Divorce in Uzbekistan: civil registry or court, how much it costs and how long it takes

You can divorce at the civil registry office (ZAGS) only if you both agree, you have no minor children together and there is no dispute over property. In every other case the divorce goes through court. Below: how to choose the route, what you will pay in soums, how long you will wait and how to apply online, including when your spouse objects or lives abroad.

When can you divorce at the civil registry office

Under Article 42 of the Family Code, the civil registry office registers a divorce by mutual consent when all of the following apply:

• both spouses want the divorce;
• you have no minor children together, including adopted children;
• there is no dispute over dividing joint property or over support for a spouse who cannot work;
• the wife is not pregnant — otherwise the office will not accept the application.

You can apply at any civil registry office, regardless of where you are registered. If one spouse cannot attend, the other may submit the joint application, but the absent spouse's signature must be certified by a notary or by the head of the registry office.

There is a separate route where one spouse applies alone (Article 43 of the Family Code). It is available if the other spouse has been declared missing or legally incapable by a court, or sentenced to at least three years in prison. Having children does not prevent this, but if there is a dispute over the children or property, you still have to go to court.

When is divorce possible only through court

You go to court if:

• you have minor children together;
• one spouse objects to the divorce or simply does not come to the registry office;
• there is a dispute over property, child support or where the children will live.

An important restriction: a husband cannot file for divorce without his wife's consent while she is pregnant and for one year after the child is born (Article 39 of the Family Code). The wife can still file during this period.

The claim is filed with the inter-district or district (city) civil court where the defendant lives. If minor children live with you, or travel is difficult because of disability or serious illness, you can file where you live (Article 34 of the Civil Procedure Code). Along with the divorce, the court can decide where the children will live, order child support and divide property.

Do you have to prove who is at fault

No. The law does not require you to find a guilty party. The court dissolves the marriage if it finds that living together and keeping the family have become impossible (Article 41 of the Family Code). Infidelity, constant conflict and living apart are circumstances you describe in the claim to show that the family has broken down for good. You do not need to prove your spouse's "fault" in a legal sense.

That said, the Supreme Court Plenum explains that a temporary rift or an occasional quarrel is not enough. So it is best to state clearly in the claim since when you have lived apart and why reconciliation is impossible.

The court may postpone the case and give the spouses up to six months to reconcile (Article 40 of the Family Code). It notifies the mahalla reconciliation commission. If you have suffered domestic violence from your spouse and this is confirmed by a court ruling, no reconciliation period is set at your request.

How much does a divorce cost in 2026

State fees are calculated in base calculation amounts (BRV). Since 1 September 2026, 1 BRV = 440,000 soums. The rates are set by the Law on State Duty:

• Divorce at the registry office by mutual consent — 1.5 BRV, i.e. 660,000 soums. One or both spouses pay, as you agree.
• Divorce claim in court — 2 BRV (880,000 soums) for a first marriage and 4 BRV (1,760,000 soums) to dissolve a repeat marriage.
• Registering the divorce at the registry office after the court decision — 1.5 to 3 BRV (660,000–1,320,000 soums) if both are in their first marriage, and 3 to 4 BRV (1,320,000–1,760,000 soums) if either spouse has been married before. The court sets the exact amount and who pays it in its decision (Article 45 of the Family Code).
• Dividing property together with the divorce — separately, 4% of the value of the property you claim, but not less than 1 BRV.
• Child support claim — no state fee.

Example. Say a couple is in their first marriage, has two children and nothing to divide. The wife pays 880,000 soums when filing. After the decision, the registry office charges one or both spouses the amount set by the court — between 660,000 and 1,320,000 soums. Total fees: 1.54 to 2.2 million soums, not counting legal fees.

How long does a divorce take

At the registry office — three months. The divorce is registered once three months have passed from the date of application (Article 218 of the Family Code). Within three days the office notifies the mahalla commission, which may invite you for a talk. On the appointed day you come in and receive the divorce certificate.

Through court, the time is made up of several stages:

1. Preparation of the case after the claim is accepted.
2. Hearing — as a rule, no later than one month after preparation ends (Article 207 of the Civil Procedure Code).
3. A reconciliation period, if the court sets one — up to six months.
4. One month for an appeal; if there is no appeal, the decision takes effect.
5. Registration of the divorce at the registry office based on the decision.

The marriage ends not on the day of the court decision but on the day the divorce is registered at the registry office (Article 47 of the Family Code). If your claim is dismissed, you can file again on the same grounds no earlier than six months later.

How to file for divorce online

Via my.gov.uz. A joint application for divorce by mutual consent can be filed on my.gov.uz if the marriage was registered by an Uzbek civil registry office. Both spouses confirm their identity through Face-ID or MyID, which counts as consent to the divorce. One spouse can also use the portal to apply for registration of a divorce based on a court decision: within one working day the office sends a notice telling you when to bring the original decision.

Via my.sud.uz. A court claim can be filed electronically through the my.sud.uz portal. The steps:

1. Draft the claim: who the parties are, when the marriage was registered, whether there are children, why the family broke down and what you are asking for (divorce, child support, children's residence, property division).
2. Scan the documents: passport, marriage certificate, children's birth certificates and, if you are dividing property, the property documents.
3. Pay the state fee and attach the receipt.
4. Send the claim to the court where the defendant lives, or where you live if Article 34 of the Civil Procedure Code allows it.
5. Watch for notices: the court will tell you the hearing date. You can take part remotely if the court holds the hearing by video link.

What if your spouse objects or lives abroad

If your spouse does not agree, the registry office is not an option — file a claim. The other side's objection does not stop the divorce if the court is satisfied that the family has broken down. A defendant who has been properly notified also cannot block the case indefinitely by not showing up.

If your spouse lives abroad, agrees to the divorce and you have no children, they can sign the joint application and have the signature certified by a notary (abroad, for example, at a consulate), or you apply via my.gov.uz with Face-ID or MyID confirmation. If they object or there are children, a claim against a person with no residence in Uzbekistan is filed where their property is located or at their last known residence in the country (Article 34 of the Civil Procedure Code). If the divorce has already been granted by a foreign court, it is registered at an Uzbek civil registry office under the general procedure, unless an international treaty provides otherwise.

When should you call a lawyer

A simple divorce by consent with no children or property usually does not need a lawyer. A lawyer's help is useful if:

• your spouse objects to the divorce and disputes where the children will live;
• you also need to divide an apartment, a car, a business or loan debts;
• the other spouse lives abroad and their address is unknown;
• there has been domestic violence and it matters that the court does not set a reconciliation period.

In such cases a mistake in the claim or a missed piece of evidence affects the children and property for years to come. More on how we help is on our family and inheritance law page.

In brief

• The registry office route requires mutual consent, no minor children together and no property dispute.
• The registry office finalises the divorce three months after the application; the fee is 660,000 soums.
• A divorce claim costs 880,000 soums (first marriage) or 1,760,000 soums (repeat marriage), plus the registry fee after the decision.
• You do not need to prove fault: what matters is showing that the family has broken down; the court may allow up to six months to reconcile.
• Online: registry office applications via my.gov.uz, court claims via my.sud.uz.

Photo: Netha Hussain, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)