President signs law on updated 28-letter Uzbek alphabet: it takes effect six months after publication

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a law updating the Latin-based Uzbek alphabet. The new alphabet has 28 letters and one apostrophe. The law will enter into force six months after its official publication.

The law was signed on 21 October 2026, Uzbek Language Day. The Senate had approved it earlier, on 10 September 2026.

What changes in the alphabet

• the previous 26 letters and three letter combinations give way to 28 letters and an apostrophe;
• the combinations Sh, Ch, Oʻ and Gʻ are replaced by the single letters Ş, Ç, Ö and Ğ;
• the combination Ng is no longer treated as a separate letter.

What happens to documents and money

All existing documents, the national currency and securities remain valid. Passports, diplomas and other documents do not have to be replaced just because of the new alphabet.

How the transition will work

Textbooks, signs and signposts will be replaced gradually, as they reach the end of their service life. This is meant to reduce costs for the state and businesses. The published materials do not name fixed replacement deadlines.

What this means in practice. Nothing needs to be changed urgently: documents and contracts stay valid. Businesses that print signs, packaging and advertising should factor in the new letters when they next update their materials. Watch for the official publication of the law: the six months are counted from it.

Photo: Davide Mauro, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)