Political asylum in the Republic of Uzbekistan is granted to individuals and their family members seeking refuge and protection from persecution or a real threat of persecution in their country of citizenship or permanent residence due to their socio-political activities, religious beliefs, racial or national identity, as well as other human rights violations recognized under international law.

A person granted political asylum in the Republic of Uzbekistan and their family members shall enjoy the rights and freedoms and bear the obligations established by the legislation or international treaties of the Republic of Uzbekistan for foreign citizens and stateless persons permanently residing in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Political Asylum in the Republic of Uzbekistan Is Not Granted If a Person:
Is prosecuted for actions (or inaction) recognized as a crime in Uzbekistan or is guilty of acts that contradict the fundamental purposes and principles of the United Nations;
Has been charged as a defendant in a criminal case or has a final and enforceable conviction by a court in Uzbekistan;
Arrived from a third country where they were not at risk of persecution;
Holds citizenship of a third country where they are not persecuted;
Has knowingly provided false information;
Is unable or unwilling to return to their country of citizenship or permanent residence due to economic, environmental, or social reasons, as well as emergencies of a natural or man-made nature.

A person seeking political asylum must personally submit a written application to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the form approved by the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan through the territorial internal affairs authority at their place of stay within seven days after registering at their temporary place of residence or from the moment circumstances arise preventing them from returning to their country of citizenship or permanent residence.

The application is considered accepted for execution from the moment the applicant submits all the documents required by this Regulation.

If there are sufficient grounds for considering the application, the territorial internal affairs authority initiates a case in two copies, which, along with all necessary documents, is sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

During the period of consideration of the application, the applicant is issued a certificate in the form specified in Appendix No. 1. After a decision on the application is made, the certificate is withdrawn by the issuing authority.

When issuing the certificate, the territorial internal affairs body takes the applicant’s fingerprints and a digital photograph for inclusion in the biometric database of foreign citizens and stateless persons.

A person who has received the certificate is legally equivalent to a foreign citizen or a stateless person temporarily residing in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

When reviewing the submitted application, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan requests opinions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, after which it forwards all materials to the Commission on Citizenship under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan along with its conclusion on granting political asylum in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, when reviewing an application, requests conclusions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, after which it forwards all materials to the Commission on Citizenship Issues under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan along with its conclusion on granting political asylum in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The total period for reviewing the application by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan must not exceed one year. If, during the review, grounds specified in paragraph 4 of this Regulation are identified, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan prepares a conclusion on the inadvisability of further consideration of the application and informs the applicant within seven days of the decision.

The total period for reviewing an application in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan must not exceed one year.If, during the review, grounds specified in paragraph 4 of this Regulation are identified, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan prepares a conclusion on the inadvisability of further consideration of the application and informs the applicant within seven days of the decision.