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Uzbekistan’s Customs Committee has announced that customs clearance for imported mobile devices resumed at Tashkent International Airport on November 11, following a suspension that affected travelers say began on November 6. Authorities have also begun returning gadgets previously seized for technical inspections to passengers, Customs Committee spokesperson Khusan Tangriev told Gazeta.uz.
“As of today, the temporary suspension of customs clearance has been lifted. Mobile phone imports are once again proceeding smoothly. In addition, work has already begun to return several hundred mobile devices seized up to this point,” the committee spokesperson emphasized.
However, he did not specify the exact number of gadgets confiscated from arriving passengers, nor when travelers would receive all of their smartphones back.
According to the official, the agency's leadership held successful talks earlier in the day with the UzIMEI center. As a result, authorities decided to station center specialists permanently at the capital's airport. They will assist customs officers whenever mobile device IMEI codes require more thorough verification.
Tangriev stressed that resuming on-site mobile clearances at the airport was routine and was not a reaction to public outcry or social media criticism directed at customs authorities.
Addressing questions regarding the practical value of the UzIMEI system, the spokesperson noted that the Customs Committee serves merely as an executive body and lacks the authority to evaluate decisions made by the national government.
Earlier, it was reported that the Customs Committee had temporarily suspended the clearance of new, unregistered mobile devices brought into the country. Officials had also begun confiscating smartphones for mandatory technical inspections.
Reports emerged on social media claiming that customs officers were offering expedited solutions on the spot. Specifically, officers reportedly explained that standard technical reviews could take up to 30 days, but travelers could pay a fee for fast-track processing. For instance, while the official import duty on a new iPhone model is about $150, officers allegedly demanded $450 for expedited clearance. According to online accounts, same-day processing fees ranged between $400 and $1,100.
The Customs Committee, however, denied all allegations of corruption among its personnel.
On May 1, 2025, Uzbekistan introduced new duty-free import allowances for personal goods, establishing a $1,000 threshold for air passengers. Nevertheless, travelers must declare mobile devices before registering them in the UzIMEI system. Both procedures incur fees: customs clearance costs 30% of the phone's value, while registration costs 20% of the base calculating amount (88,000 Uzbekistani sums, or $7) within 30 days of arrival, rising to 25% thereafter.
