Citizens of Uzbekistan under the age of 25 are now issued an international travel passport for 5 years. Previously, the document was issued to citizens under 16 years of age for 5 years, and to citizens over 16 for 10 years.
According to Gazeta.uz, the legislation was amended by the president's decision on June 16, 2022. Official bodies and the mass media reported on this document, which simplified the procedure for issuing a passport (in particular, it was allowed to receive it regardless of the place of registration), but the clause on raising the age from 16 to 25 years was ignored.
Most sites for obtaining a passport, including the Unified Interactive State Services portal, still have old information. Passports for children under 1 year old are still issued for 2 years.
From November 2022, the provision of passport services on the state services portal was temporarily suspended. The letter of the State Personalization Center under the Cabinet of Ministers was taken as a basis.
"According to some Uzbeks who applied for a passport to go abroad, the representative of the counter-terrorism department and the precinct inspector of the neighborhood interviewed citizens of both sexes under the age of 22-23," the report says.
It is reported that young people are asked about the purpose of the trip and the duration of their stay abroad, as well as whether their parents are aware of the trip. Some said they asked for a reference from a youth service organization at the registration point.
