Choosing an E-auksion lot in Uzbekistan: checks and risks

A business should select an E-auksion lot by the right being acquired, its permitted use and the total project cost. A low starting price may cover a trading location, a lease or a contractual right. Deposits, payment deadlines and obligations depend on the category and basis of sale; land, state-property privatisation and enforcement sales follow different rules.

In brief:

• The right being sold (ownership, lease, placement of an object or a contractual right) is stated in the lot card; the category name, the photograph and the price do not tell it.
• Reducing the starting price between auctions and running a descending-price auction are different mechanisms.
• Deposits follow the sale procedure: the general scale of 1–50% by start price, 5% of appraised value in enforcement sales, and 3–15% under the privatisation law.
• The listing, attachments, rights register and site inspection answer different questions about the purchase.
• The buyer’s benefit depends on the total cost of an asset suitable for the project and the ability to fulfil its obligations.

Updated: 07 September 2026

What is actually on the platform

The platform sells property and various rights, so the total lot count is much larger than the supply of land and buildings for businesses. The original E-auksion review dated 6 September 2026 recorded 87,823 lots: 85,980 rising-price and 1,843 descending-price lots. The analysis below retains a separate extract of the 5,000 newest lots from that date.

The categories in the newest 5,000 lots

These observations come from the saved E-auksion listing extract dated 6 September 2026; counts and medians were recalculated from its 5,000 records. The table covers selected categories, rather than the entire sample. The combined row shows the range of medians across four categories. Prices are rounded; deposit ranges show the observed minimum and maximum, rather than a statutory scale.

This is a sample of the newest listings, not a random sample of the whole platform. It does not show winning prices, property condition or the proportion of successfully completed purchases. Business-land listings contained instalment periods of 12, 36, 60 and 120 months; small industrial-zone listings contained 36, 60 and 120 months. Each listing field needs to be checked against the basis of sale and the payment schedule.

Rising and descending auctions

The general procedure requires at least two participants for a sale (paragraph 1 of Presidential Resolution PP-5197). A participant may submit a bid outside the auction step from publication of the notice until the auction ends. Views and applicant counts indicate interest; the sale price is set in the session.

A reduction in the starting price when an asset is relisted must be distinguished from a price reduction during a session. Relisting at a lower price is permitted under the applicable procedure (paragraph 40 of the Regulation approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 18). The session itself still runs as a rising auction.

For property sold under enforcement documents, initial and repeat auctions follow rising-price and descending-price procedures respectively (paragraph 51 of the Regulation). At a repeat auction, the floor is 80% of appraised value, and the step is 2% of appraised value (paragraph 57).

The price falls after 20 minutes if nobody confirms the offer. After confirmation, the other participants are offered a 2% price increase, calculated from the starting price, with ten minutes to respond (paragraph 58). Being first to accept a reduced price does not yet mean winning.

Example. If the assumed appraised value is 100 million soums, the floor for a repeat enforcement auction is 100 × 80% = 80 million, and the step is 100 × 2% = 2 million. If a participant confirms 90 million, the next offer may be 92 million. These parameters belong to the enforcement procedure; privatisation and land lots use the rules above and below.

State-property privatisation auctions use rising bids. The repeat-sale rules provide for repeat auctions every ten days, the possibility of a new starting price after three months without a sale, and another privatisation method after six months of unsuccessful auctions (Article 20 of Law No. ZRU-907).

Why cheap is cheap

A low price may reflect the subject of the transaction, condition, location or repeat-sale procedure. Each explanation needs its own check.

• It is a different right. A trading location, a wild-plant use right and a construction-participation agreement serve different purposes from buying a completed building. The subject of the contract is in the card, not in the name or the photograph.
• It is far from the infrastructure you need. Distance from customers, access roads and utility networks can make a cheap plot more expensive than a prepared site. A nearby line still leaves the available capacity and the connection cost to be confirmed with the operator.
• It brings obligations and future costs. Construction, building fit-out and industrial-zone conditions need to be assessed alongside the price. The instalment covers the price of the plot; construction is financed separately.
• The price was reduced after unsuccessful auctions. The history shows how the seller’s offer changed; the reason for the lack of demand is in the attachments.
• The listing contains significant qualifications. Checking the property included and its floor areas can change the calculation even when the price looks attractive.

The saved listing for workshop No. 25251732, checked on 6 September 2026, stated a total area of 208.47 m² and a usable area of 59.95 m²; the building was offered without equipment. The seller also included a condition requiring the buyer to pay identified utility and other debts. The basis and amount of such a condition are checked per lot; in enforcement sales, by contrast, debts do not transfer (see below).

The listing for warehouse No. 25251983 reported a bank restriction and an actual land area of 1,657 m², compared with 1,700 m² in the documents. The listing for participation right No. 25292130 provided for full contractual payment within a month and handover by 1 December 2026. These examples retain the information in the specific listings on the review date and illustrate questions to resolve before applying.

Enforcement sales have a separate rule: property is transferred free of debts and restrictions, and any debt exceeding the sale proceeds remains with the former owner (paragraph 50 of the Regulation). The auction record provides grounds to lift the restriction and register the property (paragraph 2 of PP-5197). A restriction in an enforcement lot is therefore removed on the basis of the auction record; the check is who removes it and when.

Who may buy the selected lot

Eligibility depends on the right and the special regime. Registration on the platform is open to everyone; eligibility for a given asset follows the rules below.

State-property privatisation applicants may include foreign individuals and entities: individuals and non-state legal entities (Article 3 of Law No. ZRU-907). The eligible buyers of land are different (Article 13 of Law No. ZRU-728): Uzbekistan citizens and legal entities are eligible for privatisation; foreign citizens, stateless persons, foreign legal entities, foreign-invested enterprises, state bodies, institutions, enterprises and citizens’ self-government bodies are excluded.

For foreign-invested enterprises, international associations and organisations, and foreign individuals and legal entities, the Land Code sets a lease term of up to 25 years (Article 24). Special allocation grounds and the conditions of a particular zone require separate checking. Industrial-zone auctions admit legal entities only (paragraph 4 of Presidential Decree UP-41).

Land beneath a state building being privatised does not always remain leasehold. The law provides for the transfer of land ownership, covering the land occupied by and needed for the asset, together with the asset after receipt of the state ownership order; an exception applies to persons ineligible to privatise non-agricultural land (Article 32 of Law No. ZRU-907). For a foreign buyer of a building, documenting the land right is a separate issue.

Restrictions on agricultural leases changed in 2026 and are described below. An agricultural lot is a lease for agricultural use; a warehouse on it needs a change of category first.

What to check before the deposit

Start with the listing, then review attachments, the register and the site. A participant may request additional information and examine the asset and documents beforehand (paragraph 10 of the Regulation). For land, an opportunity for advance inspection must be available from publication of the notice (paragraph 8 of PP-5197).

In the listing

1. Category and group: land, building, vehicle, equipment or a right.
2. The right being acquired: ownership, lease, placement of an object or conclusion of a contract; the eligible participant category.
3. Auction type, starting and appraised prices, step, minimum price and relisting history.
4. Deposit percentage, calculation base and amount, application deadline, and auction date and time.
5. Instalment availability, term in months, down payment and conditions of any field concerning price confirmation from the sale date.
6. Seller and basis of sale: privatisation, enforcement document or company-property sale; the relevant document’s number and date.
7. Applicant and view counts as indicators of interest, without assuming a future price.

In the attachments and registers

8. Cadastral number, address, plan, area and boundaries; whether the proposed project matches the plot’s designated use. A capital construction project must match the permitted use of the land (paragraph 6 of UP-135).
9. Seller’s right, leases, mortgages, easements, prohibitions and other restrictions. Changes and transfers of rights require state registration (Article 6 of Law No. ZRU-803). Information on individual registered rights is supplied after identifying the applicant (Article 28), as an extract. Maps and coordinates locate the plot; the extract shows the rights and restrictions.
10. Network operators’ information, connection points, capacity, water supply, access and a preliminary estimate for the necessary work.
11. Sale decision, construction schedule and any investment, employment or business-profile obligations imposed by the special regime.
12. For a building: equipment and other property included, the land right, tenants, technical condition, usable area and disputed charges.
13. Auction history: previous starting prices, reasons for unsuccessful auctions and grounds for changed conditions.
14. Inspection arrangements and the ability to obtain missing documents from the seller before paying money.

A privatisation notice must disclose the characteristics and sale conditions, including the asset, areas, technical condition, networks, date, subject and procedure of the auction, application process, participant criteria, starting price and other conditions (Article 35 of Law No. ZRU-907). The particular characteristics to disclose depend on the asset.

On the ground

15. Compare the actual boundaries, access and condition with the documents. Development requires checking utilities and project feasibility; a building requires estimating repairs and obtaining an independent valuation where a maximum bid cannot otherwise be substantiated. Documents do not show a flooded basement or a neighbour’s fence inside the expected boundary.

This article covers asset selection before applying. Buying land at E-auksion explains participation, payment and registration in sequence; it is relevant once a suitable plot has been shortlisted.

How to calculate the deposit and maximum bid

The deposit depends on the sale procedure and its calculation base: One BRV is the base calculation unit. Paragraph 14 of the Regulation sets the following general scale; special rules for privatisation, enforcement sales and particular rights must be checked separately.

State-property privatisation uses a different deposit scale (Article 20 of Law No. ZRU-907):

For a participant’s own price proposal in a privatisation auction, the deposit is calculated from the proposed amount. The winner’s deposit counts towards the purchase price; other participants receive it back within five working days after results are announced, and the reserve winner within three working days after the contract is signed. If the winner evades signing the contract within ten working days after the auction record, the deposit is not refunded; a refusing reserve winner has an equivalent deadline.

In enforcement sales, the deposit is 5% of appraised value (paragraph 53 of the Regulation). Auctions to sell or lease state assets, land and property of state-participated enterprises with a starting price up to 4.400.000.000 soums require participants to top up security from step three: their account must hold the applicable deposit amount relative to their bid (paragraph 28¹). The initial account payment may therefore be insufficient.

Example. At an assumed starting price of 17.600.000 soums, the general deposit is 17.600.000 × 25% = 4.400.000 soums. For privatisation of a building starting at 880.000.000 soums, it is 880.000.000 × 5% = 44.000.000 soums; for an advance proposal of 968.000.000 soums, it is 968.000.000 × 5% = 48.400.000 soums. For an enforcement lot with an assumed appraisal of 100 million soums, the deposit is 100 × 5% = 5 million soums, even if the starting price differs from the appraisal.

The general procedure allows 10 working days to pay for an asset costing below 2.200.000.000 soums, and fifteen working days at or above that amount, unless legislation provides otherwise (paragraph 1 of PP-5197). Special privatisation and instalment deadlines are explained below. The decision to buy is made before the bid; the deadline is for paying.

Evading payment may result in exclusion from auctions: one year for the first occasion and indefinitely for a repeat occurrence (paragraph 1 of PP-5197). The rule covers the winner, its direct founders, individual entrepreneurs and other business entities established by them, with an exception for shareholders of joint-stock companies.

The maximum bid follows from the project budget: available funds minus repairs, connections, equipment, documentation, financing and contingency. Example. With a total budget of 200 million soums, repairs of 40 million, connections and documentation of 15 million, equipment of 20 million and a reserve of 25 million, the purchase allowance is 200 − 40 − 15 − 20 − 25 = 100 million soums. The deposit is part of the purchase allowance, not an extra line.

Instalments and discounts: what the starting price leaves out

Instalments reduce the immediate payment but leave debt and project costs to fund. Non-agricultural land acquired as ownership or a lease right may be paid for in equal monthly instalments, with interest on the unpaid balance at the Central Bank’s key rate (paragraph 1 of UP-135).

The terms vary by location:

• Tashkent: up to one year; Nukus and regional capitals: up to three years. The down payment is at least 35%, due within fifteen working days.
• Other settlements: up to five years; category-four and category-five districts: up to ten years. The down payment is at least 15%, due within fifteen working days.

Example. Assume a plot in a category-five district costs 200 million soums. The minimum down payment is 200 × 15% = 30 million, leaving 170 million. Interest on the balance is additional. At an assumed annual rate of 12%, a full year’s interest on an unchanged balance would be 170 × 12% = 20.4 million soums; repayments reduce the balance, so the actual amount follows the schedule. The 12% rate is used solely for this arithmetic example.

Full payment for non-agricultural land within 15 working days qualifies for a 20% discount, except for plots sold after their starting price was reduced by more than 50% (paragraph 1 of UP-135). Example. If the auction price is 200 million soums and the exception does not apply, the discounted price is 200 × 80% = 160 million. Where the starting price was reduced by more than half, the full 200 million is due.

Privatised state property has a separate payment procedure (Article 31 of Law No. ZRU-907). The general deadline is one month; a longer statutory period should, as a rule, not exceed three years. If the first payment within a month is below 35% of the price, annual interest accrues on the balance at the Central Bank’s key rate, except in cases provided for by presidential decisions.

Unless a special rule applies, this law’s general instalment scale is: up to 3,000 BRV, three months; above 3,000 to 6,000 BRV, six; above 6,000 to 12,000 BRV, twelve; above 12,000 to 15,000 BRV, eighteen; above 15,000 to 18,000 BRV, twenty-four; above 18,000 to 20,000 BRV, thirty; and above 20,000 BRV, thirty-six months. Upper boundaries are inclusive, periods run from the contract, and the BRV on the sale date is used.

Example. For an assumed state-property price of 2.200.000.000 soums, the general scale allows up to six months. A 35% first payment is 770.000.000 soums, leaving 1.430.000.000 soums. The 60- and 120-month terms seen in the sample belong to land lots under UP-135, not to state property under this scale.

Buying state property at auction explains the building documentation and settlement procedure. It is relevant if the comparison leads to a state property rather than a separate land plot.

Construction and investment obligations

Before bidding, compare the construction period with financing and permitted use. The general procedure removes the investment condition for listing land (paragraph 8 of PP-5197), while industrial-zone directorates separately set investment obligations and deadlines (paragraph 4 of UP-41). The investment fields in the lot data are filled only for lots that carry such obligations.

For newly allocated vacant non-agricultural plots, Annex 4 to UP-135 sets the following maximum commissioning periods from the allocation date:

Presidential and Cabinet of Ministers acts may set different deadlines (paragraph 3 of Annex 4). At a boundary area, the deadline expressly stated in the allocation documents is especially important. Transferring the right to another person does not restart the period: the obligations transfer to the new right holder (paragraph 5).

If deadlines are missed, the khokimiyat must bring a court claim to cancel the right and resell the land (paragraph 7). The former buyer’s refund comes from the repeat-sale proceeds, subject to a cap on the refund and deduction of preparation and auction costs; restoration, demolition and clearance are funded by the former right holder (paragraph 8).

Example. The buyer paid 200 million soums, the repeat sale raised 180 million, and deductible expenses were 5 million. The refund under this formula is no more than 180 − 5 = 175 million soums; restoration costs are excluded from this example.

Time lost because of actions held unlawful by a court, or unlawful inaction, by public bodies and officials, including during permit procedures, is excluded from the period (paragraph 9). In force-majeure circumstances, a court may extend the deadlines (paragraph 10). Outside these grounds the schedule stands.

In a special economic or industrial zone, failure to begin fulfilling investment obligations within six months after the selection decision, without a valid reason, results in termination of the lease and return of the assets to the directorate (paragraph 5 of UP-41). Both the starting date and the qualification concerning the reason matter.

What changed in 2025–2026

The changes affect the calculation for cheap lots and access to agricultural auctions:

• From 22 November 2025, the wording introduced by UP-223 of 21 November 2025 provides a 20% discount for full payment for all types of non-agricultural plots within fifteen working days, except where the starting price was reduced by more than 50%.
• From 1 May 2026, UP-68 of 24 April 2026 excludes foreign-invested enterprises and foreign legal entities and individuals from agricultural lease auctions and transfers of such leases.
• From 1 May 2026, UP-68 of 24 April 2026 sets the starting price for the relevant agricultural lots at 50% of normative value, with successive 10% reductions at repeat auctions down to 10% of the starting price, but no lower than listing costs; pasture, hayfield and rainfed land use a special calculation. Example. With an assumed normative value of 100 million soums, the general starting price is 50 million, and one tenth of that starting price is 5 million. If listing costs exceed 5 million, the floor is the listing costs.
• From 1 July 2026, the amendment under Cabinet Resolution 246 of 15 May 2026 requires the notice to state the agricultural and forestry production losses associated with the plot. These losses are not reduced when the starting price is progressively reduced. The losses component therefore stays fixed while the land component falls.

For pasture, hayfield and rainfed land, the starting price comprises 1% of normative value, listing costs, preparation of the land-management project and feasibility study for bringing the land into use, and the lease-registration payment (paragraph 2 of UP-68). Example. With an assumed normative value of 100 million and these expenses totalling 2 million, the starting price is 100 × 1% + 2 = 3 million soums. The expense components must be checked against the particular plot’s documents.

Categories worth a business buyer’s time

The appropriate category depends on the business’s purpose and ability to fulfil the conditions of the particular lot.

• Land for business and urban development suits a project whose use, district, networks and construction timetable match the plot. Instalments help only where subsequent financing is secured.
• Industrial-zone plots merit comparison when the investment obligations match the production project. The rules provide a lease of at least ten years, with privatisation or extension after obligations are fulfilled (paragraph 4 of UP-41); privatisation eligibility also depends on the buyer and the plot.
• Non-residential properties allow an existing building to be assessed: usable area, repairs, equipment, access, tenants and the land right. The basis of sale determines the applicable payments and documents.
• Unfinished buildings require a calculation of remaining works and a documentation check; the original land-related deadlines may continue to run.

Trading points suit retail operators; vehicles, furniture and equipment suit buyers with corresponding business needs. Debt claims, wild-plant use rights and construction-participation rights require a separate assessment of their subject and performance. Their prices are not comparable with completed commercial property.

A working shortlist can record the asset, right being acquired, verified usable area, costs before use, payment schedule and unresolved questions. This shows which asset fits the project budget and launch date.

Frequently asked questions

Why are there so many lots under 1 million soums on E-auksion?

The sample dated 6 September 2026 contained 1,580 mobile trading points out of 5,000 lots, with a median starting price of 128 thousand soums. A low price may also concern movable property or a limited right. The first questions are therefore what is being bought and which payments are included. Commercial land and completed buildings in the same sample had median start prices of 16 million and 837 million soums.

What is a descending-price auction?

It is a session in which the offered price initially falls under the applicable rules. For property sold under enforcement documents, the first acceptance of a reduced price may be followed by rising bids; paragraph 58 of the Regulation provides for that switch to rising bids. Separately, starting prices may be reduced between repeat auctions. The floor, step and history are read from the chosen lot’s procedure.

How do I find out whether a plot has utilities?

Compare the listing and attachments with network operators’ information and the site inspection. The project needs a connection point, available capacity, a workable water supply, a list of required works and their cost. “Electricity nearby” answers none of them. The maximum bid should include a substantiated connection estimate; an unknown scope of work is resolved with the operator before applying.

Can I see who else applied?

Application and view counters do not reveal participants’ identities. The operator must maintain personal-data confidentiality (paragraph 4 of the Regulation). Bids are visible in the session and the result is published without a named list of applicants. Applicant numbers indicate interest; the winner and the price are decided in the session.

Can the obligations in the listing be renegotiated after winning?

No: the allocation documents and the special regime apply as written. For example, transferring the right to another person does not change construction deadlines (paragraph 5 of Annex 4 to UP-135). Court extensions and the exclusion of particular periods have specified grounds. The schedule and investment conditions therefore need checking before bidding, and any changes require an applicable legal basis.

Do I need a valuation before bidding?

For a building or large plot, an independent valuation helps substantiate the purchase ceiling, particularly where returns depend on resale, letting or substantial repairs. No rule requires it; it is a selection tool. For a small, straightforward asset, comparable completed transactions and a substantiated cost estimate may provide a benchmark. The starting price and the appraisal in the listing are the seller’s figures.