Construction Permit in Uzbekistan in 2026: Procedure, Timelines and Documents

As of November 2026, Uzbekistan has no single document called a "construction permit": a developer goes through a chain of an architectural and planning assignment (APZ), approval of the design, expert review, a permit to start works from the Inspectorate for Control in Construction and Housing and Communal Services and, after building, a permit to put the object into operation. A house of up to two floors, 12 m and 500 m² and a non-residential building of up to 300 m³ need neither expert review nor an Inspectorate permit: the regional (or Tashkent city) main construction department approves the design within 7 working days. For other objects (except risk category I) the Inspectorate reviews the application within 3 working days and issues the permit to start works once 0.2% of the works' cost is paid for state construction control. Applications go through my.gov.uz or a public services centre. Building without notifying or registering with the Inspectorate costs an official up to UZS 88,000,000 (200 BRV), and from 30 December 2026 a multi-apartment building without a permit costs up to UZS 198,000,000.

In brief

• A chain, not one document. APZ → design approval → expert review → Inspectorate permit to start construction and installation works → acceptance act and permit for operation. The APZ, the expert conclusion and the permit to start works are each valid for 2 years.
• Small objects are simpler. A house of up to 2 floors, 12 m and 500 m² and a non-residential building of up to 300 m³ go without expert review and without an Inspectorate permit; a house needs no APZ.
• Statutory timelines. APZ: 5, 8 or 10 working days; permit to start works: 3 working days; expert review: 15 days for risk category I and 30 days for categories II–IV.
• Payments at BRV UZS 440,000. APZ application fee UZS 440,000 plus APZ cost of up to UZS 1,760,000; operation permit UZS 132,000; state control 0.2% of the works' cost. Law ZRU-600 sets no state duty for these permits.
• Notification or permit. The law still speaks of a notification of the start of works, the regulation has required a permit since 24 January 2026, and Law ZRU-1179 writes the permit into the law from 30 December 2026.
• Fines. Building without notifying or registering with the Inspectorate: UZS 66,000,000 for an individual and UZS 88,000,000 for an official; a self-built structure is demolished by court decision.

Permit or notification: what applies in 2026

"Construction permit" is a set of documents. The procedure is set by the Urban Planning Code (Law ZRU-676) and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 200 of 20 April 2022 (CMR No. 200), which approves the regulations for state services. Its annexes 3, 5 and 6 and the 2026 amendments are available on lex.uz only in Uzbek.

The terminology differs:

• The law. Under art. 31 of the Code, works proceed "after the customer notifies the territorial inspectorate of the start of construction and installation works"; in Law ZRU-701 on Licensing, Permitting and Notification Procedures this is item 19 of annex 3 (notification procedures).
• The regulation. Annex 5 to CMR No. 200, as amended by CMR No. 666 of 22 October 2025 (in force from 24 January 2026), provides for a "permit to start construction and installation works": an application, registration of the object, a permit with a QR code. Works without it are prohibited (para. 5).
• Law ZRU-1179. The law of 28 September 2026 adds item 33¹ "Permit to start construction and installation works" to annex 2 of ZRU-701 in place of the notification and enters into force on 30 December 2026. The notification remains for roads and artificial structures.

Conclusion: until 30 December 2026, act under the regulation and obtain the permit. The penalty rule of the Code of Administrative Liability (art. 99, part 9) speaks in the Uzbek text of building "without notifying or registering" with the Inspectorate and, in our reading, covers both cases.

Which regime your object needs

The risk category (I–IV) is set by annex 2 to CMR No. 496 of 20 August 2020: a house of up to 2 floors is category I, a larger one category II; a shop of up to 500 m² of sales area is I, 500–1,000 m² II, 1,000–5,000 m² III, larger IV; a café of up to 300 seats is II; a residential building of 6–12 floors is III, taller IV.

A reconstruction permit is not needed for re-planning that leaves load-bearing parts unchanged, nor for light and temporary structures (annex 2 para. 5). Expert review is not mandatory for category I objects, houses of up to 2 floors, 12 m and 500 m², objects of up to 300 m³ and routine repairs (art. 23 of the Code); if the design changes, the changed part is re-examined.

The document chain: stages, authorities and timelines

First you need a right to the land plot: ownership, lease, a khokim's decision (the khokim is the head of the local administration, the khokimiyat) or the minutes of an E-auksion auction (annex 3 para. 9). The timelines below are statutory; the total depends on design and expert review, so a turnkey timeline cannot be promised.

The Inspectorate is the Inspectorate for Control in Construction and Housing and Communal Services under the Cabinet of Ministers (Decree No. UP-66, in Russian) and its territorial inspectorates. The application for the permit to start works (except private houses) is accompanied by data on the contractor's laboratory, orders on technical, author's and internal control, specialists' certificates and the projects for organising construction and works (annex 5 para. 9); the Inspectorate takes the design and expert conclusion from the system itself.

What changed in 2026

• From 1 July. Simultaneous design and construction ("parallel construction") is abolished for new objects; as an experiment, a staged design is allowed for objects financed with own funds and direct foreign investment, except multi-apartment buildings, after expert review and registration of each stage (Decree No. UP-104 of 4 June 2026, para. 7).
• From 1 September. The decree merges the "permit and APZ" services for reconstruction into a single service issuing an architectural and urban planning requirement (para. 3) and introduces video surveillance at some new objects (para. 5); CMR No. 200 still keeps the old names. It also grants 5 extra working days to correct deficiencies (para. 4(d)).

How and where to apply

• Channels. Through the my.gov.uz portal (around the clock) or a public services centre; the centre and the authorities exchange information only electronically (annex 3 paras. 6, 8; annex 5 paras. 6, 8). Signature: electronic digital signature or Mobile-ID; documents in PDF or JPEG.
• The Transparent Construction (Shaffof Qurilish) system. The national information system of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services: APZs, approvals and permits are recorded there automatically, and a positive expert conclusion is valid only once entered in its single register (art. 23 of the Code; annex 5 para. 5). The permit to start works is recorded on the "State Control in Construction" platform.
• Refusal. Only on a closed list of grounds with reference to a rule (annex 5 para. 17); after a refused APZ or operation permit you may reapply within 10 working days without a new fee (annex 3 para. 12; annex 6 para. 32).
• Changes during construction. A change of customer, contractor, technical supervision, foreman, design or its cost, or expiry of a licence requires an additional filing within 10 days, otherwise the Inspectorate may go to court to suspend works or demolish (annex 5 para. 25).

What it costs

The BRV (base calculation value) is UZS 440,000 from 1 September 2026 (Decree No. UP-115 of 23 June 2026). These are state service fees under CMR No. 200, not a state duty: the annex to Law ZRU-600 sets no duty for a construction permit. A 50% reduction applies to people in the Unified Social Protection Register and owners with group I–II disability, not to business.

Construction licences carry a duty under item 32 of the annex to ZRU-600: 10 BRV (UZS 4,400,000) for high-risk objects and 75 BRV (UZS 33,000,000) for designing residential and civil objects. The general licensing procedure is covered in the overview of licensed activities.

A private house

For a house of up to 2 floors (excluding the plinth), 12 m and 500 m² the scheme is shorter:

• Design. A licensed design organisation prepares the architectural part: site plan, foundation and floor plans, sections, facade (annex 4 paras. 3¹, 6). No APZ is needed (annex 3 para. 2).
• Approval. The regional main department of construction and housing (in Tashkent, the city main construction department) approves the design within 7 working days; the fee for category I is UZS 220,000. Building without an approved design is prohibited, and the approved design is the basis to start works (annex 4 paras. 5, 7).
• Construction. No expert review and no Inspectorate permit. Control is private (CMR No. 167 of 13 April 2026): a contract with the designer, a check at least monthly, a conclusion within 5 working days. Under para. 1 of the resolution, an object without the conclusion is not accepted into operation, but para. 5 of the Regulation calls the control voluntary and allows a written refusal when the design contract is concluded. The rules do not apply to houses begun before 13 April 2026.
• Operation. The permit for operation is issued by the construction authority at the object's location; a cadastral passport is required (annex 6 paras. 24, 26).

A house above 2 floors, 12 m or over 500 m² follows the full chain: APZ (2 BRV: fee plus cost, 5 working days), council, expert review, Inspectorate permit, acceptance. It cannot be built in-house without a construction contract, and the contractor must hold the required licence (arts. 15, 17 of the Code) and a sufficient category in the electronic rating (annex 5 para. 17). The fine for breaching the rules for building houses and outbuildings is UZS 2,200,000–4,400,000, that is 5–10 BRV (art. 160 of the Code of Administrative Liability).

Liability: fines and self-built structures

Individuals and officials answer under the Code of Administrative Liability, legal entities under Law ZRU-701; amounts at BRV UZS 440,000, and repeat offences are punished more severely.

From 30 December 2026. Law ZRU-1179 adds part 10 to art. 99 of the Code of Administrative Liability: building a multi-apartment building without an Inspectorate permit carries 400 BRV for individuals (UZS 176,000,000) and 450 BRV for officials (UZS 198,000,000); a legal entity doing works without a permit faces 200 BRV (UZS 88,000,000) instead of today's 25 BRV for works without notification. Part 9 will refer to building "without a permit" of the Inspectorate, and current parts 10–13 become parts 11–14. Building a multi-apartment block without a permit again after an administrative penalty will carry 3–5 years of imprisonment (new part 3 of art. 229³ of the Criminal Code), and offences under art. 229³ that cause a death or other grave consequences 5–7 years instead of 3–5. At present, part 2 of art. 229³ allows imprisonment of 1–3 years, or milder measures, for building without an Inspectorate permit after an administrative penalty.

A self-built structure is a building on a plot not allocated for that purpose, or built without the necessary permit or in material breach of construction norms (art. 212 of the Civil Code). No ownership arises, and it cannot be sold, donated or leased. A court orders demolition at the builder's expense on a claim by the affected person or a state body; the court may recognise ownership for the owner of the plot, who reimburses the builder's costs, but will not do so if the structure infringes others' rights or endangers life.

Under CMR No. 192 of 28 March 2025 (in force from 27 June 2025) the state architectural control bodies of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services identify an object through the "Ogoh fuqaro" platform, the Transparent Construction system or satellite monitoring, give 15 days for voluntary demolition and then sue; data on the penalty goes to the Cadastre with a ban on disposing of the object. An owner's claim for recognition of the right suspends demolition until the court decides (paras. 21–26). The Regulation does not apply to recognising rights to unlawfully occupied land plots (para. 2). On inspections generally, see the article on inspections by supervisory authorities.

Typical mistakes

• Looking for a single "construction permit" and skipping the APZ or design approval.
• Starting works before the Inspectorate permit: a ground for refusal and for a claim to suspend works or demolish (annex 5 paras. 5, 17).
• Building before expert review or without the conclusion entered in the register, without which it is invalid; changing the design or number of floors without a repeat review.
• Failing to file the addition within 10 days when the contractor, technical supervision or design changes.
• Hiring a contractor without the required licence, or building in-house an object above 2 floors, 12 m or 500 m².
• Using a building without the acceptance act and the permit for operation (art. 32 of the Code).
• Buying a plot or building without checking the construction documents (land acquisition, real estate deal support).

How Pactum helps

• We determine the regime for the object: risk category, APZ, expert review, Inspectorate permit or design approval only.
• We run the applications along the chain on my.gov.uz: preparing documents, tracking invoices and deadlines, answering the services' comments.
• We prepare the construction contract and check the contractor's licence; we obtain a construction licence if your type of work requires one.
• If a demolition order or claim arrives, we prepare the position; in court your interests are represented by an advocate of a partner bureau under a separate agreement.

Support in obtaining a construction permit starts from UZS 10,000,000; a construction licence from UZS 30,000,000; a construction contract from UZS 1,000,000. Payments to the state, expert review and the designer's services are paid separately; review periods are set by the state authorities. More details on the real estate, land and construction page or at a lawyer consultation: 60 minutes, UZS 300,000, credited toward the cost of the service. Phone +998 78 113 81 01, Telegram, info@pactum.uz, office: 21 Afrosiyob Street, Tashkent.

FAQ

Do I need a permit to build a private house?

For a house of up to 2 floors, 12 m and 500 m², an Inspectorate permit and expert review are not needed, but the regional main construction department approves the design within 7 working days (fee UZS 220,000). A larger house goes through the APZ, expert review and the Inspectorate permit.

How much does a construction permit cost?

There is no single price: an APZ fee of UZS 440,000 plus an APZ cost of up to UZS 1,760,000, design approval UZS 220,000–880,000, 0.2% of the works' cost to state control, and UZS 132,000 for the operation permit. Expert review, the designer and the contractor are paid separately.

How long does it take to obtain the permit?

By the regulations: APZ 5–10 working days, design approval 7 or 12, expert review 15 or 30 days, permit to start works 3 and operation permit 4 working days. The total depends on design and comments, so it cannot be named before filing.

What is the penalty for building without a permit?

A fine under part 9 of art. 99 of the Code of Administrative Liability: UZS 66,000,000 for an individual and UZS 88,000,000 for an official; a legal entity is fined UZS 11,000,000–88,000,000 under ZRU-701. A claim to suspend works or demolish is also possible.

Can a self-built structure be legalised?

Only through court: the court may recognise ownership for the plot owner if the structure does not infringe others' rights or endanger life, and the owner reimburses the builder's costs (art. 212 of the Civil Code). A claim for recognition of the right suspends demolition.

Sources

• Urban Planning Code (ZRU-676 of 22 February 2021), arts. 15, 17, 23, 31, 32 (in Russian)
• CMR No. 200 of 20 April 2022, Russian text without annexes 3, 5, 6
• CMR No. 200, full text with annexes (in Uzbek)
• CMR No. 666 of 22 October 2025, in force from 24 January 2026 (in Uzbek)
• CMR No. 579 of 17 September 2021, expert review of urban planning documentation (in Uzbek)
• CMR No. 496 of 20 August 2020, risk categories of objects (in Uzbek)
• CMR No. 167 of 13 April 2026, private construction control (in Uzbek)
• CMR No. 192 of 28 March 2025, self-built structures (in Uzbek)
• Decree No. UP-104 of 4 June 2026 (in Uzbek)
• Decree No. UP-66 of 14 April 2025 (in Russian)
• Law ZRU-1179 of 28 September 2026, in force from 30 December 2026 (in Uzbek)
• Law ZRU-701, arts. 52, 54, annexes 2–4 (in Russian)
• Code of Administrative Liability, arts. 99, 160 (in Russian)
• Criminal Code, art. 229³ (in Russian)
• Civil Code (part one), art. 212 (in Russian)
• Law ZRU-600 on State Duty, annex item 32 (in Russian)
• Decree No. UP-115 of 23 June 2026, BRV UZS 440,000 (in Russian)