Uzbekistan and Russia dual citizenship: can you keep both

10 min read · Published 6 October 2026

Uzbekistan does not recognise dual citizenship, either on admission or afterwards. We explain what to do for a Russian who needs an Uzbek passport and for an Uzbek citizen getting a Russian one, and when residence is enough.

In short

No: Uzbekistan does not recognise dual citizenship. Admission requires renouncing Russian citizenship, and an Uzbek citizen who voluntarily acquires a Russian passport loses Uzbek citizenship.

Previous passport on naturalisation	Not recognised, renunciation needed
Country rule	You must complete release from your previous citizenship before admission
Legal basis	Article 19 of the Law of Uzbekistan on Citizenship
What Russia requires	notify the Interior Ministry within 60 days
Checked	October 2026

Russia allows a second passport and since 2020 has not required renouncing a previous one, so the restriction here is entirely Uzbek.

What Uzbekistan requires on naturalisation

Article 12 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Citizenship of 13 March 2020 does not recognise another country's citizenship held by an Uzbek citizen. To get an Uzbek passport under the general procedure you need 5 consecutive years in the country with residence, a lawful source of income, a commitment to respect the Constitution, command of the state language to the level set by the Cabinet of Ministers, and renunciation of your previous citizenship. Absences of less than 183 days a year do not break the period.

For compatriots with a direct relative who is an Uzbek citizen living in the country the path is simpler: no residence period is needed, but income, the commitment, language and renunciation remain. The Presidential Commission on Citizenship issues a guarantee letter valid for a year, extendable by another year, during which the applicant renounces Russian citizenship. The President decides on admission by decree.

The reverse case: a voluntarily acquired foreign citizenship is grounds for losing Uzbek citizenship. Internal affairs bodies and consulates identify such people from agency records.

What Russia requires

Russia allows a second citizenship and does not end its own, but inside the country treats you only as a Russian citizen (Article 10 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ on Citizenship).

Within 60 days of receiving the second passport, file a notification with the Interior Ministry (MVD). If you are abroad at that moment, the period runs from the day you enter Russia.
Attach a copy of the foreign passport or another document proving the citizenship.

Failure to notify falls under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code: a fine of up to $2,400 or up to one year of income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory work.
Late or incomplete notification: a fine of $10-15 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences.
A residence permit abroad must be reported under the same rules (Article 11 of Law No. 138-FZ).

A Russian citizen with a second passport may not hold state or municipal office, serve in government bodies or stand for election. The duties of a Russian citizen, including military service, remain, and inside Russia the second passport is not taken into account.

How to keep both passports: step by step

Decide whether you need a passport at all. You can live and work in Uzbekistan with residence while keeping Russian citizenship: for example, by buying a home from $300,000 in Tashkent, from $200,000 in large regional centres and from $100,000 elsewhere.
If you need an Uzbek passport, live 5 years with residence or check the simplified route through a citizen relative, and prepare for the language.
Obtain the commission's guarantee letter and only then start renouncing Russian citizenship through the consulate: the procedure takes months.
Submit the renunciation document while the letter is valid, after which the President decides by decree.
An Uzbek citizen getting a Russian passport should formally renounce Uzbek citizenship: hiding a second passport is risky.
If the Uzbek passport matters more, obtain a Russian residence permit instead of Russian citizenship.

Uzbek law does not allow keeping both passports, so the task is to choose one citizenship and avoid an unsettled status or being left stateless.

What happens to children

If one parent is an Uzbek citizen and the other a Russian citizen, the child's citizenship depends on the place of birth and the parents' agreement. Uzbekistan does not recognise a second citizenship for children either, so giving a child both passports without checking the procedure is risky: the choice is made in advance, before the birth is registered.

If the parents change citizenship, the children are dealt with in the same application: minors need a separate set of documents and the other parent's consent.

Taxes and military service

Income tax in Uzbekistan is 12% on almost all of a resident's income, and 5% on dividends and interest. You can become a tax resident in less than 183 days if you spend more time in Uzbekistan than in any other country. The double tax agreement between Russia and Uzbekistan is in force.

Uzbekistan has compulsory military service for men of draft age. Until renunciation of Russian citizenship is completed, the obligations of a Russian citizen, including military registration, remain.

Common mistakes

Hiding a second passport. A voluntarily acquired foreign citizenship is grounds for losing Uzbek citizenship, and agencies identify such cases.
Renouncing Russian citizenship too early. Without the commission's guarantee letter you may end up stateless.
Missing the letter's deadline. It is valid for a year with one more year's extension, after which everything starts again.
Not preparing for the language. Command of the state language is required under both the general and simplified procedures.
Choosing a passport where residence is enough. Residence lets you live in Uzbekistan without giving up Russian citizenship.

How to get Uzbekistan citizenship

Uzbek citizenship is obtained after 5 years with residence or through the simplified route via a citizen relative, in both cases with the language and renunciation of the previous citizenship. For Russians who want to keep their Russian passport, residence in Uzbekistan is a sensible alternative. More about moving on the page Uzbekistan.

You can check any pair of countries with the dual citizenship checker and compare all countries in the overview dual citizenship in 2026.

Choose one citizenship without losses

The law does not stop you applying for Uzbek citizenship on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: renouncing Russian citizenship before the guarantee letter, a missed letter deadline, a hidden second passport and choosing citizenship where residence would have been enough. We check which status you need, prepare documents for both countries and arrange the renunciation without a gap.

The cost of support depends on the basis and the family; a consultant will calculate it in the chat.

Talk to a consultant now

This topic in other countries

Dual citizenship rules with Russia in other countries:

FAQ

Can you hold Uzbekistan and Russian citizenship at the same time?

No: Uzbekistan does not recognise dual citizenship. Admission requires renouncing Russian citizenship, and an Uzbek citizen who voluntarily acquires a Russian passport loses Uzbek citizenship.

Do I need to notify the Russian Interior Ministry about Uzbekistan citizenship?

Yes. A Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days under Article 10 of Law No. 138-FZ; failing to notify carries criminal liability under Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Can you hold Uzbek and Russian citizenship at the same time?

No. Uzbekistan does not recognise dual citizenship: admission requires renouncing Russian citizenship.

What happens if an Uzbek citizen gets a Russian passport?

A voluntarily acquired foreign citizenship is grounds for losing Uzbek citizenship. Internal affairs bodies and consulates identify such cases from agency records.

How many years must you live in Uzbekistan before citizenship?

5 consecutive years with residence. Absences of less than 183 days a year do not break the period.

Is there a simplified procedure for compatriots?

Yes, if a direct relative is an Uzbek citizen living in the country: no residence period is needed, but language and renunciation of the previous citizenship are required.

When should you renounce Russian citizenship?

Only after the guarantee letter from the citizenship commission, which is valid for a year with one more year's extension.

Can you live in Uzbekistan without giving up a Russian passport?

Yes, with residence: for example, by buying a home from $300,000 in Tashkent or from $100,000 in smaller regions.

Is Uzbek language required for citizenship?

Yes, command of the state language to the level set by the Cabinet of Ministers is required.

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Uzbekistan and Russia dual citizenship: can you keep both

What Uzbekistan requires on naturalisation

What Russia requires

How to keep both passports: step by step

What happens to children

Taxes and military service

Common mistakes

How to get Uzbekistan citizenship

This topic in other countries

FAQ

Don’t want to figure this out alone?

Programs in Uzbekistan

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