Property
Land is state-owned, but 2019 reforms allowed privatisation of plots under buildings
Land remains state property as a rule, held under permanent or long-term use rights. From 2019 non-agricultural plots beneath privately owned buildings became privatisable.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Cadastre agency registers rights; agricultural land remains state-owned and leased to farms.
Governing law
- Land Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan1998
- Law on Privatisation of Non-Agricultural Land Plots2019
- Civil Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan
In practice
The 2019 statute was a genuine change: owners of buildings on non-agricultural land can buy the plot beneath, creating private land ownership for the first time, though agricultural land is expressly excluded and remains leasehold. Buildings have always been privately ownable, including by foreigners. Compulsory demolition and resettlement for urban redevelopment generated substantial litigation and a 2019-2020 tightening of compensation rules and court authorisation requirements after public criticism.