Uzbekistan UZ
Importing, possessing or flying a drone in Uzbekistan without prior Cabinet of Ministers/Civil Aviation Agency authorisation is prohibited. The only realistic permit route is for foreign film/media crews or government-linked tourism projects, arranged months in advance through the Ministry of Tourism. Ordinary tourists should not bring a drone expecting to fly it — it will likely be confiscated at customs.
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Visitors can't fly drones in Uzbekistan
- Flying not allowed for visitors
Importing, possessing or flying a drone in Uzbekistan without prior Cabinet of Ministers/Civil Aviation Agency authorisation is prohibited. The only realistic permit route is for foreign film/media crews or government-linked tourism projects, arranged months in advance through the Ministry of Tourism. Ordinary tourists should not bring a drone expecting to fly it — it will likely be confiscated at customs.
Flying
- Importing, possessing, selling or flying a UAV without Cabinet of Ministers/Uzaviation authorisation is prohibited; a March 2024 law reduced a first-time individual offence to administrative liability, but the underlying import/use prohibition remains in force
- The only realistic permit route is for foreign film/media crews or government-linked tourism content projects, arranged through the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (info@motach.uz) together with Uzaviation, the Ministry of Defense, and Mininfocom (radio-equipment approval); allow at least 3–4 months lead time
- Toy/model aircraft flown below 50 m altitude are treated as unrestricted; anything resembling a camera drone is not
- A 2026 state program directs several ministries to draft new rules, including a green/yellow/red airspace zoning system, to open drone import and use to legal entities; as of September 2026 this had not yet replaced the individual import/use ban
- A drone without pre-arranged registration will not be released from customs and is normally confiscated, even if declared
Commercial use: Commercial and production use follows the same multi-step process: Cabinet of Ministers or Ministry of Tourism approval, Mininfocom radio-equipment clearance, Uzaviation registration, and airspace clearance from air-traffic authorities. The 2026 state program aims to open a faster legal-entity pathway, but it was still being drafted as of mid-2026.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) No public self-service registration exists for individuals. Registration is one step in a multi-agency import/use authorisation process involving the Cabinet of Ministers, Mininfocom radio clearance, Uzaviation, and the unified airspace management authority. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Unknown No public individual pilot-certification scheme found. No standard pilot exam for individuals was found; authorised operations are approved case-by-case alongside the import/use permit, not through a general exam. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No Remote ID broadcast requirement was found; control is exercised through the import/use permit and registration system rather than in-flight identification. |
| Insurance | Unknown No public information found on insurance requirements for the rare authorised drone operations. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No Ordinary tourists and hobbyist content creators should not expect approval — the process realistically only works for foreign film/media crews or government-linked tourism projects. Apply through the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (info@motach.uz) together with Uzaviation; approval also involves the Ministry of Defense and Mininfocom, and commonly takes 3–4 months. Do not bring a drone expecting to fly it without pre-arranged approval; it will likely be confiscated at customs, and unauthorised use can lead to fines or, in serious cases, criminal charges. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Toy/model aircraft | flown below 50 m altitude | Treated as unrestricted; not considered a regulated UAV. |
| All other drones | any weight | Import, possession and flight are prohibited without Cabinet of Ministers/Uzaviation authorisation; realistically limited to approved film crews or state/tourism-linked projects. |
Import & export
- None for ordinary travellers. Bringing a drone in without pre-arranged Cabinet of Ministers/Uzaviation authorisation is prohibited; the drone will not be released from customs without registration and is normally confiscated.
- The drone's radio-electronic equipment requires separate approval from Mininfocom (Ministry of Digital Technologies) as part of the same authorisation process.
- Batteries: Not applicable in practice for tourists, since the drone itself cannot legally be imported without prior authorisation; standard airline lithium-battery rules would apply only to an approved shipment.
- A March 2024 law reduced a first-time individual offence (illegal import, sale, purchase, storage or use of a UAV) from criminal to administrative liability, but did not repeal the underlying prohibition on unauthorised import/use.
- A 2026 state program instructs the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Digital Technologies to draft rules opening drone import/manufacture/use to legal entities with a zoned (green/yellow/red) airspace system; as of September 2026 this had not yet taken effect for individuals.
- Confiscation at customs is the default outcome for an unauthorised drone, even when voluntarily declared.
Export
- Not applicable in the ordinary tourist case, since unauthorised import/possession is itself prohibited.
Costs
| Operator registration | Unknown Validity: Not applicable to ordinary individuals; any registration is project-specific, granted through Uzaviation alongside Cabinet of Ministers/Ministry of Tourism approval. |
|---|---|
| No public individual pilot-certification scheme found | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Bringing a drone to Uzbekistan as a visitor — and what to do instead Visitors
- Assume you cannot fly, and don't bring one
Unauthorised import, possession or flight of a UAV is prohibited in Uzbekistan; there is no simple tourist permit.
- Only professional film/tourism crews should apply
Apply via the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage (info@motach.uz) with Uzaviation, Ministry of Defense and Mininfocom clearance; allow 3–4 months. Open
- Expect confiscation at the airport
Without pre-arranged registration, a drone will not be released from customs and is normally confiscated, even if declared.
- Watch for the 2026 liberalisation
A state program is drafting a green/yellow/red zoned system opening drones to legal entities; check the current status close to your travel date, since rules may change.
- Use ground-based or licensed alternatives
Hire a licensed local videographer with existing authorisation, or use elevated viewpoints such as minarets and towers instead of flying your own drone.
Sources
- gov.uz — Uzbekistan Civil Aviation Agency (UzCAA), Drones/UAV page · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Kun.uz — Uzbekistan to lift ban on drone imports and production for legal entities · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Gazeta.uz — Liability for illegal drone usage softened in Uzbekistan · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- TourFixer — Drone Laws Uzbekistan 2026: Tourist Guide · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Drone flying banned for visitors−95
- Drone import banned−95
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works