclinic”, “Electronic Hospital”, “Electronic Medical Record” and “Electronic Prescription”.

The passport marks with an asterisk the requirements whose breach counts as gross: composition of the operating team, sterilisation, working within the licence, data exchange with civil registry offices in obstetrics, the X-ray permit and connection to the electronic health systems. A note to the passport phases in sub-item (c) (clinic operations): Tashkent and 15 pilot districts from 10 December 2025, all regions from 1 January 2027. Literally this covers the whole of sub-item (c), but the identical note in the pharmacy passport concerns only the connection to “Digital Health”, so it is safer to meet the other requirements from day one.

How much a licence for medical activity costs

The BRV is UZS 440,000 from 1 September 2026 (Decree UP-115).

The acts do not say how half the fee is counted for several specialties or when a specialty is added, so the invoice shows the exact amount; re-issue requested through a public service centre during re-registration of the legal entity carries no fee (para. 32 of the Unified Regulation). When you apply yourself through my.gov.uz, the duty and fees are charged at 90% (Art. 22¹ of ZRU-600): 18 BRV instead of 20, or UZS 7,920,000; the law gives no such discount for license.gov.uz. The fee is not refunded on refusal (Art. 35 of ZRU-701), but a repeat review after the grounds are cured on time carries no fee.

Terms, renewal and amendments

• Decision — up to 30 days (passport, para. 8); the statutory cap is 20 working days, but the Cabinet may set a longer period (Art. 28 of ZRU-701). The “20 days” and “2 BRV” you may see in older publications are former rules.
• If the authority stays silent. If there is no decision in time, you may operate after notifying the licensing authority through the system and paying the duty, and there is no liability for working without a licence (Art. 28; para. 20 of the Unified Regulation); for a clinic we do not rely on this.
• Term — 5 years. The law took medical licences out of the indefinite category: the term is set by the passport and is at least five years (Art. 16). The renewal application is filed before the term ends, and then you may keep working until the decision (para. 35 of the Unified Regulation); after expiry the licence ends (Art. 34). The licence of an organisation with national or international accreditation is renewed automatically for the accreditation period (PP-170, para. 3(d)).
• Re-issue and amendment. Re-issue — within 5 working days after re-registration if the legal entity is transformed or changes its name or address (Art. 30); amendment — for a new specialty, branch or address (Art. 31; paras. 38–39 of the Unified Regulation).
• No transfer (Art. 13): a clinic is bought together with its legal entity.

Refusal, suspension, cancellation

A licence may be refused for an incomplete package, non-compliance with the requirements, false information, a court ban or a reasoned negative expert conclusion (Art. 29 of ZRU-701); refusal on grounds of “inexpediency” is prohibited. The decision sets a period to cure the grounds (at least 10 working days), and the repeat review takes up to 5 working days. The decision can be appealed to the Appeals Council or a court within 30 days of notice (Art. 58).

The Ministry of Health may suspend a licence for up to 10 days; a longer suspension (up to 6 months) only a court may order (Art. 32). Since 1 July 2026 only the specialty in which the breach occurred is suspended (UP-74, para. 2(e)). A court cancels the licence if breaches are not cured; for systematic breaches (two or more a year), a gross breach causing harm to life and health, and forged documents no licence is issued for a year to the company or to new companies of its founder (Art. 33). Since 1 July 2026 inspections are registered in the “Unified State Control” system and the Business Ombudsman is notified within 24 hours (PP-170, para. 2(c)); for your rights during inspections see the article on inspections.

Liability for working without a licence

A legal entity that pays 50% of the fine within 15 days (or 70% within 30 days) and applies for a licence is released from the rest (Art. 55 of ZRU-701): UZS 66,000,000 or 92,400,000 is payable. Under Art. 190 of the Criminal Code a first-time offender is released from liability if, within 30 days of detection, the consequences are eliminated and the damage is compensated.

What changed in 2026

• UP-74 (5 May 2026). The review fee rose from 2 to 15 BRV; since 1 July 2026 private clinics may treat patients at the expense of the state budget under state medical insurance within their licence (para. 2); a quarterly report of private clinics on compliance with licence requirements and service quality was introduced.
• PP-170 (5 May 2026). Since 1 July 2026 a separate quality-control unit has been a licence requirement (not yet written into the passport); from 1 April 2027 integration with the Digital Health Platform, at no charge to clinics, becomes a licensing condition; from 1 April 2028 the health insurance fund will not contract private clinics without accreditation.
• What is next. The Ministry of Health was to submit updated requirements to the Cabinet (para. 12), and the action plan to PP-170 schedules a new list of specialties (up to 255) and minimum equipment requirements for October 2026. As of 26 October 2026 the passport does not reflect this, so check the current wording before filing.

For foreign investors

The licensee is a legal entity in Uzbekistan, usually an LLC; with a foreign share of 15% or more it is an enterprise with foreign investment, for which Annex 11 to Cabinet Resolution No. 66 names a minimum charter capital of UZS 400 million (UZS 200 million in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm) — the requirement is contestable but still in force. For foreign doctors, managers, consultants and equipment technicians of medical organisations, UP-74 set a social tax of 1% until 1 May 2029 and a fee of 1 BRV (UZS 440,000) for the confirmation of the right to work (para. 18), and ordered amendments to the Tax Code and the Law on Employment (paras. 22(a) and 23(a)); the passport of that confirmation (Annex 20 under CMR No. 86) still sets an issue fee of 5 BRV for other foreign doctors. Medical equipment, components and consumables that medical organisations import for their own needs under approved lists are exempt from import duty from 1 June 2026 to 1 June 2029 (para. 20).

Common mistakes

• Signing a lease before checking sanitary, fire and accessibility requirements.
• Declaring the minimum of specialties and then seeing patients in others.
• Opening a dental practice without its own sterilisation unit and not connecting the clinic to the electronic health systems.
• Hiring a foreign doctor without nostrification or the Ministry's consent.
• Missing the 30 days for the duty, the filing of the renewal before the 5 years end, or the 5 working days for re-issue.

How Pactum helps

• We check premises, staff and equipment against the passport before you lease or buy.
• We register an LLC for the clinic — from UZS 1,500,000.
• We prepare and file the application with an EDS, answer the Centre's notices and cure deficiencies.
• We handle amendment, re-issue and renewal, inspections and lifting a suspension; our lawyers prepare the position in court, and hearings are attended by an advocate of a partner bureau under a separate agreement.

Business licence support starts from UZS 2,500,000; the price of a clinic licence is quoted after we review the task, and state duties and fees are paid separately. The decision is taken by the Ministry of Health, so we cannot promise the result. Details are on the business licences page or at a lawyer consultation: 60 minutes, UZS 300,000, credited toward the service. Phone +998 99 050 50 70, Telegram, info@pactum.uz, office: Tashkent, Afrosiyob street 21.

FAQ

How do I get a medical license in Uzbekistan?

A medical license (spelled “licence” in British English) is a single licence for medical activity. Form a legal entity, prepare premises, equipment and doctors under the passport, file the application with an EDS on license.gov.uz or my.gov.uz and pay the 15 BRV fee. The decision comes in 30 days; the 5 BRV duty is then paid within 30 days and the licence arrives in your personal account.

How much does a medical licence cost in Uzbekistan?

For one specialty: a 15 BRV (UZS 6,600,000) review fee plus a 5 BRV (UZS 2,200,000) state duty, UZS 8,800,000 in total at a BRV of UZS 440,000. Each further specialty adds 4 BRV (outpatient, diagnostic) or 5 BRV (inpatient).

Do I need a licence for a dental clinic in Uzbekistan?

Yes, a dental practice operates under the licence for medical activity. The passport requires its own sterilisation unit, and X-ray equipment needs a separate permit.

How do I open a private clinic in Tashkent?

Form an LLC, choose premises and equipment, hire doctors with qualification categories and file the application; plan 30 days for the decision and 30 days to pay the duty. In Tashkent the requirements of sub-item (c) of the passport (records, cameras, working within the licence, connection to “Digital Health”) apply from 10 December 2025.

Does a cosmetologist need a medical licence, and can a doctor get one as a sole proprietor?

Medical services in cosmetology require the licence for medical activity, while a salon providing no medical services is not named in Annexes 1 and 3 to Law ZRU-701. No act yet lists which cosmetic procedures count as medical: the action plan to PP-170 ordered proposals by October 2026. Sole proprietors and individuals cannot hold the licence: a doctor forms an LLC or works in a licensed clinic.

What is the penalty for unlicensed medical activity?

A legal entity faces a fine of 300 BRV (UZS 132,000,000), an official 20–25 BRV and an individual 15–20 BRV. Where income is on an especially large scale, criminal liability under Art. 190 of the Criminal Code is also possible.

Sources

• Law No. ZRU-701 on Licensing, Permitting and Notification Procedures, Arts. 13–58, Annexes 1–4 (in Russian)
• CMR No. 80 of 21 February 2022, Unified Regulation, paras. 4 and 10–39 (in Russian)
• Unified Regulation (CMR No. 80), Annex 27 — licence passport for medical activity (in Uzbek)
• CMR No. 86 of 22 February 2022, Annexes 20 and 40 to the Unified Regulation — right-to-work confirmation, X-ray permit (in Uzbek)
• Law No. ZRU-600 on State Duty, Arts. 5 and 22¹, annex item 31 (in Russian)
• Law No. 265-I on Protection of Citizens' Health, Arts. 11 and 41 (in Russian)
• Presidential Decree No. UP-74 of 5 May 2026 (in Russian)
• Presidential Resolution No. PP-170 of 5 May 2026 and action plan (in Uzbek)
• Code of Administrative Liability, Arts. 59⁵ and 165 (in Russian)
• Criminal Code, Art. 190 (in Russian)
• CMR No. 66, State Registration Regulation, Annexes 3 and 11 (in Russian)
• Presidential Decree No. UP-115 of 23 June 2026, BRV of UZS 440,000 (in Russian)
• "License" information system
• Single Portal of Interactive Public Services

Passport provisions are quoted in our translation from Uzbek, and information is current as of 26 October 2026. Sub-paragraph letters are given by position (a, b, c…); the Uzbek originals use a, b, v, g, d.