Imported iPhones Face Reported Customs Checks of Up to 30 Days in Uzbekistan

Travelers report delays and sharply higher clearance costs

Some smartphones brought into Uzbekistan are being sent for additional customs examinations lasting up to 30 days as authorities tighten checks on imported devices and their IMEI identification codes. Travelers say phones can be held at the airport during the examination, leaving them waiting for a device they have already bought.

The Customs Committee attributes the stronger controls to cases involving copied or falsified IMEI codes, identifiers belonging to other devices and phones brought into the country illegally. The committee says 4 million mobile devices were officially imported between January and September 2026, generating 1.6 trillion sum in customs payments.

Travelers describe being offered a choice between a lengthy examination with a payment of about $150 and clearance within a day for about $450. Other reported amounts for faster processing range from $400 to $1,100, depending on the smartphone model. Those figures come from users. The committee's explanation gives no official tariff or procedure for such an expedited service, and the basis for those charges remains unclear.

The tighter checks reportedly began on November 6, although the year was not specified. Uzbekistan also has a separate period of 30 days for devices awaiting IMEI registration, alongside customs duties and registration charges. For travelers, understanding which process a payment or deadline belongs to is essential to working out the cost of bringing a phone into the country.

Why customs is checking device identities

An IMEI is a unique identification number containing 15 digits that a mobile network uses to recognize a device. A phone supporting two SIM connections can have two IMEI codes, and both must be recorded for use in Uzbekistan's registration system, UzIMEI.

Customs officers compare the codes declared at entry with the phones being carried. A mismatch can mean the paperwork describes a different device. Copying an identifier can also allow a phone to appear under an identity already associated with another handset, making it harder to track whether the actual device entered legally.

The Customs Committee says the increased scrutiny follows discoveries of precisely these practices. Its stated concern is the movement of phones outside official import and registration channels, rather than a problem limited to a particular smartphone brand.

For a passenger, the practical consequence is that accurate paperwork matters alongside the physical phone. A purchase receipt, a declaration and the identifiers displayed by the device all help customs connect the handset to its import record and value.

A Tashkent airport case involved 20 iPhones

At Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, customs officers uncovered a scheme involving 20 iPhones valued at 310 million sum. According to the Tashkent Aero customs complex, passengers entered identifiers belonging to other phones that had previously been brought into Uzbekistan illegally.

Customs officials said the plan involved reprogramming phones so that substituted identifiers would appear in their settings. Their account said a check using a dialing command would still reveal the original IMEI, allowing officers to detect the mismatch.

The case remains under investigation. Its value works out to an average of 15.5 million sum per phone, calculated by dividing 310 million sum by 20 devices. That is the average value in this particular case, rather than a valuation schedule for other imports.

Illegal alteration or copying of IMEI codes has been punishable by a fine and confiscation of the device since 2024. The airport case shows the kind of discrepancy officers are looking for: an identifier written on a declaration that belongs to something other than the phone presented at the border.

What the registration regulation says

Uzbekistan's Cabinet of Ministers established the mobile device registration framework through Resolution No. 778, dated September 17, 2019. It covers devices used in the country, including phones imported for sale or personal use.

The regulation provides for registration of imported devices after customs clearance under the IM-40 procedure, which releases imported goods into free circulation. In everyday terms, customs completes the process allowing those goods to enter the domestic market. The regulation also gives a registration period of three working days for importers.

A later amendment defines a gray list for devices that are on neither the approved white list nor the blocked black list. Devices on that list may use mobile services for up to 30 calendar days from their first network event. The amendment was adopted on November 6, 2025, with an effective date of February 8, 2026.

The two periods serve different purposes. The reported customs examination concerns checks before clearance, during which travelers say a phone may be retained. The gray list period concerns temporary access to mobile networks while registration is pending. The regulation also addresses cloned and unidentified IMEI codes.

How the rules developed

Several changes preceded the latest complaints. Their dates help separate the original registration framework, penalties for changing device identities and more detailed customs declaration requirements.

• September 17, 2019: Cabinet Resolution No. 778 established the mobile device registration framework.
• 2024: Illegal alteration or copying of IMEI codes became subject to fines and confiscation.
• August 1, 2025: The basic calculated value used to calculate registration charges became 412,000 sum.
• November 6, 2025: An amendment setting out the gray list period of 30 calendar days was adopted.
• February 8, 2026: That gray list amendment took effect.
• April 10, 2026: More detailed requirements for recording devices and their IMEI codes in customs cargo declarations took effect.
• January to September 2026: The Customs Committee recorded 4 million officially imported mobile devices and 1.6 trillion sum in customs receipts.

The April declaration changes require each device to have its own sequence number in box 31 of the customs cargo declaration. The number of SIM slots and the IMEI belonging to each slot must be entered separately. For shipments containing several phones, each handset needs its own matching set of details.

Customs duty depends on the route and declaration

Phones brought personally into Uzbekistan must be declared at entry. Passenger guidance directs travelers carrying devices that require declaration to use the red customs channel and record all relevant IMEI codes. The red channel is the route for presenting goods to customs rather than passing through without a declaration.

An April 2026 account of Customs Committee guidance gives a duty free allowance of two phones worth up to $2,000 in total for air passengers, $1,000 for rail passengers and $300 for entry by car. Another passenger guide gives lower allowances of $1,000 by air for up to two phones and $500 by rail or river, while also listing $300 for entry by car or on foot. Travelers therefore need confirmation of the allowance applicable to their journey before calculating a payment.

Both explanations put customs duty at 30% of the value above the applicable allowance. For example, a declared phone valued at $1,500 would produce a $150 duty under a $1,000 allowance: the excess is $500, and 30% of $500 is $150. Customs uses its internal price database to determine value, while purchase receipts can also support the declared price.

A phone omitted from the entry declaration follows a more expensive route. The April guidance says registration then requires duty equal to 30% of the device's value, rather than just the amount above an allowance. Registration instructions also require a customs payment order when there is no entry declaration.

Registration has its own fee and deadline

UzIMEI registration is a further step after customs clearance. The published registration guidance lists a charge of 82,400 sum when registration takes place within 30 days of the first use of a SIM card, rising to 103,000 sum after that period.

The amounts are calculated from the basic calculated value, an official benchmark used to set certain fees and charges. With that benchmark at 412,000 sum from August 1, 2025, the earlier registration charge is 20% and the later charge is 25%. Missing the initial window adds 20,600 sum, making the later charge 25% higher than the earlier one.

An unregistered phone loses access to Uzbekistan's mobile networks after the allowed period. Service can resume after registration. For someone relying on a local SIM for calls, messages or mobile internet, completing customs paperwork alone leaves another task to finish.

The reported dollar amounts for rapid clearance sit alongside these separate customs and registration calculations. A traveler trying to understand a bill needs an itemized explanation of the customs value, the applicable duty, the UzIMEI charge and any other payment requested.

What owners need to record and check

A phone's IMEI codes can be displayed by dialing *#06#. They may also appear in the device settings, on its packaging or in warranty documents. Recording every code before completing a declaration helps avoid leaving out the second identifier on a phone with two SIM connections.

The passenger declaration can be completed through the Yo'lovchi deklaratsiyasi app. The process records the device's brand, price, weight, quantity and identifiers, then produces a QR code for customs officers to check. Receipts can help explain the purchase price when the value is assessed.

After clearance, owners can apply through the UzIMEI website, the Birda app, the my.gov app, a UzIMEI office or participating mobile operator offices. Online registration requires identity details and verification. The website process sends a payment request by SMS, with payment due within 10 days.

Buyers purchasing phones inside Uzbekistan should also check every IMEI before paying. Status checks are available through UzIMEI, by sending the code to 1170 by SMS or through the *1170# service. An unresolved registration problem can leave the buyer facing costs and a phone unable to connect to a local mobile network.

Parcels and planned changes follow separate tracks

Phones arriving by courier or post go through delivery related customs procedures rather than a passenger declaration at an airport. The delivery service handles customs clearance, while the recipient still needs to complete IMEI registration.

The parcel guidance gives monthly duty free limits of $200 for international courier shipments and $100 for international postal shipments, with 30% duty on the value above the relevant limit. For registration at a UzIMEI office, recipients are instructed to bring an identity document, the phone and its delivery envelope with the postal date stamp and tracking barcode.

The Customs Committee and the Republican Telecommunications Networks Management Center have discussed measures to reduce undeclared phone trading and illegal imports. Their plans include modern equipment at border customs posts, simpler customs and IMEI registration procedures, and connections between the agencies' information systems.

The committee's figures show the scale of the formal market: 1.6 trillion sum in customs receipts across 4 million devices equals an average of 400,000 sum per imported device. Individual payments depend on the relevant import circumstances. For travelers now facing examinations, the immediate priorities are accurate device records, a clear calculation of charges and completion of both customs clearance and network registration.

Key Points

• Some imported smartphones reportedly face customs examinations lasting up to 30 days, with travelers saying devices can be held at the airport.
• Users report charges of $400 to $1,100 for faster clearance; the Customs Committee's explanation lists no official expedited tariff.
• Authorities attribute tighter checks to illegal imports, copied IMEI codes and identifiers belonging to other phones.
• A Tashkent airport investigation involves 20 iPhones valued at 310 million sum.
• Customs clearance and UzIMEI registration are separate steps, with different charges and deadlines.
• Registration guidance lists fees of 82,400 sum within the initial 30 days and 103,000 sum afterward.
• Published passenger guidance gives conflicting air and rail allowances, making confirmation before travel essential.