Restrictions on customs clearance of iPhones at the airport lifted starting today

Temporary restrictions on the customs clearance of mobile devices imported from abroad, particularly the highly anticipated iPhone smartphones, have been officially lifted at Tashkent International Airport. Starting today, November 11, 2026, customs clearance procedures have been fully restored, and the process of returning several hundred mobile devices that had been temporarily seized has begun.

UzIMEI representatives to operate permanently at the airport

To assist customs officers with the rapid and accurate identification and verification of mobile device IMEI identifiers, UzIMEI representatives have been stationed to operate permanently at Tashkent International Airport. This was announced by the Customs Committee during a press conference held at the Content Center.

«As of today, the unimpeded import of mobile devices has resumed. The process of returning several hundred mobile devices that were seized up to this point has now begun,» — said Customs Committee spokesperson Husan Tangriyev.

«Verification and clearance procedures have been fully coordinated by the Customs Committee and relevant agencies.»

What happened: Reasons for the restrictions

As a reminder, at the beginning of November 2026 (specifically, controls were tightened on November 6 and fully implemented on November 10), the customs clearance of new phones at the airport was temporarily suspended. The Customs Committee explained this by citing a recent increase in IMEI code falsification, the use of identifiers from other devices, and various illegal schemes. A short period was required to develop a security mechanism and verify the compatibility of devices' IMEI-1 and IMEI-2 codes.

This situation led to the spread of various reports on social media and a sharp rise in iPhone prices at the "Malika" shopping complex in the capital. However, as of today, all inspections have been completed, and the process has returned to its normal and transparent state.

In your opinion, how effective are such strict controls and inspections at airports in preventing the illegal trade of mobile devices? Leave your thoughts in the comments!