Foreign financial institutions have received the right to open physical branches in the Enterprise Uzbekistan special economic zone. The tech hub itself is scheduled to launch in 2027, and the basic rules for the financial sector within the site are enshrined in the new law “On the International Center for Digital Technologies.”
Regulatory Filter
Foreign players will not get automatic access. To open a branch inside the zone, a foreign bank must pass an approval procedure with the Central Bank of Uzbekistan. The regulator retains the right to vet candidates and control their operational perimeter.
This mechanism allows Uzbekistan to integrate international capital into the local economy without fully opening the domestic retail and corporate market to direct foreign bank branches. The new rules strictly limit operations to residents of the specific IT park.
Financial Infrastructure
Beyond classic cash management and lending, the law envisions a comprehensive environment for tech businesses. Enterprise Uzbekistan residents will gain access to investment, insurance, and venture services.
Specially accredited partners will provide these services. Tech companies can raise funding and insure risks through institutions operating under the economic zone’s rules. Tech hub residents typically face hurdles with cross-border transfers, currency control, and structuring venture deals under local law. The presence of foreign banks, with their established procedures, should remove some of these barriers and simplify capital movement for startups and major exporters.
What’s Next
Preparing for the 2027 launch gives the Central Bank and relevant agencies time to draft detailed bylaws. A framework law is not enough: banks will need exact instructions on anti-money laundering (AML/KYC), capital repatriation rules, and limits on transactions with counterparties outside Enterprise Uzbekistan.
Admitting foreign banks into isolated economic zones is a proven way to attract global IT companies that need familiar international financial infrastructure. For Uzbekistan’s banking sector, this is a step toward controlled competition. Foreign financial groups get a legal channel to work with high-tech businesses in Central Asia, while the local regulator gets to test interaction with international supervisory standards within a single site.