The key facts

  • Long-term visitation rooms: 20–30% of the BRV per day depending on capacity; video visits — 0.5% of the BRV per minute, calls — 0.1% of the BRV per minute
  • Payment is cashless only, cash acceptance by staff is prohibited; call duration is recorded by the «Qal'a» system
  • Exempted from room fees: convicts, children under 16, people with first-group disabilities, and families in the Social Registry

Draft tariffs put up for discussion

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan have developed a joint resolution establishing paid tariffs for communication and visitation services in penal institutions: long-term visitation rooms, remote video visits, and telephone calls. According to UzNews.uz, the draft has been posted on the regulation.adliya.uz portal for public discussion — meaning it is still a proposal, not rules in force.

How much the services will cost

The cost of a day in a long-term visitation room depends on its capacity and is tied to the base calculation value (BRV) on the day of payment: a two-person room — 20% of the BRV, a three-person room — 25%, a four-person room — 30%. Even if the room is used for less than a full day, payment is charged for a full day. Remote video visits are proposed to be charged at 0.5% of the BRV per minute, and telephone calls at 0.1% of the BRV per minute; for a partial minute, the fee is calculated proportionally to the actual time used. The duration of communication will be automatically recorded through the centralized information system «Qal'a».

How payment will work

Long-term visitation rooms must be paid for before the visit begins, in cashless form — by bank cards, electronic payment systems, or other permitted methods. Accepting cash from institution staff is prohibited. For video visits and calls, money will be automatically deducted from the convict's personal account; if funds are insufficient, the service will be provided within the available amount.

Benefits and refunds

The draft exempts from payment for long-term visitation rooms the convicts themselves, children up to and including 16 years of age (if no other adults have come with them), people with first-group disabilities, and family members listed in the Social Registry. These benefits do not apply to video visits and telephone calls. If the service was not provided in full or in part due to equipment malfunctions, communication network failures, or the «Qal'a» system, or for other reasons beyond the user's control, no fee is charged for the unprovided portion, and any amounts already deducted are refunded to the convict's personal account. If a visit or call is terminated early due to the user's fault, payment for the portion actually used is not refunded.