Customs Committee tackles long queues at Tashkent airport due to IMEI-related issues
Entrepreneur Raises Concerns About Bureaucracy and Long Queues at Tashkent Airport
Oybek Shaykhov, Secretary General of the Europe-Uzbekistan Association for Economic Cooperation, has recently brought attention to the bureaucratic hurdles and long queues at Tashkent Airport related to the declaration and IMEI registration of mobile phones. Shaykhov, a businessman with Uzbek roots residing in Brussels, took to social media to express his frustrations over the inefficiencies of the current process.
In a post on his Facebook page, Shaykhov highlighted the lengthy queues forming at Tashkent International Airport due to the cumbersome IMEI registration process. He pointed out that despite the mandatory two-step process involving Customs and UzIMEI registration, there was only one customs officer handling the registrations, leading to significant delays for passengers arriving in Uzbekistan.
Passengers, including both Uzbek citizens and foreign visitors, have reported waiting for hours in line as early as 4:30 AM upon their arrival at the airport. Shaykhov criticized the lack of efficiency in addressing this issue, calling for a similar approach to increasing service counters at passport control to be applied to the mobile phone registration process.
In response to Shaykhov’s concerns, the Customs Committee announced measures to address the situation. Spokesperson Husan Tangriyev stated that the number of staff members handling IMEI registrations has been increased to alleviate queues at the airport. Tangriyev also clarified that mobile devices listed in the declaration do not necessarily have to be registered with UzIMEI at the airport itself.
Furthermore, to improve convenience for travelers, an online declaration system will soon be introduced, allowing passengers to complete customs declarations electronically. This system is expected to be launched in test mode in the coming days, with information kiosks installed at international airports for passengers to complete their declarations online.
It is important to note that as of October 2024, all individuals entering Uzbekistan with a mobile phone are required to complete a customs declaration. Failure to do so may result in a mandatory fee for IMEI registration. This regulation was made public in January 2025, emphasizing the importance of complying with customs procedures for mobile devices when entering the country.
