Drone regulations in Uzbekistan

Written by Francis Markert | Last update on 8. October 2026 | 8 comments

Are you planning a trip to Uzbekistan and want to bring your drone? Better leave it at home. In Uzbekistan, importing, owning and using drones is prohibited for private individuals. The only exception applies to toy drones without a camera.

Overview: Drone rules in Uzbekistan

Drone ban in Uzbekistan

The legal basis is Cabinet Resolution No. 658 of November 15, 2022. Under it, importing, selling, buying, storing or using drones and their components and spare parts without permission is prohibited. The ban applies across the board, including to tourists and hobby pilots. Only a few explicitly named state bodies, such as the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, and authorities and companies granted a separate permit by the Cabinet of Ministers are exempt.

If you break the ban, your drone may be confiscated. According to press reports, a first violation has been treated as an administrative offense with a fine since 2024 rather than as a crime. Repeat offenders still face criminal proceedings.

Exception: toy drones without a camera

Toy drones are exempt from the ban. The resolution defines them narrowly. A toy drone:

• weighs no more than 250 grams,
• has no photo or video camera,
• has no autonomous flight control and no navigation (such as GPS)
• and is for personal use only.

This means that every typical camera drone falls under the ban, including light models under 250 grams such as the DJI Mini series. FPV drones with a camera are not exempt either.

Toy drones don’t need airspace clearance. You may fly them up to 50 meters high, must keep at least 150 meters from the approach and departure paths of airfields and a safe distance from people, and must keep the drone in sight at all times.

Transit with a drone

Transit through Uzbekistan is exempt from the import ban, but you must declare the drone to customs. It is not clearly regulated whether this also applies to a drone in your luggage if you only change planes in Tashkent. In that case, we advise leaving the drone at home or checking with customs in advance.

Permits for film and photo projects

There is one legal route for foreign creative teams producing photo and video material about Uzbekistan as a travel destination. They can obtain permission to temporarily import and use a drone. The application goes through the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, and the civil aviation authority then issues the permit. This route is not intended for private vacations.

For authorities and companies with Cabinet approval, the civil aviation authority describes four steps:

1. Approval by the Cabinet of Ministers
2. Frequency clearance by the Ministry of Digital Technologies
3. Registration and operating approval from the civil aviation authority
4. Airspace clearance for each individual flight from air traffic control

Relaxation announced, but not yet in force

In February 2026, Uzbekistan announced plans to relax the rules. Companies are to be allowed to import, manufacture and use drones, and the airspace is to be divided into green, yellow and red zones. A draft was planned for June 2026. Nothing has been adopted so far (as of October 2026), and according to the reports so far, no relaxation is planned for private individuals. We will update this article as soon as anything changes.

Helpful links: Drone page of the Uzbek civil aviation authority, Cabinet Resolution No. 658 (in Uzbek)

Have you been to Uzbekistan with a drone in your luggage? Leave us a comment below and tell us how customs reacted when you entered or changed planes. You’ll help everyone planning a trip to Uzbekistan.

We have researched the listed drone regulations for Uzbekistan to the best of our knowledge. We cannot guarantee the correctness of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, contact the Uzbek civil aviation authority. Alternatively, you can also ask the Uzbek embassy in your home country for further information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment when you receive news and/or gain experience with your drone in Uzbekistan!