A route for every foreign hire — confirmation, exemption or IT visa — plus filing, visas, registration and a deadline calendar, which is where companies pick up fines.
How to get a work permit for a foreign employee in Uzbekistan in 2026?
A foreign employee in Uzbekistan works on a single document — the confirmation of the right to engage in labour activity; there has been no separate employer permit since 1 March 2022. The confirmation is issued by the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction on an application filed through the Litsenziya information system or my.gov.uz, within a statutory 15 working days. The state fee for most categories is 2 to 31 base calculation units (BCU), that is UZS 880,000 to 13,640,000 at the BCU of UZS 440,000 in force from 1 September 2026. A qualified specialist with higher education, at least 5 years of experience and a salary equivalent to at least USD 30,000 a year receives a confirmation for up to 3 years, most others for up to 1 year. Residence permit holders, specialists of IT Park residents and an investor of at least 8,500 BCU in their own organisation work without one, but they still need registration at the place of stay — as a general rule no later than 3 working days from entry.
These are not abstract risks but the scenarios that break deals and turn decisions of state bodies against you.
This breaches Article 523 of the Labour Code and is grounds for a fine under Article 49⁴ of the Code of Administrative Liability: 10–25 BCU for an official, 25–50 BCU for a repeat within a year.
Typical mistake: The confirmation is treated as a formality that will catch up with the hire, and the first working day is set before the decision.
An “other” foreigner instead of a qualified specialist: 31 BCU (UZS 13,640,000) instead of 3 BCU (UZS 1,320,000), and a one-year confirmation instead of three years.
Typical mistake: The salary was agreed before the category was checked: the threshold for a qualified specialist (QS) is the equivalent of USD 30,000 a year, for a highly qualified specialist (HQS) 60,000; with pay in soums you need a margin for the exchange rate.
For mass-market occupations this is the main risk of refusal: the territorial office looks for local candidates.
Typical mistake: The justification — certification, experience with the equipment, the project language — is prepared after the question, not before filing.
The foreigner faces 5, 15 or 25 BCU under Article 225 of the Code of Administrative Liability and, if unpaid, expulsion with a one-year entry ban; while they have been unregistered for more than 3 days, no confirmation application can be filed for them.
Typical mistake: Registration is seen as the employee's own business, yet it has to be renewed after a move, after a visa extension and on a business trip of more than 3 days.
The exemption for a founder of a foreign or joint enterprise lasts 3 months from the date of the employment contract and, on the literal text, does not cover a hired director who is not a founder.
Typical mistake: Filing is postponed until the exemption ends, although the time to file is the second month: 15 working days plus the experience documents.
Confirmation, exemption, IT visa or the highly qualified category — we determine it before the salary goes into the contract.
The document package, the application via Litsenziya or my.gov.uz and the justification for hiring a foreigner.
A multiple-entry work visa for HQS and QS for the term of the contract, but no more than 3 years; the package for an IT Park recommendation.
The package for the migration unit, a check of housing against the floor-space norm, moves and business trips.
Confirmations, contracts, visas, registrations and the one-week notices to the Ministry — for every foreign employee.
A migration audit, an HR procedure, support during inspections and complaints against fine rulings; in court, an advocate of our partner bureau.
Citizenship, diploma, experience, salary and role of every foreign employee — and the route: confirmation, exemption or IT visa.
Documents, the justification for the labour market check and the application with 1 BCU paid for review.
The Ministry reviews the application while the territorial office looks for local candidates.
The issuance fee is paid within 30 days of the notice of the decision; then come the visa, registration and the employment contract.
A calendar of renewals and notices, registration on moves and business trips, candidate checks before the offer.
Every point comes with a link to the primary source so you can check it yourself.
There has been no separate employer permit to attract foreign labour since 1 March 2022: the Regulation under Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 244 of 25 March 2019 has ceased to be in force.
lex.uz — CMR No. 244 of 25.03.2019The confirmation of the right to engage in labour activity is issued by the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction under Annex 20 to the Unified Regulation approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 86 of 22 February 2022; the statutory review period is 15 working days.
lex.uz — CMR No. 86, Annex 20 (in Uzbek)A qualified specialist (QS) needs higher education, at least 5 years of experience and a salary equivalent to at least USD 30,000 a year; a highly qualified specialist (HQS) needs a university in the top 1,000 of the official ranking list, at least 5 years of experience and at least USD 60,000 a year.
lex.uz — PP-4008 of 07.11.2018The fee is 1 BCU for review plus, for issuance, 1 BCU (HQS), 2 BCU (QS), 5 BCU (doctors, jewellery industry) or 30 BCU (other foreigners); the term is up to 3 years for HQS and QS and up to 1 year for most others.
lex.uz — CMR No. 86, Annex 20 (in Uzbek)A foreigner who has invested at least 8,500 BCU in shares, participation interests or the creation of a foreign enterprise may work in any position in that organisation without permit procedures.
lex.uz — PP-4008, para. 5(a)No confirmation is needed for residence permit holders and specialists of IT Park residents, while founders of foreign and joint enterprises, including first heads, are exempt for 3 months from the date the employment contract is concluded.
lex.uz — CMR No. 86, Annex 20 (in Uzbek)A foreigner may not work without the confirmation; the employment contract may not run longer than the confirmation and terminates on the day it expires (Articles 523–525 of the Labour Code).
lex.uz — Labour Code, Arts. 523–525A foreigner registers at the place of stay no later than 3 working days from the day of entry, unless an international treaty or legislation sets a different period (Article 7 of Law No. ZRU-1074, in force since 12 October 2025).
lex.uz — ZRU-1074, Art. 7The employer may not file for a confirmation if the foreigner's visa has expired or they have been unregistered for more than 3 days, and must notify the Ministry within one week of changes in the details, the foreigner's dismissal and the liquidation of the organisation.
lex.uz — CMR No. 86, Annex 20 (in Uzbek)Under the Code of Administrative Liability an official pays 10–25 BCU for breaching the procedure for attracting foreign labour and 25–50 BCU for a repeat within a year (Art. 49⁴); a foreigner faces 5, 15 or 25 BCU for breaching the rules of stay and, if unpaid, expulsion with a one-year entry ban (Art. 225).
lex.uz — Code of Administrative Liability, Arts. 49⁴ and 225From 1 September 2026 the base calculation unit (BCU) is UZS 440,000.
lex.uz — Presidential Decree UP-115 of 23.06.2026The IT visa threshold under Order No. 3387-1 (from 7 March 2026) is the equivalent of USD 30,000: an investment or stake for an investor in an Uzbek IT company and for a founder of an IT Park resident, and income over 12 months for a head of a resident and for an IT specialist.
lex.uz — Order No. 3387-1 (in Uzbek)| What we compare | Confirmation: HQS or QS | Confirmation: other | IT visa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it fits | QS — higher education, 5+ years and USD 30,000 a year; HQS — top-1,000 university, 5+ years and USD 60,000 a year | Those who do not fit any preferential category | Six categories, including an investor, a founder or head of an IT Park resident and an IT specialist — threshold USD 30,000 |
| State fee | 3 BCU (QS) or 2 BCU (HQS) | 31 BCU | None for the recommendation; the visa fee is separate |
| Term | Up to 3 years | Up to 1 year | Up to 3 years, extended without leaving the country |
| Where they can work | With a specific employer | With a specific employer | Without a confirmation — only at an IT Park resident |
| Review | 15 working days | 15 working days | Up to 30 calendar days |
The route is decided by the diploma, experience, salary and the employer's status, not by the job title in the offer. Exemptions — residence permit, IT Park, an investor of 8,500 BCU or more, a founder for the first 3 months — remove the confirmation, not the registration.
We will go through your situation, say what can realistically be done and in what timeframe, and name the cost once we understand the scope. Without that, any figure would be invented.
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This material is for reference only and is not legal advice on your specific situation. Rules and tariffs change — check the current version through the links to the primary sources above. To have your case assessed, send a request.