Uzbekistan proposes a one-stop center for citizens heading to work in Russia
The Migration Agency wants to combine pre-departure testing, medical exams, biometrics, document checks and the Russian-language exam in a single center. The center has not yet been approved.
Uzbekistan's Migration Agency has proposed creating a one-stop center where citizens heading to work in Russia could complete all the key procedures in a single place before departure. The proposal was discussed at a meeting between the agency's director, Mukhsinkhoja Abdurakhmonov, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Uzbekistan, Alexey Yerkhov.
What the center would combine
Under the proposal, before leaving a citizen would take required testing, undergo a medical examination, be registered biometrically and fingerprinted, and have their documents checked in one place. The Russian-language exam would also be taken in advance under the same procedure.
Organized recruitment
The agency proposes organizing recruitment around specific vacancies, based on a request from a particular employer. A worker would know where, for which company and under what conditions they will work before traveling to Russia, with all paperwork and procedures completed before departure.
Exams moving to the regions
The agency wants Russian-language exams to be held not only in Tashkent but also in the regions, so applicants do not have to travel to the capital. According to the agency, the necessary infrastructure has been prepared in four regions.
Migration figures
In January–June 2026, Uzbek citizens made more than 1.1 million entries into Russia for work — 13.2% fewer than a year earlier. Across the region, work-purpose entries by citizens of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan fell from 2.3 million to 1.9 million. Remittances reached $9.3 billion in the first half of the year, up 13%.
In 2025, about 106,000 Uzbek citizens were sent to work in Russia through organized recruitment programs; roughly 50,000 of them worked at companies such as Gazprom, Lukoil, KamAZ, AvtoVAZ, Ozon and SPAR. In all, an estimated 1.3 million Uzbek citizens work temporarily in Russia. The center itself has not yet been approved or opened, and no launch date was announced.
