Buying Property in Uzbekistan Under a Power of Attorney from the US: Notary, Apostille, Translation and Payments (2026)

A US citizen can buy an apartment in Tashkent without traveling to Uzbekistan: a representative signs the contract on the buyer's behalf under a power of attorney. As of November 2026, a sale contract for an apartment in Uzbekistan is notarized, and under Uzbek law a power of attorney for a transaction that requires notarial form must be notarized too (Article 488, part 2, and Article 135, part 2, of the Civil Code of Uzbekistan). A US notary certifies it, and a state authority then adds an apostille: the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention has been in force for the United States since 15 October 1981 and for Uzbekistan since 15 April 2012. An Uzbek notary accepts a foreign document on condition of an apostille (Article 91 of the Law on Notaries), notarial acts are performed in Uzbek, and the same notary certifies the sale contract itself. Payments under Decree No. UP-101 and Decree No. UP-5611 go through bank accounts.

Key points

• A power of attorney for an apartment is notarized. A contract for the sale of a house or apartment is subject to notarial certification and state registration (Civil Code, Art. 488, part 2), so under Uzbek law the power of attorney needs notarial form too (Art. 135, part 2).
• You need an apostille, not consular legalization. The United States and Uzbekistan are both parties to the Apostille Convention, and the United States is not among the states that objected to Uzbekistan's accession (HCCH). In the US, a state authority issues the apostille, and the procedure depends on the state.
• The law of the place of issue governs the form and term of a US power of attorney (Civil Code, Art. 1182), but it cannot be held invalid for its form if Uzbek requirements are met. We advise stating the date and term explicitly.
• The purchase conditions do not depend on how the contract is signed. A new-build costs from USD 150,000 in Tashkent under a contract signed during construction (clause 3 of Presidential Decree No. UP-101 of 8 April 2022); a purchase that carries a right to a residence permit starts at USD 300,000 in Tashkent (clause 5 of Presidential Decree No. UP-5611 of 5 January 2019).
• Opening a bank account through a representative depends on the bank. We find out the bank's requirements before the power of attorney is signed.
• Your US tax adviser handles the American side; we prepare documents for them.

Purchase conditions: what is checked before the power of attorney

Before you sign a power of attorney, you need to know on what basis a US citizen may buy the property. The regimes are covered on the page buying property in Uzbekistan as a US citizen; here we cover only what affects the power of attorney.

For the notary, these conditions are set out in paragraphs 32 and 32-1 of the Administrative Regulation on notarial certification of real estate transfers (Annex 1 to Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 726 of 18 November 2020, text in Uzbek; the Regulation). If the buyer is a foreign citizen, the general rule is that the contract is certified on presentation of a residence permit or ID card (para. 32). A residence permit is not required if the purchase meets the thresholds of Decree No. UP-5611 or Decree No. UP-101 (para. 32-1). When several people buy as co-owners, each share must be at least the threshold. So the power of attorney should describe the property and the regime, and the price should be checked against the threshold in advance.

A foreigner cannot buy land: foreign citizens may hold land plots only on lease, except in the cases of Art. 18, part 2 (Land Code, Art. 17, part 3). A house with a plot needs a separate check.

The path of the document

What the Civil Code says about powers of attorney

Form. A power of attorney for a transaction that requires notarial form must be notarized, except in the cases of Arts. 136–138 (Art. 135, part 2). Those exceptions cover military personnel, prisoners, receipt of mail and payments, and do not cover buying housing.

Term. An Uzbek power of attorney may be issued for up to three years; if no term is stated, it is valid for one year; without an issue date it is invalid (Civil Code, Art. 139). For a foreign power of attorney, Art. 1182 sets a different rule: its form and term are governed by the law of the country where it was issued, but it cannot be held invalid for a defect of form if Uzbek requirements are met. To avoid arguing about which rule applies, Pactum advises stating the date and term explicitly and staying within three years. This is a recommendation, not a rule of law.

Who the representative can be. A representative cannot make a transaction that by its nature can only be made in person, or one where legislation forbids it (Art. 129, part 2; Art. 130); in the provisions we checked, buying an apartment is not in that category. A representative may not make transactions in the principal's name with himself or with another person he also represents, except in commercial representation (Art. 129, part 3). So the buyer's representative must not also act for the seller.

Substitution. The representative acts personally and may delegate only if the power of attorney allows it or circumstances force him to; a substitute power of attorney must be notarized, and its term cannot exceed that of the main one (Art. 140).

Termination. A power of attorney ends on expiry, revocation, the representative's refusal, the death of the principal or of the representative, and on other grounds in Art. 141. It may be revoked at any time, and an agreement waiving that right is void (Art. 141, part 2); the principal must notify the representative and known third parties (Art. 142).

The contract. The transfer of ownership under a real estate sale contract is subject to state registration (Art. 481). The form of a transaction concerning real estate is governed by the law of the place where the property is located, and for property entered in an Uzbek state register, by Uzbek law (Art. 1181, part 3).

The state notary and the apostille

According to the status table of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), the Convention has been in force for the United States since 15 October 1981 and for Uzbekistan, which acceded on 25 July 2011, since 15 April 2012. An accession has effect only between the acceding state and states that did not object (Convention, Art. 12). The HCCH notifications page lists Belgium, Germany, Austria and Greece as objecting; the United States is not among them. So the Convention applies between the United States and Uzbekistan, and consular legalization of the power of attorney is not required. The Convention expressly lists notarial acts among the public documents that receive an apostille (Art. 1).

The HCCH page on US competent authorities shows who issues the apostille. Documents issued by states are apostilled by designated state authorities, generally the Secretary of State's office, but not everywhere: for Hawaii and Utah the Lieutenant Governor is named, and for Georgia the Georgia Superior Courts Clerks' Cooperative Authority. The HCCH page was last updated on 2 September 2026 but may lag behind state rules, so check the procedure, documents and timing on the website of your state's authority. Whether the notary's authority must first be certified by another office depends on the state.

In practice, get the original with the apostille plus a spare, because an Uzbek notary may keep the original (see below), and the bank may need a document too.

The Uzbek notary: language, translation and checking authority

A notary accepts documents drawn up abroad with the participation of officials of other states' competent bodies, or issued by them, on condition of legalization or apostille; without them, only where legislation and international treaties provide for it (Law on Notaries, Art. 91). For more on recognition of foreign documents, see recognition of foreign documents in Uzbekistan; for a power of attorney from abroad, see power of attorney from abroad: how to issue it.

Notarial acts are performed in the state language, Uzbek; at a citizen's request the text is issued in Russian or, if possible, another acceptable language (Art. 11). So an English power of attorney must be translated. A notary certifies the accuracy of a translation if he knows the languages; otherwise a translator makes it and the notary certifies the translator's signature (Art. 68). The law does not say where the translation must be made; agree the format with the notary in advance.

What the notary checks:

• The representative's authority (Law on Notaries, Art. 33; Regulation, para. 16) and the identity of those present: an Uzbek citizen shows a passport or ID card, a foreign citizen a national passport (para. 12).
• Information about the principal: through the system, the notary checks the electronic civil registry archive for a death record and whether a notarized power of attorney has been revoked (para. 16). These are Uzbek databases, so they may not show that a US power of attorney was revoked; if in doubt, the notary checks it with the official who certified it (same para.).
• The property: that it belongs to the seller, with no ban on alienation and no attachment (Law on Notaries, Art. 44), and certificates obtained through the system (Regulation, para. 22). More in what a notary checks before a real estate deal.
• Signing: the parties sign in the notary's presence (para. 52), and the process is recorded on audio and video (para. 54-1).

For representatives of legal entities, para. 21 of the Regulation is explicit: the originals of documents confirming their authority are not kept at the notary's office, except powers of attorney for a specific transaction, and certified copies are kept instead. For an individual's power of attorney, the Regulation does not settle this directly, and whether the notary keeps the original depends on the notary; we check in advance. That is why a second apostilled original is useful.

What to put in the power of attorney

The law does not list the powers a power of attorney to buy an apartment must contain. What follows is Pactum's practice, based on what notaries and banks check; agree the final text with a lawyer.

• Details: the principal's full name, passport and address, and the representative's details (names in full, as Law on Notaries, Art. 35 requires for notarial texts in Uzbekistan).
• Property and regime: address or description, developer, price guide, purchase regime.
• Powers: negotiate, sign the contract and the handover act, pay, and file documents with the notary, tax and registration authorities and the developer.
• Bank: open an account and operate it, obtain proof of payment for the notary; whether a bank accepts such a document without the principal's visit depends on the bank.
• Substitution, date, term, language: the right of substitution (Art. 140), date and term (Art. 139), an English text with translation.
• Prohibition on self-dealing and on representing the seller in the same transaction (Art. 129, part 3).

The consular route

Consuls of Uzbekistan certify transactions, including powers of attorney, except contracts for the alienation or pledge of real estate located in Uzbekistan (Law on Notaries, Art. 28, part 1, item 1). So a consul may certify the power of attorney but not the sale contract. The procedure for consular notarial acts is set by an Instruction approved by Resolution Nos. 21 and 1 of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 31 January 2011; the law does not say whom a consulate in the US serves or on what terms. Do not rely on this route until the consulate confirms the terms in writing.

Payments and the bank account

For purchases under Decree No. UP-101 and Decree No. UP-5611, payments go through bank accounts, and proof of payment is shown to the notary (Regulation, para. 32-1). Under the Law on Currency Regulation (No. ZRU-573), non-residents may open and use accounts in Uzbek banks in foreign currency and in soums (Art. 13); a cross-border currency transaction to buy or sell real estate is a capital transaction (Art. 16); foreign currency is bought and sold in Uzbekistan exclusively through banks (Art. 19); banks carry out operations on condition that the customer presents the documents they require (Art. 20). Payments for goods, works and services in Uzbekistan are made in soums, except where the law provides otherwise (Art. 9). The law does not say directly how this applies to a non-resident paying for an apartment, so agree the payment currency, source of funds and documents with the bank before signing.

Registration of title

After the contract is certified, the notary enters the change of right holder into the register and issues an extract at the same time (Regulation, para. 56). For a property under construction, the notary requests, among other things, a cadastral certificate, a tax authority certificate and register extracts for the land and the property (para. 26). How a contract with a developer is processed is decided by the notary and the registering authority; we clarify it before the deal. The law on shared-equity construction with mandatory escrow accounts had, as of 13 November 2026, been passed only by the Legislative Chamber (on 10 November 2026) and was not approved by the Senate or signed. See also buying an apartment in a new-build and the term of a power of attorney; for non-resident taxes, taxes of a non-resident on Uzbek property for US citizens; if you were born in Uzbekistan, a former Uzbek citizen with a US passport.

Common mistakes

• A power of attorney in simple written form instead of notarial form (Civil Code, Art. 135 part 2, Art. 488 part 2).
• No apostille: a notary accepts a foreign document on condition of an apostille (Law on Notaries, Art. 91).
• No date or term stated (Civil Code, Arts. 139, 1182).
• Substitution not thought through: without permission in the text, the representative acts personally (Art. 140).
• The representative also acts for the seller (Art. 129, part 3).
• The price not checked against the regime threshold in USD equivalent (Decree No. UP-101, clause 3).
• The bank's requirements not clarified: a power of attorney that suits the notary may not be accepted by the bank.
• Relying on revocation as protection: a representative who did not know of the revocation may already have acted (Arts. 142, 143).

How Pactum helps

• We check the right to buy (buying property in Uzbekistan as a US citizen) and the property: citizenship, regime, threshold, status of the property and the developer — before the deposit and before the power of attorney.
• We prepare the power of attorney in Russian and English and review it before signing in the United States: powers, term, substitution, the notary's and the bank's requirements.
• We support the deal in Uzbekistan: translation, notary, payments through the bank, registration of title.
• We assemble the bank file and the documents for your US tax adviser.

Pactum is a legal platform, not a real estate agency: we have no properties for sale, and we work on the buyer's side (an heir or an owner). The contract with a foreign client is bilingual, in Russian and English; the invoice is issued in US dollars and paid by SWIFT transfer; the contracting party is PACTUM-AI CA LLC (ООО «PACTUM-AI CA»). The price is given after we review the task. You can start with a lawyer consultation: 60 minutes, 300,000 soum, credited toward the cost of the service. Decisions are made by the notary, the bank, the cadastral or the migration authority — we do not promise a result.

Phone +998 78 113 81 01, Telegram, info@pactum.uz, office: 21 Afrosiyob Street, Tashkent.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy an apartment in Tashkent under a power of attorney from the US?

Yes, if the purchase is permitted for a US citizen under Decree No. UP-101 or No. UP-5611 and the power of attorney is notarized in the United States and apostilled. The Uzbek notary checks the representative's authority (Law on Notaries, Art. 33). Opening a bank account depends on the bank.

Is consular legalization required?

No, you need an apostille: the Convention has been in force for the United States since 15 October 1981 and for Uzbekistan since 15 April 2012, and the United States did not object to Uzbekistan's accession. A state authority issues the apostille, and the procedure depends on the state.

How long is a US power of attorney valid?

Its term is governed by the law of the country of issue (Civil Code, Art. 1182). An Uzbek power of attorney is valid for up to three years, one year if no term is stated, and is invalid without a date (Art. 139). For a foreign one, we advise stating the date and term explicitly, no longer than three years.

Does it need to be translated into Uzbek?

Yes. Notarial acts are performed in Uzbek (Law on Notaries, Art. 11), and the notary certifies the translation or the translator's signature (Art. 68). Agree the format with the notary in advance.

Can an Uzbek consul in the US certify the power of attorney?

The law allows it: consuls certify powers of attorney but not contracts for the sale of real estate in Uzbekistan (Law on Notaries, Art. 28, part 1, item 1). The procedure is set by a 2011 Instruction of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; confirm with the consulate whom it serves.

Who can be the representative?

Someone you trust: for buying an apartment, the Civil Code (Arts. 129–144) sets no special requirements for the representative, but they cannot also represent the seller (Art. 129, part 3).

What about US taxes and reporting?

That is US tax law, which we do not advise on: your US tax adviser handles the American side, and we prepare documents for them — the contract, proof of payment and the title registration.

Sources

• Civil Code, part one — lex.uz
• Civil Code, part two — lex.uz
• Law on Notaries No. 343-I — lex.uz
• Resolution No. 726, notaries' administrative regulations (in Uzbek) — lex.uz
• Decree No. UP-101, clause 3 — lex.uz
• Resolution No. 384, list of countries (in Uzbek) — lex.uz
• Decree No. UP-5611, clause 5 and Annex 6 — lex.uz
• Land Code, Art. 17 — lex.uz
• Law No. ZRU-573 on Currency Regulation — lex.uz
• HCCH: status of the Apostille Convention
• HCCH: notifications of objections to Uzbekistan's accession
• HCCH: US competent authorities

Acts are cited from lex.uz; the information is current as of November 2026 and is not individual legal or tax advice.