The Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan has issued instructions to banks and payment organizations to ensure minors can access electronic payment functionality through mobile applications, after social media reports that biometric identification requirements were preventing minors from opening cards and linking them to apps. Amendments to the Instruction on the procedure for opening, maintaining and closing bank accounts allow minors aged 14 to 18 to open bank accounts independently. Separately, to address bank card fraud risks, mobile applications of banks and payment organizations have introduced biometric identification (Face ID) for new registration, password recovery and logins from another device; the Central Bank’s latest instructions require mobile access for minors to be provided on a risk-management basis while maintaining additional identification mechanisms for high-risk operations. The Central Bank indicated that minors will be able to use their bank cards through the mobile applications of banks and payment organizations in the near future.
Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan 2025-12-04
Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan instructs banks to allow minors to use bank cards in mobile apps under risk-based identification
The Central Bank of the Republic of Uzbekistan has mandated banks and payment organizations to enable minors aged 14 to 18 to access electronic payment functions via mobile apps, following issues with biometric identification requirements. Amendments now allow these minors to open bank accounts independently, while biometric identification is required for high-risk operations to mitigate fraud risks.