Uzbekistan to Double Land Lease Terms for Foreign Investors

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan is moving to nearly double the maximum land lease term available to foreign investors, as lawmakers push to consolidate a fragmented legal framework that has long created uncertainty for large-scale investment projects.

The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis has passed in its first reading a bill extending the maximum land lease period for foreign investors from 25 to 49 years. Agricultural land lease terms would also be extended — from 30 to 49 years — for land users and tenants.

The legislation addresses a structural weakness in Uzbekistan's investment environment: existing rules governing land rights for foreign nationals, stateless persons, and foreign-participating companies are currently scattered across multiple regulatory acts. Deputies noted during debate that this fragmentation generates legal uncertainty when executing investment projects.

A Unified Legal Framework

The bill proposes introducing a dedicated chapter into the Land Code that consolidates the land rights of foreign citizens, stateless persons, foreign legal entities, and enterprises with foreign investment participation into a single, coherent framework. It also clarifies the grounds and conditions under which land may be leased to foreign investors, and defines land rights for diplomatic missions.

Developers of the legislation argue the 49-year lease ceiling will create more favorable conditions for large-scale, long-term projects — the kind of investment horizon that major industrial, infrastructure, and agricultural ventures typically require.

The bill is expected to improve transparency in land relations, systematize existing legal norms, promote more efficient use of land resources, and strengthen Uzbekistan's overall investment attractiveness, according to its backers.

The legislation will proceed to further readings before potential enactment.