The key facts
- Heating tariffs in Tashkent may rise by 30%, liquefied gas — by 2.5 times (draft resolutions, not yet approved)
- Heating tariffs in Tashkent may rise by 30%, liquefied gas — 2.5-fold (draft resolutions, not approved)
- From November 1, Uzbek citizens will need a visa to enter Egypt; Kazakhstan launches the QazETA electronic permit system
- Advertising calls and SMS — only with subscriber consent; banks must warn about loan risks; from November 8 — a new realtor law
- Advertising calls and SMS — only with subscriber consent; banks must warn about loan risks; from November 8 — new law on realtors
Tariffs and Prices: Drafts Not Yet Approved
Heating and hot water tariffs in Tashkent may rise by about 30% — this is provided for in a draft resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers, which has not yet been approved. If the document is adopted, heating will rise in price from 241 to 314 sums per sq.m per day, hot water with a meter — from 8,929 to 11,607 sums per cubic meter. The heat energy tariff for the population is proposed to be raised from 156 thousand to 203 thousand sums per gigacalorie including VAT. For residents without hot water meters, the monthly fee per person, on the contrary, may decrease from 52 thousand to 45 thousand sums. According to Spot.uz, heating in Tashkent last became more expensive in November 2025 — then the tariff was raised by 15%. From 2028, heating tariffs are planned to be raised annually by up to 10%. The Ministry of Economy and Finance also published a draft on raising liquefied gas prices: the price of propane for the population may rise from 2,000 to 5,000 sums per kilogram (2.5 times), with the maximum delivery cost set at 1,300 sums per kg. Needy families are planned to be given subsidies for the purchase of up to 20 kg of gas per month. Discussion of the draft will last until October 28.
Visa Changes: Egypt and Kazakhstan
From November 1, citizens of Uzbekistan will need to obtain a visa in advance to travel to Egypt. Tourist trips will be organized through authorized tour operators. Tourists under 40 will be able to enter only with close relatives — parents, spouses or children; during the trip the family must have at least $5,000. Citizens over 40 will be able to travel independently, but must confirm possession of at least $3,000. Upon entry, hotel booking confirmation, documents proving availability of funds and a contact phone number will be required; if absent, the tourist may be sent back on the arriving flight. The requirements also apply to Sharm el-Sheikh and other resorts of the Sinai Peninsula. Kazakhstan is gradually introducing the QazETA electronic permit system for foreigners entering without a visa: from November 1, checks will begin at Aktau airport and at several road checkpoints, from January 2027 — at the airports of Astana and Almaty, from March — at all other checkpoints. Until July 1, 2027, the permit will not be mandatory — border guards will only explain the requirements. The document must be obtained online at least 72 hours before the trip with digital identification; the permit is free of charge.
Business: Advance Payments for Energy Resources and Customs Fee
The monthly advance payment for entrepreneurs for electricity and natural gas will decrease from 100% to 15%. The benefit applies to enterprises connected to the ASKUE and ASKUG systems and equipped with meters with remote switching on and off; it does not apply to companies that violated payment discipline in the previous two months. Written reports on resource consumption are abolished, contracts will be converted to electronic format. Businesses have previously repeatedly complained that the 100% advance payment reduces working capital. The customs fee for processing international courier shipments will decrease from 2% to 1.6% of the BRV per kilogram of gross weight — from 8,800 to 7,040 sums per kg. For a 5 kg parcel, the fee will decrease from 44 thousand to 35.2 thousand sums, for 10 kg it will be 70 thousand sums. This payment is not related to fees for exceeding duty-free import limits.
Greenhouses, Advertising and Bank Warnings
From November 1, 2026 to April 1, 2030, greenhouse farms will be able to receive compensation of 50% of electricity costs (payments from October to March). The benefit applies to greenhouses with heat pumps, geothermal and solar heating systems and highly efficient electrical appliances. Greenhouses in five districts of the Tashkent region — Tashkent, Zangiata, Kibray, Yangiyul and Yukorichirchik — will receive compensation of 40% of the costs of purchasing and installing energy-saving equipment (up to 100 million sums). From January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2030, for entrepreneurs receiving at least 60% of income from greenhouses, the land tax and property tax will be halved, and the turnover tax will be abolished. Advertising SMS and calls will be allowed only with the written or electronic consent of the subscriber; sending advertising via mobile communication will be prohibited from 18:00 to 09:00. Mailing companies must register their information systems in the state register of personal data databases, and telecom operators — at the subscriber's request — must block advertising calls and messages. The Central Bank approved requirements for banks: from November, advertisements and loan agreements must include warnings about the risks of loan non-repayment. In visual advertising, the warning must occupy at least 10% of the area, in the loan agreement — at least 30% of the first page before the main text. It will list the consequences of delinquency: growth of debt, forced collection, foreclosure on property, account seizure, travel restrictions and deterioration of credit history. Recognition of a credit product as misleading will become grounds for sanctions against financial organizations.
Realtors, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Urban Planning and Pensions
On November 8, a new law on realtor activity comes into force: realtors will need a qualification certificate issued by professional associations after training and an exam. Work will be possible only as part of a realtor organization with a certificate; organizations and agents will be entered into a unified register. Realtors will be able to act as intermediaries in transactions, organize auctions and conduct trust management. The sphere will be overseen by the Agency for State Asset Management. According to market participants with whom Spot discussed the changes, the changes cannot be called radical. Internal affairs bodies are switching to a new public safety system: on gastronomic streets, order will be guarded around the clock by PPS units under contracts with khokimiyats, squads will respond to reports via the '112' system. Violators of order at mass events will be temporarily restricted from entering future events. Patrol and post services will be able to clear traffic jams and respond to offenses on the roads, and traffic police officers will receive the right to stop violations of public order, detain violators and fine for littering, discharge of liquid waste and drinking alcohol in public places. Master plans of settlements will be entered into a unified electronic register of the National Committee for Sustainable Development of Urbanization and the Housing Market; the use of unregistered plans will be prohibited. After the general plan is approved, a program for its implementation for 3–5 years must be developed within three months. The development of general plans for settlements without them or with plans older than 10 years will be financed from the republican budget. The old-age pension will be automatically assigned two years earlier than the generally established age — without an application from the recipient — for citizens recognized as unemployed due to staff reduction or closure of an enterprise: for men at 58, for women at 53. Proactive assignment can be refused. Workers in hazardous industries will be able to apply for early
Tree planting and the Green Card lottery
In November, Uzbekistan will begin the tree planting season under the «Yashil makon» program. The timing depends on the region: from November 1, work will begin in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm; from November 5 — in the Bukhara and Navoi regions; from November 10 — in Tashkent and a number of other regions; from November 20 — in the Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions. Under a presidential decree, from 2027, 100 billion soums will be allocated annually for greening mahallas, and mahallas will receive 90% of fines for environmental violations. In addition, a US federal court ordered the administration of Donald Trump to resume registration in the Green Card lottery: application acceptance must open no later than November 1, with results announced by December 3. Initially, registration was ordered to open by October 18, but the parties agreed on a two-week delay. The application period will last 30 days. It is expected that 55,000 foreign citizens will be able to obtain visas under the program.
