The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, signed a decree titled 'On improving the system of providing social services to persons without a fixed place of residence.' This document provides for the reform of the support system for homeless people and changes in the working procedures of specialized institutions.
According to the new document, rehabilitation centers for persons without a permanent place of residence, which were previously under the management of internal affairs bodies, will be renamed as Temporary Shelter and Social Rehabilitation Centers. An important part of the reform is the abolition of the practice of placing people in these institutions by court decision.
Starting from September 1, 2026, placement in social centers will be carried out exclusively with the consent of the individual. Residents will be provided with temporary housing, food, and personal hygiene items, financed from the state budget allocated to these institutions. An individual social rehabilitation plan will also be developed for each resident, ensuring necessary social services and support.
Starting from October 1, 2026, citizens residing in social centers will be able to officially register as unemployed according to legislation. They will receive vouchers for professional training through district and city departments for poverty reduction and employment assistance. The decree also stipulates that while staying in the centers, citizens will be registered at the addresses of these centers as their temporary place of residence. Expenses related to registration and issuance of identity documents will be covered by the 'Sakhovat va Komak' Fund (Generosity and Support).
Uzbekistan is introducing a new procedure for providing transport benefits to eleven categories of citizens, which involves a complete abandonment of paper vouchers.
Now, free and subsidized tickets for trains, airplanes, and intercity buses can be issued without paper documents. Confirmation of the right to subsidized travel will be carried out by presenting an ID card or biometric passport, while the system automatically verifies the data through the 'Unified National Social Protection' platform.
This change is expected to increase the accessibility of travel and have a positive impact on the development of domestic tourism. Citizens will be able to visit historical and tourist sites such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, Shahrisabz, Termez, Fergana Valley, as well as various mountain and resort areas more often.
The next step will be the launch of the ability to purchase subsidized tickets online through the Baraka mobile application, which is planned for 2027, ensuring a faster and more comfortable travel booking process.
Authorities intend for the digital transformation to support the development of domestic tourism, make travel across the country more accessible, and help promote the 'Travel around Uzbekistan!' program. Furthermore, it should be noted that from July 22, a second train set of the 'Jaloliddin Manguberdi' high-speed train began operating on the Tashkent – Khiva – Tashkent route.
