Child support in Uzbekistan: how much is paid and what to do if it isn't

Unless the parents agree otherwise, the court orders one quarter of the payer's earnings and other income for one child, one third for two children, and half for three or more. For each child the amount may not be less than 26.5% of the statutory minimum wage — since 1 September 2026 that is 360,400 soums a month. Below: how to set up child support with a notary or through court, how it is enforced by the Bureau of Compulsory Enforcement, what liability a non-paying parent faces and what to do if they have moved abroad.

How much is child support

The amount is set by Article 99 of the Family Code. If the parents have no agreement, the court orders monthly:

• for one child — 1/4 of earnings and/or other income;
• for two children — 1/3;
• for three or more children — 1/2.

The court can reduce or increase these shares, taking into account the parties' financial and family situation. For example, the amount may be reduced if the payer has other minor children who would otherwise be worse provided for, or if the payer has a disability and is in financial hardship (Article 105 of the Family Code).

The floor: for each child, no less than 26.5% of the minimum wage. The minimum wage has been 1,360,000 soums since 1 September 2026, so the minimum is 360,400 soums per child per month.

Child support is deducted from all types of income received in Uzbekistan and abroad, in cash or in kind. Income in foreign currency is converted into soums at the Central Bank rate on the day of collection (Article 104 of the Family Code).

Example. Say a father's official income is 9 million soums a month and he has two children. One third is 3 million soums, which is above the minimum (2 × 360,400 = 720,800 soums), so he pays 3 million. If his income were 1.8 million soums, one third would be 600,000 — below the minimum — and at least 720,800 soums would be collected.

When is a fixed amount set

If the payer's income is irregular, partly paid in kind, earned informally or there is no official income at all, the court can set child support as a fixed monthly sum (Article 102 of the Family Code).

The court sets the fixed sum as a share of the minimum wage. When the minimum wage goes up, the support is indexed proportionally (Article 144 of the Family Code). Separately, parents can be ordered to share additional expenses — for example, if the child is seriously ill or injured (Article 103).

How to agree without court: an agreement at a notary

Parents can sign a child support agreement (Articles 130–134 of the Family Code). Key points:

• the agreement must be in writing and certified by a notary — otherwise it has no effect;
• a notarised agreement has the force of a writ of execution: if payments stop, it can go straight to enforcement;
• the amount per child under the agreement cannot be lower than what a court would order;
• payment can be a share of income, a fixed monthly sum, a lump sum or a transfer of property such as an apartment;
• no state fee is charged for certifying, amending or terminating the agreement (Law on State Duty).

The agreement can be amended or terminated only by mutual consent, again at a notary. Neither side can walk away from it unilaterally — if circumstances change significantly, the court decides.

How to claim child support through court

If you cannot agree, there are two routes.

A court order is the fast option when there is no dispute: paternity is established and no third parties need to be involved (Article 171 of the Civil Procedure Code). The judge issues the order within three days without a hearing. The debtor has ten days to object; if they do, the order is cancelled and you will need to file a claim. If there is no objection, the order takes effect after ten days.

A claim is needed if the amount is disputed, paternity must be established, or other issues such as divorce are decided at the same time. The court must hear child support cases no later than 20 days after preparation ends (Article 207 of the Civil Procedure Code), and the decision is enforced immediately without waiting for it to take effect (Article 266).

The steps:

1. Gather documents: passport, the child's birth certificate, the marriage or divorce certificate and, if you have it, information about the payer's income and employer.
2. File the application (for a court order) or the claim with the court where you live or where the payer lives — your choice (Article 34 of the Civil Procedure Code). You can also do this online via my.sud.uz.
3. No state fee is payable on child support claims.
4. Get the order or decision and send it for enforcement — to the payer's employer or to the Bureau of Compulsory Enforcement.

Support is awarded from the date you apply to court. For past periods it can be recovered for no more than three years, and only if the court finds that you tried to obtain money and the payer evaded payment (Article 136 of the Family Code). So do not delay.

What to do if child support is not paid

If you have a court order, a decision or a notarised agreement, go to the Bureau of Compulsory Enforcement. The state enforcement officer will:

• send the document to the employer, who must deduct support every month and transfer it no later than three days after paying wages (Article 137 of the Family Code);
• if income is not enough, collect from bank accounts and then from the debtor's other property (Article 139);
• calculate the arrears; if the debtor did not work or hides income, the debt is calculated from the average wage in Uzbekistan (Article 140);
• at your request or on their own initiative, may temporarily ban the debtor from leaving Uzbekistan (Article 42¹ of the Law on Enforcement of Judicial Acts and Acts of Other Bodies).

On top of the debt, a payer who does not pay under a court decision can be charged a penalty of 0.1% of the unpaid amount for each day of delay (Article 142 of the Family Code). If deductions were not made through the payer's fault, the debt is collected for the whole period, not just three years.

What liability is there for not paying child support

Administrative. Failing to pay support under a court decision or court order for more than two months in total is punishable by administrative arrest for 15 days or up to 120 hours of compulsory paid community work; for those to whom these cannot be applied, a fine of 20 BRV, i.e. 8.8 million soums (Article 47⁴ of the Code of Administrative Responsibility). A first-time offender who voluntarily pays off the debt while the case is being heard is released from liability.

Criminal. If, after an administrative penalty, the person again fails to pay for more than two months, liability arises under Article 122 of the Criminal Code: correctional labour for up to two years or imprisonment for up to one year, and more for a dangerous repeat offender. The person is released from liability if the debt is paid in full.

The enforcement officer usually initiates proceedings, but you can remind them yourself how long payments have been missed.

If the payer has moved abroad

A person leaving for permanent residence or for more than three months must sign a child support agreement with the recipient. Instead, they may pay support in advance or provide a pledge as security (Article 145 of the Family Code). If no agreement is reached, the court, at your request, can set support as a fixed sum, order a lump-sum payment or the transfer of property towards support.

If the payer already works abroad:

• their foreign earnings also count when calculating support;
• you can file the claim where you live in Uzbekistan;
• arrears are collected from property and accounts in Uzbekistan through the Bureau of Compulsory Enforcement;
• an Uzbek court decision can be enforced in the country where they live under international treaties — with Russia, Kazakhstan and several other CIS countries, the 1993 Minsk Convention on Legal Assistance applies.

When should you call a lawyer

A simple court order for one child can often be obtained on your own. A lawyer's help is needed if:

• the payer works informally or hides income and you need a fixed amount set;
• paternity must be established first;
• the debtor has gone abroad and their property has been re-registered to relatives;
• you are the payer and want to lawfully reduce support or challenge the arrears calculation.

In these situations the outcome depends on evidence of income and on choosing the right method of collection. Read about how we handle such cases on our family and inheritance law page.

In brief

• Shares: 1/4 for one child, 1/3 for two, 1/2 for three or more.
• Minimum: 26.5% of the minimum wage per child — 360,400 soums a month since 1 September 2026.
• A notarised agreement works like a writ of execution and carries no state fee.
• With no dispute, a court order is issued in three days; child support claims are fee-free.
• Non-payment for more than two months brings administrative liability (Article 47⁴), and if repeated, criminal liability (Article 122 of the Criminal Code).

Photo: perpetual.fostering, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)