Alcohol regulations in Uzbekistan

Licences needed

Licence for the production of ethyl alcohol and/or Licence for the production of alcoholic products (spirits/liquor)

Authority

Inspectorate for Regulation of the Alcohol and Tobacco Market

Documents

Application submitted via the 'License' information system (license.gov.uz), enterprise charter and state registration, documentation proving ownership or long-term lease of compliant industrial premises, equipment passport and technical specifications, certificates of state metrological verification of measurement equipment, sanitary-epidemiological conclusions, and fire safety compliance certificates

Fees

State duty set according to the Law 'On State Duty' depending on production category

Time to obtain

Up to 20 working days

Who can import

Only legally registered resident commercial entities (legal entities) in Uzbekistan holding wholesale distribution authorization; individual entrepreneurs are prohibited from importing or wholesaling spirits

Licences or registrations

Wholesale licence for strong alcohol, registration in the national foreign trade single window, and registration with the national digital track-and-trace system (Asl Belgisi / CRPT Turon)

Authority

Customs Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Inspectorate for Regulation of the Alcohol and Tobacco Market, and Tax Committee

Documents

Foreign trade purchase contract, invoice/packing list, transport documents (CMR/airway bill), certificate of origin, certificate of conformity, sanitary-epidemiological conclusion, digital marking code order validation, and customs cargo declaration

Fees

Customs processing/clearance fees plus mandatory digital marking code fees (approx. 68 UZS per code without VAT)

Time to obtain

Customs clearance and import permit release typically 3 to 10 working days upon arrival of shipment and verification

Required

yes

Process

Importers must obtain a Certificate of Conformity and a Sanitary-Epidemiological Conclusion prior to market release. This involves laboratory testing of product samples against national safety and quality standards, verification of shelf-life and chemical composition, label compliance review (including Uzbek-language consumer information and medical health warnings), and registration of unique product GTINs into the Asl Belgisi digital marking catalogue.

Authority

Uzbek Agency for Technical Regulation (UzStandard / UzTest) and Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health

Documents and samples

Sample bottles for accredited laboratory testing, manufacturer certificate of analysis/quality, international safety certificates (e.g. ISO/HACCP), product formulation/composition sheet, draft label layout in Uzbek, and import contract

Fees

Varies according to laboratory testing scope and conformity assessment body tariffs

Renewal

Certificates of conformity are issued either per import consignment/batch or on a serial production basis valid for 1 to 3 years

Time to obtain

10 to 20 working days

Imports must be cleared by a resident importer of record. Shipments require customs declaration, certificate of origin, certificate of conformity, and sanitary-epidemiological certification. Commercial spirits are subject to mandatory digital serialization (Data Matrix codes via Asl Belgisi) applied prior to customs release or at customs bonded warehouses. Retail sale of distilled spirits in polymer/plastic containers is banned. Vending machine sales are prohibited.

30%, but not less than 1.00 USD per litre (HS code heading 2208)

Excise tax on imported spirits (HS 2208: vodka, cognac/brandy, liqueurs, and other spirits) is 76,000 UZS per litre (effective 2025/2026; domestic production rate is 44,000 UZS per litre of anhydrous alcohol). Ethyl alcohol excise is 15,000 UZS per litre. Standard Value Added Tax (VAT) is 12%.

Retail sales are permitted only by legal entities (private specialized liquor retail stores and supermarkets) and public catering establishments (bars, restaurants, hotels) that submit notifications and pay statutory monthly local retail fees. Individual entrepreneurs cannot retail alcohol. Sales are prohibited to anyone under 21 years old and cannot be handled by staff under 21 years old. Sales are barred in cultural, educational, sports, and healthcare facilities.

banned (Under Law No. ZRU-844 and amendments, remote sales, e-commerce, and delivery of alcohol products are prohibited, with exemptions strictly limited to natural and sparkling wines).

Consumer packaging must include mandatory product information in the Uzbek language: product name, type, producer name and address, volume, alcohol percentage (% ABV), date of production, ingredients, shelf-life/storage conditions, and national standard reference. A text/pictorial medical health warning against alcohol consumption must cover at least 40% of the main label surface. Each unit must carry the Asl Belgisi 2D Data Matrix digital track-and-trace code.

Banned. The Law 'On Advertising' (ZRU-776) and Law No. ZRU-844 prohibit commercial advertising and promotional campaigns for distilled spirits across television, radio, print media, outdoor billboards, and the internet. Brand sponsorship of public, sports, or entertainment events by spirit producers is prohibited.

Regulated under Uzbek national technical regulations and state standards (O'z DSt / GOST adaptations): Vodka minimum strength is typically 38%–40% ABV; Cognac/Brandy minimum 40% ABV; Whisky minimum 40% ABV; Rum and Gin minimum 37.5%–40% ABV; rectified neutral food-grade ethyl alcohol must be at least 96.0% ABV.

No full dry territorial zones exist at the regional level, but retail sales are prohibited within buffer zones (typically 200 to 500 meters) surrounding educational, medical, and religious institutions. Public consumption is prohibited on streets, in parks, stadiums, public transport, and other public venues.

• Law No. ZRU-844 fully enacted and enforced, establishing 21 as the legal drinking and purchasing age and barring sellers under 21 years old from serving or retailing alcohol.
• Excise tax on imported distilled spirits was reduced and indexed to 76,000 UZS per litre starting January 2025 as part of WTO-accession fiscal harmonisation.
• Mandated that medical health warnings occupy at least 40% of the main label surface area on alcohol retail packaging.
• Full rollout of mandatory Data Matrix digital marking integration (Asl Belgisi) across retail cash registers, automatically blocking receipts for non-compliant or duplicate codes.
• Explicit prohibition on the retail sale of spirits in consumer containers made of plastic or polymer materials.
• Strict confirmation of the e-commerce ban for hard spirits, restricting distance selling and online delivery solely to natural and sparkling wines.

Uzbekistan offers an expanding consumer market for premium and super-premium Western distilled spirits (notably Scotch whisky, Cognac, premium vodka, and gin) driven by a burgeoning hospitality sector and supermarket expansion in Tashkent. Continued tariff and excise reductions tied to Uzbekistan's WTO accession process are narrowing the retail price gap with domestic spirits.

• Inspectorate for Regulation of the Alcohol and Tobacco Market
• Uzbek Agency for Technical Regulation (UzStandard)
• Customs Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan
• Tax Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan
• CRPT Turon (National Digital Marking Operator Asl Belgisi)

1. Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. ZRU-844 On Restricting the Distribution and Consumption of Alcohol and Tobacco Products
2. EY Tax Review: Amendments to the Tax Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2025
3. UzDaily: Excise tax rates on tobacco and alcohol products indexed in Uzbekistan
4. US International Trade Administration: Uzbekistan Commercial Guide - Standards, Marking and Labeling
5. Integrated Customs Tariff of the Republic of Uzbekistan - HS Code 2208