Rights to the plot, the six permit procedures in construction, state registration of title and defence when land is taken for public needs.
Can a business acquire land in Uzbekistan into ownership?
It depends on who the applicant is. Legal entities of Uzbekistan may hold land plots under a right of ownership, permanent possession, permanent and fixed-term use, and lease, and private ownership arises through privatisation of non-agricultural plots under Law ZRU-728 of 15 November 2021. Foreign citizens, foreign legal entities and stateless persons receive land only under a lease. A separate article of the privatisation law lists plots that are not subject to privatisation at all, so the status of a plot in Uzbekistan has to be checked before the deposit is paid at the auction.
These are not abstract risks but the scenarios that break deals and make state decisions go against you.
Money is in, the building is put up or purchased — and underneath it there is only a lease. The security and asset-protection structure falls apart, and the lease term becomes the project's main risk.
Typical mistake: The deal is structured by the logic of the investor's home jurisdiction. Foreign persons receive land only under a lease, and that has to be built into the model before entry, not after.
The deposit is paid and the contract signed, yet the project does not clear: the master plan, red lines, protection and sanitary-protection zones or the land category do not allow the intended building on that site.
Typical mistake: The auction is treated as due diligence. An electronic auction is a way of allocating a plot, not confirmation that the intended building is permissible on it.
The building cannot be commissioned, which means title cannot be registered, and it cannot be sold or pledged. The asset exists physically and does not exist legally.
Typical mistake: A link in the chain is skipped or backdated: the architectural and planning assignment, approval of the design and cost documentation, the expert review of urban planning documentation, acceptance. All administrative regulations in construction are approved by a single resolution.
The holder is told the purpose and offered compensation at residual value, and agrees without checking the grounds.
Typical mistake: The stated purpose is not checked against the law. The law on the procedure for taking land plots for public needs contains a closed list of such needs and does not allow a taking for any other purpose.
The owner of commercial premises is the last to learn that the block has been included in the programme and signs an agreement on terms discussed without them.
Typical mistake: The law on urban renovation was signed on 10 June 2026 and enters into force on 12 December 2026. Owners have not yet studied how participation and approval work, while the clock is already running.
Tax is assessed on the basis of the established minimum rate, that is, on an amount the parties never paid.
Typical mistake: The contract is signed «as agreed» and the transaction is not put on record in time. The procedure for recording lease, sublease and gratuitous use transactions in real estate is approved by a separate resolution, and the minimum rates for tax purposes are set annually.
Between payment and registration the seller has time to encumber the property or sell it a second time.
Typical mistake: People assume the transfer act and the keys settle the matter. Title to real estate arises upon state registration under Law ZRU-803, in force since 1 March 2023.
The project's financial model is built on an asset the private partner does not own.
Typical mistake: Land is provided to the private partner within a public-private partnership agreement, and the regime of such a plot differs from an ordinary acquisition.
Land category, type of right, restrictions and encumbrances, inclusion in the list of non-privatisable plots and in zones with special conditions.
Lease, permanent use or privatisation of a non-agricultural plot — taking into account who the applicant is.
We take the project through the chain of administrative regulations: from the architectural and planning assignment to acceptance.
Cadastral passport and state registration of title — the moment from which the property becomes legally yours.
We check the grounds against the closed list of public needs and work on the amount of compensation.
The contract, recording the transaction with the tax authority on time, and compliance with the minimum rates for tax purposes.
We review the land and building documents, restrictions, encumbrances and the history of title.
We determine the achievable type of right and the ownership structure — especially if the project has a foreign participant.
We take the project through the permit procedures and clear the comments of the expert review.
Commissioning, cadastral passport, state registration of title, arranging the lease.
Every point comes with a link to the primary source so you can check it yourself.
Legal entities may hold land plots under a right of ownership, permanent possession, permanent and fixed-term use, and lease (Article 17 of the Land Code).
lex.uz — Article 17 of the Land CodeForeign citizens, foreign legal entities and stateless persons may hold land plots only under a lease.
lex.uz — Land CodeThe privatisation of non-agricultural land plots is governed by Law No. ZRU-728 of 15 November 2021.
lex.uz — ZRU-728The privatisation law contains a list of land plots not subject to privatisation — including plots with mineral deposits and land of certain categories (Article 12 of ZRU-728).
lex.uz — Article 12 of ZRU-728Land plots for business and urban development activity are allocated through an electronic online auction (PP-3677 of 20 April 2018).
lex.uz — PP-3677Urban Planning Code No. ZRU-676 of 22 February 2021 sets out the procedure for the expert review of urban planning documentation and for the acceptance of completed buildings.
lex.uz — Urban Planning CodeThe unified administrative construction regulations are approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 200 of 20 April 2022.
lex.uz — Resolution No. 200Title to real estate arises upon state registration; the procedure is established by Law No. ZRU-803 of 28 November 2022, in force since 1 March 2023.
lex.uz — ZRU-803The taking of land plots for public needs with compensation is governed by Law No. ZRU-781 of 29 June 2022, which contains a closed list of public needs and does not allow a taking for any other purpose.
lex.uz — ZRU-781Land plots for public-private partnership projects are provided to the private partner within the PPP agreement (Law No. ZRU-537 of 10 May 2019).
lex.uz — ZRU-537Issuing a cadastral passport and registering rights to non-residential property are delivered as a state service through the Unified Portal of Interactive State Services.
my.gov.uz — cadastre and registration| Applicant | Ownership | Lease |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity of Uzbekistan | Possible through privatisation of a non-agricultural plot, if the plot is not on the list of non-privatisable ones | Available |
| Enterprise with foreign investment and foreign legal entity | Not available — lease only | The main route |
| Foreign citizen | Not available | Available |
| Private partner under a PPP | Land is provided within the PPP agreement | On the terms of the agreement |
The type of right is determined not by what the investor wants but by its status and the category of the plot. That is why the plot and the ownership structure are checked before the auction and before the deposit is paid — reversing this after winning is next to impossible.
We will go through your situation, tell you what can realistically be done and in what time, and name the fee once we understand the scope. Any figure before that would be invented.
Консультация по задаче — бесплатно. Стоимость работы называем после того, как поймём объём.
There are no testimonials or case studies here: they cannot be verified. Only what you can confirm yourself.
This material is for reference and is not legal advice on your specific situation. Rules and rates change — check the current wording through the primary-source links above. To have your case assessed, send a request.