Uzbekistan Approves Early Retirement Procedure Amid Layoffs

The right to early retirement is granted to men aged 58 and above with a minimum of 25 years of work experience and women aged 53 and above with at least 20 years of work experience (according to the regulation approved by the Cabinet of Ministers' decree No. 519). This norm applies in cases of dismissal due to the liquidation of an organization or the termination of an individual entrepreneur's activities, as well as due to staff reductions resulting from changes in technology, production organization, or a decrease in service volumes.

The application is submitted through the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services (EPICS) with an electronic copy of the dismissal order attached. Local employment agencies verify the information within two working days through the Unified National Labor System and put the citizen on record as a job seeker. Three months are allocated for selecting a vacancy. If a suitable job cannot be found, the citizen is recognized as unemployed, and the application for benefits is forwarded to the Pension Fund.

The same decree also established the possibility of obtaining a payment from the former employer in the amount of the average monthly salary for the third month after dismissal through EPICS. To receive an electronic certificate, the citizen must apply for the service within 30 calendar days from the date of contract termination.

Additionally, a presidential decree by Shavkat Mirziyoyev dated September 28 provides that starting November 1, 2026, early retirement for such unemployed citizens will be assigned without a separate application - in a proactive format. From the beginning of 2027, it is planned to introduce automatic pension assignment in case of loss of a breadwinner.