Are electronic signatures legal in Uzbekistan? What laws primarily regulate electronic signatures?

Electronic signatures are valid in Uzbekistan. The use of electronic signatures in Uzbekistan is primarily governed by the Law on Electronic Digital Signatures, No. ZRU-793, enacted in 2022.

What is an electronic signature in Uzbekistan, and what conditions must it meet?

According to the Law on Electronic Digital Signatures in Uzbekistan, an electronic digital signature is defined as a signature within an electronic document, created through a special information transformation of the provided electronic file using the private key of the electronic digital signature. This allows verification, via the public key of the electronic digital signature, that the information in the electronic file is free from misrepresentation and identifies the owner of the electronic digital signature key.

As stipulated in Article 4 of the Law on Electronic Digital Signatures, an electronic digital signature in an electronic document is equivalent to a handwritten signature on a paper document if the following conditions are met:

• The authenticity of the electronic digital signature is confirmed;

• The key certificate of the electronic digital signature is valid at the time of confirming the authenticity of the signature or there is evidence proving its validity at the time of signing the electronic document;

• The electronic digital signature is used for the purpose specified in the electronic digital signature key certificate.

• If the conditions outlined in Part 1 of this article are met, an electronic document certified by the electronic digital signature of a legal entity shall be equivalent to a paper document certified by the seal of the legal entity.

In which cases is a traditional signature required in Uzbekistan?

A traditional signature is required for the following documents or scenarios:

• Wills

• Ownership documents related to real estate