The Alphabet Is Changing: Will Old Documents Become Invalid?

Another important step has been taken in Uzbekistan to update the Uzbek alphabet based on the Latin script. The Legislative Chamber adopted a bill providing for changes to four controversial letter forms and sent it to the Senate.

However, the issue attracting the most discussion is not the new appearance of the letters. People are more concerned about whether passports, banknotes, textbooks, state symbols and signs will have to be replaced all at once.

According to the parliament’s official explanation, the reform will be implemented gradually rather than abruptly. Existing documents will not become invalid the very day the alphabet changes.

The law has not yet entered into force

The Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis adopted the bill on July 7, 2026 and sent it to the Senate for consideration. This means that, for now, the issue concerns a bill that has passed the lower house of parliament, not a final law that has entered into force.

The document must be approved by the Senate, then signed in accordance with the established procedure and officially published. The date on which it will enter into force and the specific procedures concerning the transition period will become known after that.

For this reason, it is too early to draw definitive conclusions that “the new alphabet has been introduced” or “the old script has been abolished.”

Which letters are proposed to be changed?

The current Uzbek Latin alphabet consists of 26 independent letters and three letter combinations. The new draft proposes an alphabet consisting of 28 letters and one apostrophe.

The main proposed changes are:

— O‘ o‘ replaced by Ö ö;
— G‘ g‘ replaced by Ğ ğ;
— Sh sh replaced by Ş ş;
— Ch ch replaced by Ç ç.

Thus, the Sh and Ch combinations, which consist of two symbols, would become independent letters. The proposal also calls for unified forms to be used instead of the various symbols written in different ways in the O‘ and G‘ letters.

The fact that the “Ng” combination would not be retained as a separate letter would also result in an alphabet consisting of 28 letters.

What will happen to old passports and documents?

The bill provides for the continued validity of documents issued before the new alphabet enters into force.

This means that passports, diplomas, certificates, contracts and other official documents will not automatically become invalid because of the alphabet change.

The parliamentary information specifically notes that the following will continue to be used:

— documents issued previously;
— the national currency;
— securities;
— symbolic emblems of state organizations;
— signs and indicators;
— other existing material attributes.

They will not be updated simultaneously; instead, they will be changed gradually, according to established deadlines and the natural replacement process.

Will there be no expenditure from the state budget at all?

The parliament’s official explanation emphasizes that the reform will not create additional state expenditures.

To achieve this, the practice of discarding all forms, signs, indicators and documents in a single day and producing new ones is being abandoned. Existing products will be used throughout their service life, while new ones will be produced in the new alphabet during the next scheduled orders.

However, the interpretation that “not a single sum will be spent from the budget” is not entirely accurate either. Preparing new standards, adapting electronic systems and updating future publications will require certain organizational work.

The essence of the official position is different: no extraordinary allocation of separate funds for the reform or immediate replacement of all existing materials is planned. Expenditures are expected to be made gradually as part of routine renewal processes.

Will textbooks be updated all at once?

The parliament’s publicly available official information does not mention old textbooks as a separate category.

Therefore, it is not yet correct to conclude definitively that all textbooks will immediately be withdrawn or, conversely, that they may be used until a specific date.

Based on the principle of a gradual transition, it is logical to expect textbooks in the new alphabet to be printed during their next edition and as educational programs are updated. However, the specific procedure must be established in the final text of the law and subsequent government decisions.

What about reports that vehicle license plates will be replaced?

Various claims have spread on social media that the alphabet reform is being carried out to issue new vehicle license plates or generate additional revenue.

However, the official information from the Legislative Chamber does not identify vehicle license plates or commercial revenue as the purpose of the reform. It states that the main goals are to improve the Uzbek alphabet and spelling rules, as well as expand the possibilities for using the state language in the digital environment.

No official decision has been announced on the compulsory and simultaneous replacement of existing state license plates either.

Therefore, there is currently no basis for spreading reports that “all drivers will buy new plates” as confirmed facts.

Why are exactly four letters being changed?

At the presentation of the draft, specialists stated that the main problems in the current alphabet are associated with the forms O‘, G‘, Sh and Ch.

Ordinary apostrophes, reverse apostrophes, typographic marks and various other symbols may be used in the letters O‘ and G‘. This creates difficulties when searching text, processing it with software and maintaining a single writing standard.

Although Sh and Ch represent a single sound, they are written with two symbols. The proposed forms Ş and Ç would turn them into independent letters. The authors of the bill explain these changes by the need to adapt the alphabet to digital technologies and ensure consistency in spelling.

When will people start writing in the new alphabet?

It is not yet possible to answer this question with a specific date.

After the draft passes the Senate and is signed into law, the date on which it enters into force will become known. Rules for the transition for spelling, the education system, government agencies, mass media and digital platforms are then expected to be developed.

The most important point is that the changes will not be implemented in a single day. Citizens’ documents will remain valid, while existing state attributes will not be replaced on a mass scale before the end of their service life.

Thus, even if the alphabet reform is approved, the country will not wake up the next day using an entirely different script. The transition should be gradual and planned.

In your opinion, would changing the O‘, G‘, Sh and Ch letters make writing more convenient or create new difficulties? Leave your thoughts in the comments and share the article with your acquaintances and friends on Telegram or other social networks!