How to Register a Company in Uzbekistan as a Foreigner: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Key takeaways

Foreigners can own 100% of a limited liability company (LLC) in most sectors; no local partner is required.
An LLC has no minimum charter capital; registration online takes about 1–2 business days once documents are ready.
The status of “enterprise with foreign investment” requires at least 15% foreign ownership and a minimum charter capital of 400 million soums — it matters for certain guarantees and incentives.
More than 16,600 foreign-founded companies operated in Uzbekistan by mid-2025, about 1,800 of them registered in the first half of that year.

Uzbekistan has become one of the most active FDI destinations in Central Asia, and setting up a company there is faster than many investors expect. The hard part is not the registration itself but the decisions before and after it: which legal form, which structure for taxes and profit repatriation, and how to run accounting and HR from day one. This guide walks through the full path, from idea to an operating business.

Step 1. Validate the market

Before registering anything, check demand, competitors, regulatory restrictions in your industry (licences, certification, localisation requirements) and price levels. Market research in Uzbekistan usually takes 3–4 weeks and often changes the entry model — for example from a direct subsidiary to a distributor or franchise.

Step 2. Choose the form of presence

Form	When it fits	Key points
Limited liability company (LLC) — 100% foreign or joint venture	Commercial activity, hiring, local contracts	Most common choice; no minimum capital; up to 50 participants
Representative office	Market study, coordination, no commercial activity	Accredited for 1–3 years; cannot earn income
Permanent establishment	Projects without a local entity	Can arise automatically (e.g., more than 183 days of activity) — a tax risk, not a strategy

Enterprise with foreign investment (EFI) status. An LLC becomes an EFI if foreign participants hold at least 15% and the charter capital is at least 400 million soums (rules in force since 2018). EFI status gives access to certain guarantees and customs/tax incentives; check with an adviser whether you need it — many service companies do not.

A joint venture with a local partner can speed up access to clients and licences but requires careful governance terms. If you plan to sell through partners first, consider distributors in Uzbekistan before setting up your own sales team.

Step 3. Register the company

Registration is done online via my.gov.uz, fo.birdarcha.uz or the One Stop Shop for investors, or at a Public Service Centre.

Reserve the company name.
Prepare the charter and founder’s decision; documents of a foreign corporate founder must be legalised (apostille) and translated.
Provide a legal address in Uzbekistan.
Sign with an electronic digital signature (or through a representative with a power of attorney) and pay the state fee (about 270,000 soums).
Receive the certificate and taxpayer identification number (TIN) — typically within 1–2 business days.
Open a corporate bank account and order a seal if needed.

Step 4. Tax and currency set-up

Corporate income tax: 15%; VAT: 12%; personal income tax: 12%; social tax: 12% (2026).
Choose the right tax regime: companies with turnover above the threshold pay VAT and CIT; smaller companies may use turnover tax.
Foreign investors may repatriate profits after taxes; dividend withholding and treaty relief should be planned in advance.
From 2026, VAT invoices are risk-scored automatically, so supplier due diligence affects VAT recovery.

Step 5. Launch operations

After registration: employment contracts and work permits for foreign staff, office or production lease, accounting system, reporting to the tax authority and statistics. This is where most new companies make costly mistakes — late reports, wrong payroll calculations, missing work permits. Outsourced accounting services in Uzbekistan and professional support for hiring in Uzbekistan reduce that risk.

Step 6. Scale

Once the company is running: expand the product range, enter regional markets, use SEZ or IT Park incentives where relevant, and attract financing. Plan these steps in an Uzbekistan market entry strategy rather than one by one.

Typical timeline

Stage	Typical duration
Market research and entry model	3–6 weeks
Document preparation, apostille, translation	1 weeks
State registration	1–2 business days
Bank account, tax set-up, first hires	1 weeks
Full market entry project	3–6 months

Yasdar Consulting provides business support in Uzbekistan from company registration to day-to-day accounting and HR. Contact us to plan your set-up.