Legal Alert for Uzbekistan - August 2022

Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Adoption of the Regulation “On the Procedure for Issuing an Electronic Digital Signatures through Consular Offices of the Republic of Uzbekistan Abroad” No. 413 dated 29.07.2022 (hereinafter referred to as the “Resolution”) establishes the long-awaited procedure for obtaining an electronic digital signature (hereinafter referred to as the “E-signature”) through the consular departments of diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as "Uzbekistan") abroad (hereinafter referred to as the “Consulate”).

The Resolution ensures the E-signature receipt by foreign manufacturers of products subject to mandatory digital labeling (e. g., medicines and medical products, alcohol and beer products, tobacco products, water, and beverages, etc.) and, accordingly, the application of digital labeling codes, as well as provides an opportunity for Uzbekistan residents, individuals and legal entities-non-residents and stateless persons staying abroad, by receiving the E-signature accesses online government services.

According to the Regulation, the E-signature can be obtained through the Consulate by (i) residents of Uzbekistan, (ii) individuals and legal entities - non-residents, as well as (iii) stateless persons (hereinafter referred to as the "Applicant").

E-signature is obtained in four stages.

At the first stage, to register an E-signature key and obtain an E-signature key certificate, the Applicant shall submit the following documents to the Consulate:

  • The identity document (verified by an official of the Consulate and returned to the Applicant);
  • For legal entities:
    • A notarized letter from a legal entity indicating its full legal name and taxpayer identification number (TIN);
    • A notarized power of attorney, indicating the position and the authority to obtain an E-signature key and an E-signature key certificate of an individual – a representative of a legal entity (except for its director), who will receive an E-signature key certificate (hereinafter referred to as the "Owner of the E-signature Private Key"),;
  • For individuals – Individual Personal Identification number received in Uzbekistan;
  • A receipt confirming payment of the consular fee, as well as a fee for reimbursement of actual expenses related to consular procedures, if applicable.

Fees for the provision of E-signature are charged in the amount established by the international treaties of Uzbekistan and the tariff of consular fees of Uzbekistan, approved by the Decree of the President of Uzbekistan "On Improving the Remuneration System for Employees of Diplomatic Missions and Consulates of Uzbekistan Abroad" No. PP-2095 dated 24.12.2013, and, if applicable, fees for reimbursement of actual expenses related to consular procedures (hereinafter referred to as the "Fees").

At the second stage an official of the Consulate fills out an application form for obtaining an E-signature on behalf of the Applicant and sends this application form along with the attached documents (hereinafter referred to as the "Application") to the State Unitary Enterprise “Scientific and Information Center for New Technologies” under the State Tax Committee of Uzbekistan (hereinafter referred to as the “Center”) through interdepartmental electronic interaction system (hereinafter referred to as the "System") within one working day.

The Consulate may refuse to accept the documents if:

  • not all the necessary documents are provided;
  • providing forged documents;
  • not paying the full amount of the F

At the third stage, the Center in real time examines the Application sent by the Consulate and issues a certificate of the E-signature key or a substantiated refusal.

The Center may refuse to issue an E-signature key certificate if:

  • the Application contains false or deliberately false information;
  • the Applicant submitted documents in an undue form.

If the Application is correct, the Center registers the E-signature key, issues the E-signature key certificate, and sends them to the Consulate. The Center sends the password of the E-signature private key to the Applicant’s e-mail address specified in the Application. At the request of the Owner of the E-signature Private Key to the Consulate, the password of the E-signature private key can be re-sent or sent to a different email address.

At the fourth stage, the Consulate within one working day issues the E-signature key and the E-signature key certificate to the Applicant on an external data carrier (e. g. flash memory, CD disk, etc.) provided by the Applicant. At the request of the Applicant, the Consulate may issue and provide an E-signature key certificate also on hard copy.

If the Center refuses to issue an E-signature, the Consulate issues a substantiated refusal to the Applicant with an explanation of the refusal. In case of the refusal, the paid Fees are not refunded.

The Applicant may re-apply to the Consulate for the issuance of an E-signature key certificate after eliminating the reasons that served as the basis for refusal. No Fees are charged for reapplication. The Center cannot point to previously undetected grounds for refusing to issue an E-signature key certificate when re-examining the Application.

The validity period of the E-signature key certificate cannot exceed 24 months from the date of registration of the E-signature.

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