International Parental Child Abduction

Uzbekistan

Disclaimer: The information in this circular relating to the legal requirements of specific foreign countries is provided for general information only. Questions involving interpretation of specific foreign laws should be addressed to foreign legal counsel.

General Information:
Uzbekistan is a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction but the Convention is not yet in force between Uzbekistan and the United States.

Dual Nationality:
Dual nationality is not recognized under Uzbek law.

Custody Disputes:
Past Uzbek court practice has given priority for custodianship to the mother as long as certain restrictive conditions are met. The father can appeal for custody at any time.

Enforcement of Foreign Judgments:
Custody orders and judgments of foreign courts are not enforceable in Uzbekistan if they potentially contradict or violate local laws and practices.

Visitation Rights:
In cases where one parent has custody of a child, the second parent may be granted visitation rights by court decision.

Travel Restrictions:
Uzbekistan issues two types of exit permissions:
A) Temporary exit permission valid for two years: Consent of both parents (or guardian) is needed only for a minor under the age of 16. If only one parent is alive, a death certificate must be supplied.
B) Permission to leave the country indefinitely: ALL citizens (adults and children) must submit a notarized letter of consent from both parents or supply a death certificate of the parents.

Persons who wish to pursue a child claim in Uzbekistan court should retain an attorney in Uzbekistan. The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent maintains a list of lawyers acting in Uzbekistan. A copy of the list may be obtained by request from the Embassy at:

Questions involving Uzbek laws should be addressed to an Uzbek attorney or to the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the United States at:

For further information on international parental child abduction, contact the U.S. Dept. State, the Office of Children's Issues, at (202) 736-9090 or visit our web site on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. You may also direct inquiries to:

Passport Information:

New Law on Passport Applications for Minors:

On July 2, 2001, the Department of State began implementation of the new law (Section 236 of P.L 106-113) regarding the passport applications of minor U.S. citizens regarding the passport application of minor U.S. citizens under the age of 14. Under this new law, a person applying for a U.S. passport for a child under the age of 14 must demonstrate that both parents consent to the issuance of the passport to the child or that the applying parent has sole authority to obtain the passport. This new law covers passport applications made at domestic U.S. passport agencies in the United States and at U.S. consular offices abroad. Exceptions to this requirement may be made in special family circumstances or exigent circumstances necessitating the immediate travel of the child. The purpose of the new requirement that both parents' consent be demonstrated is to lessen the possibility that a U.S. passport might be used in the course of an international parental abduction.

Children's Passport Issuance Alert Program (CPIAP):

Separate from the two-parent signature requirement for U.S. passport issuance, parents may also request that their children's name be entered in the U.S. passport name-check system, also known as CPIAP. A parent or legal guardian can ask to be notified by the Department of State's Office of Children's Issues before a passport is issued to his/her minor child. The parent, legal guardian or the or the court of competent jurisdiction must submit a written request for entry of a child's name into the Passport Issuance Alert Program to the Office of Children's Issues. The CPIAP also provides denial of passport issuance if appropriate court orders are on file with the Office of Children's Issues. Although this system can be used to alert a parent or court when an application for a U.S. passport has been executed on behalf of a minor, it cannot be used to track the use of a passport. If there is a possibility that your child has another nationality you may want to contact the appropriate embassy or consulate directly to inquire about the possibility of denial of the country's passport. There is no requirement that foreign embassies adhere to U.S. regulations regarding issuance or denial of passports. For more information contact the Office of Children's Issues at (202) 736-9090. General passport information is also available on the Office of Children's Issues home page on the Internet at children's_issues.html.

MORE INFORMATION: The State Department has general information about hiring a foreign attorney, service of process, and enforcement of child support orders and the international enforcement of judgments, which supplement the country-specific information provided in this flier. In addition, the State Department publishes Consular Information Sheets for every country in the world, providing information such as location of the U.S. Embassy, health conditions, political situations, and crime reports. When situations in a country are sufficiently serious, the State Department issues Public Announcements or Travel Warnings that may recommend U.S. citizens deter travel to that country. These documents are available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov or by the toll-free number, 1888-407-4747, between 8:00 am - 8:00p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday thru Friday (except U.S. holidays). Callers who are unable to use the toll-free, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during these hours by calling 1-317-472-2328.

TOLL FREE HOTLINE: Overseas Citizen Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs (CA/OCS) has established a toll free hotline for the general public at 1-888-407-4747. This number is available from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Callers who are unable to use toll-free numbers, such as those calling from overseas, may obtain information and assistance during theses hours by calling 1-317-472-2328. Persons seeking emergency information or assistance outside of these hours, including on weekends or holidays should call 1-202-647-5225.

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