The current biometric passport in Uzbekistan may be recognized as an international passport, and be replaced with ID cards for internal identity purposes. This is proposed in the draft 2018 State Program which has been posted for public consultation.
Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy for 2017-2021, approved by the President, envisages the introduction of international passports and cancellation of two-year exit visas for travelling abroad (2018 State Program is the second stage of the Strategy).
Also in August, after examining proposals, the President approved the introduction from January 1, 2019 of international passports for traveling abroad. It was planned that the current passports would be used only as internal passports.
Given that the current passports, introduced in 2011, are actually both internal and international, many citizens and experts were in favor of launching ID-cards.
