Foreign companies wishing to establish a presence in Uzbekistan without incorporating a local legal entity may open a representative office. The process is governed by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 410 of 23 October 2000 and administered by the Ministry of Investments and Foreign Trade (MIVT). Accreditation — not registration — is the operative concept: the representative office comes into existence on the date MIVT issues its accreditation certificate.
01Who Can Open a Representative Office
Any foreign commercial organisation — a firm, company, corporation, partnership, or other business form — that has the legal capacity under its home-country law to open offices abroad may apply. Commercial representations of foreign state authorities (ministries, federal agencies, etc.) may also be accredited, provided the relevant foreign authority issues a permit.
02Legal Status
A representative office is not a legal entity and cannot conduct commercial activity (the sole exception is representative offices of airlines, which may engage in commercial operations). It is not a taxpayer in its own right — tax obligations are governed by the Tax Code and applicable international treaties. The office exists to represent and protect the interests of its founding organisation on the territory of Uzbekistan.
The office operates under a Regulation (Charter) approved and sealed by the founding organisation. It is managed by a Head of Representative Office who acts under a power of attorney issued by the founding organisation, which must expressly define the Head's authority.
03Accreditation Period
Accreditation may be granted for a period of one to three years. Offices operating on a long-term basis refresh their documents with MIVT every three years (see document list below). If the founding organisation is reorganised or liquidated, the representative office must notify MIVT within two weeks.
04Documents Required for Initial Accreditation
- Written application on company letterhead — covering the founding organisation's address, contacts, management, headcount, business activities, annual turnover, product range, shareholder details, subsidiaries, history, and the proposed accreditation period (typically three years).
- Constitutional documents (charter and founders' agreement) — notarised copies, legalised at the Uzbek consulate in the country of incorporation (or via apostille under the Hague Convention 1961), plus a notarised translation into Uzbek or Russian. CIS-country documents require only notarised copies.
- Proof of registration in the country of origin — extract from the trade register or certificate of state registration, legalised or apostilled, with notarised translation.
- Power of attorney in favour of the Head of Representative Office — with full passport details and a statement of authority, legalised or apostilled, with notarised translation.
- Regulation on the Representative Office — approved and sealed by the founding organisation, legalised or apostilled, with notarised translation.
- Guarantee letter from the owner (or authorised lessee) of the office premises — confirming readiness to lease the premises, stating conditions and term. The building owner's property title documents must be provided as a simple copy.
Documents issued in CIS member states (Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Armenia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan) do not require legalisation — notarised copies suffice. All documents submitted must have been issued within the six months prior to submission.
05Timeline and Decision
- MIVT reviews the application and issues a decision (grant or refusal) within 10 working days of submission.
- MIVT notifies the applicant in writing within 3 days of the decision.
- The accreditation certificate is issued within 5 days of MIVT receiving payment of the state duty.
- The initial certificate is issued for one year; subsequent renewals may cover the full accreditation period.
06Grounds for Refusal
MIVT may refuse accreditation only on three grounds: submission of knowingly false documents; the Regulation on the Representative Office contradicting Uzbek law; or documents not meeting the requirements of the applicable regulation. The refusal must be issued in writing, listing specific deficiencies. Once deficiencies are remedied, the applicant may reapply — and MIVT may not raise new objections not included in the original written refusal. Refusals may be challenged in court.
07Accreditation Fee
The state duty is 48 times the base calculation value (approximately USD 1,500 at current rates). Payment must be made to MIVT's account before the certificate is issued.
08Post-Accreditation Obligations
Within 10 days of receiving the accreditation certificate, the representative office must:
- Notify MIVT in writing of its postal address.
- Register with the tax authorities at the office's location.
- Submit to MIVT a certificate confirming tax registration.
The Head of the Representative Office must submit an annual activity report to MIVT in the prescribed form. In practice, MIVT also requires the representative office to sign an "Obligations" document at the time of certificate collection, which includes a commitment to notify MIVT promptly of any changes to staff composition.
09Renewing Accreditation
To renew accreditation, the founding organisation submits to MIVT: a written renewal application; a fresh power of attorney in favour of the Head (if the previous one has expired); and written confirmation of the postal address with a copy of the current lease or title document. No additional documents beyond this list may be demanded.
10Finance and Operations
The representative office is funded by the founding organisation. Operating expenses that may be covered by the office include: representation expenses; procurement of supplies for office needs; staff salaries; business travel; rent and utilities; and other operational costs. Uzbek-sum funds must be sourced by converting foreign currency through authorised channels or from UZS funds transferred by the parent company. Foreign currency receipts are transferred from the founding organisation to the representative office's bank account.
11Employment
Foreign nationals
Foreign employees of the representative office must be individually accredited with MIVT. Accredited foreign staff may work without a separate labour migration permit — but only at the accredited representative office. To accredit a foreign employee, the office submits to MIVT: a written application signed by the Head; a personal data sheet in Uzbek and English (two copies); two photographs (3×4 cm); a letter of appointment signed by an authorised person of the founding organisation (legalised); an HIV-free certificate; and a copy of the national passport. MIVT issues the accreditation card within 10 working days. Accreditation is granted for the remaining term of the office's accreditation, up to a maximum of 12 months, and is renewable. Visas for nationals of countries that require one to enter Uzbekistan are issued for the accreditation period, up to 12 months.
Uzbek nationals
Uzbek employees are hired under Uzbek labour law. Because the representative office is not a legal entity, the employer of record is the founding foreign commercial organisation. Employment contracts are concluded between the founding organisation and the Uzbek employee, signed by the employee and the Head of Representative Office (whose authority to hire must be stated in both the Regulation on the Representative Office and the power of attorney). The contract must specify that the place of work is the representative office in Uzbekistan, and the contract term must not exceed the remaining accreditation period of the office.
12Legalisation of Documents
Documents from countries that have acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 require an apostille rather than full consular legalisation. For countries not party to the Convention, the founding organisation must be legalised at the Uzbek consular mission in the country of incorporation (or, if none, through the foreign ministry of that country and subsequently at the Consular Division of the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs). CIS-country documents are exempt from legalisation entirely.
13How Advizen Can Help
Opening a representative office in Uzbekistan involves navigating document legalisation requirements, drafting a compliant Regulation on the Representative Office, managing the accreditation timeline, and meeting post-accreditation obligations. Advizen's team assists foreign companies at every stage — from document preparation and translation coordination to tax registration and ongoing MIVT compliance.