Uzbekistan expands eligibility and requirements for IT visas

The new regulations were approved by the Ministry of Justice and define the procedure for issuing recommendations to foreign investors and information technology specialists, as well as to founders and participants of resident companies in the IT Park – the Technology Park of Software Products and Information Technologies.

Under the updated rules, the IT visa can now be granted to a broader range of foreign professionals and investors working in the technology sector.

Who can receive an IT visa

According to the changes, IT visas may be issued to the following categories:

• foreign investors and specialists in the field of information technology
• founders and participants of resident companies of the IT Park – the Technology Park of Software Products and Information Technologies, as well as individuals serving as sole executive bodies, chairpersons of collegial executive bodies, and their deputies
• founders, participants, and specialists involved in startup projects participating in the digital startup program
• foreign professors and university lecturers with academic degrees in information technology, including Candidate of Sciences, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), or Doctor of Science (DSc)

New financial requirements introduced

Alongside the expansion of eligible categories, the updated rules introduce additional financial requirements for certain applicants.

In particular:

• a foreign investor must invest at least $30,000 in a legal entity registered in Uzbekistan that operates in the information technology sector, or hold a share of at least $30,000 in the company’s charter capital
• a founder of an IT Park resident company must be an individual who is a founder or participant of a legal entity that has obtained resident status in the technopark, with a share in the charter capital of no less than $30,000

The updated rules aim to attract qualified foreign specialists and increase investment in Uzbekistan’s rapidly developing technology sector.