Guide · Updated: October 25, 2026 · 7 min read

Digital signature (E-IMZO) for tenders: 44,000 UZS, 1 day, 5 mistakes

A digital signature for tenders — an EDS (electronic digital signature, locally called an E-IMZO key) — costs 44,000 UZS and is issued within one working day at most. If you already file tax reports with your own key, you most likely don't need a new one. But bids rarely fail because of the price of the key; they fail because of five mistakes with it. On the morning of 25 October 2026, 986 of the 2,334 open tenders on xarid.uzex.uz, tender.mc.uz and xt-xarid.uz were closing within 72 hours — there is usually no time left to fix a mistake.

What an EDS is and why you need it for tenders

An EDS (in Uzbek, ERI — elektron raqamli imzo) is a password-protected key file you use to sign documents online. The software on your computer that lets websites "see" the key is called E-IMZO. The certificate is the key's "passport": it records who the key was issued to and when it expires.

Under Law No. ZRU-793 "On Electronic Digital Signature", signing with your key is equivalent to your handwritten signature, and signing with a company key is equivalent to a signature plus the company seal. A bid signed with a key is a legally binding promise to deliver the goods at the stated price.

On xarid.uzex.uz you can log in through the exchange's account portal, id.uzex.uz, either with an EDS key or via OneID. However, you can only sign a bid or a contract if you logged in with the key itself — otherwise the site responds «Войдите в кабинет через ЭЦП!» ("Log in to your account with an EDS!"). tender.mc.uz (construction tenders of the Ministry of Construction) and xt-xarid.uz are separate systems with their own registration, and they also work with E-IMZO keys. For more on these platforms, see our guides to xarid.uzex.uz and xt-xarid.uz.

How much an EDS costs in 2026

The fee is set by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 348: legal entities and individual entrepreneurs (IEs) pay 10% of the BRV (base calculation amount), private individuals pay 7% of the BRV. Applying through the Single Portal of Public Services, my.gov.uz, costs 90% of that amount. From 1 September 2026 the BRV is 440,000 UZS.

For a business this is pocket change: the real money in a tender goes on the bid deposit and guarantees. For the full breakdown, see "How much cash to keep on hand".

How to get an EDS: three routes

1. Public Services Centre — open to everyone, including employees. Bring your passport or ID card, a mobile phone (the key password is sent by SMS) and a flash drive or USB token — a secure flash drive for keys. Your identity is verified by facial recognition (Face ID).
2. my.gov.uz — online and 10% cheaper. You need the E-IMZO software on your computer and the MyID app for face verification.
3. e-imzo.soliq.uz — online via the tax authority's Soliq app: application, payment, QR code, Face ID — and you generate the key yourself. The price is the same as at a Public Services Centre.

5 mistakes that sink a bid

1. The wrong key

A bid on behalf of a company must be signed with a legal-entity key carrying the organisation's INN (taxpayer ID). How to check: in the key selection window on id.uzex.uz, the «Тип» ("Type") field should read «Юридическое лицо» ("Legal entity"), with your company's name next to it. A personal key is labelled «Физическое лицо» ("Individual").

Individual entrepreneurs are the exception. An IE signs with their personal key, including the free key in the ID card (this requires an NFC-enabled phone or a card reader). On id.uzex.uz, choose «Регистрация для индивидуальных предпринимателей» ("Registration for individual entrepreneurs") — an IE's key being labelled «Физическое лицо» ("Individual") is normal.

2. The key expires at the worst possible moment

A key is valid for no more than 24 months. id.uzex.uz won't let you select an expired key — you'll see «Срок ЭЦП ключа истек» ("The EDS key has expired"). When fewer than 30 days remain, the key list shows the line «Срок действия истекает через: N дн.» ("Expires in: N days") — and it is easy to miss.

Why this costs money: according to Tanlo data for the last 30 days, the time from publication of a tender on xarid.uzex.uz to the bid deadline is typically 7 days, and a request for proposals on xt-xarid.uz lasts 72 hours. Yet getting from zero to your first bid takes more than a day: the key, registration on the platform and transferring the deposit to the platform's account — allow several working days.

Two details people forget:

• By law, a renewal request must be filed no later than 2 weeks before expiry. Miss that and you'll need a new key.
• If you win, the contract on the platform is also signed with the key. The key must stay valid not just until the bid deadline but until the contract is signed — plus 2–4 weeks of margin. Failing to sign the contract on time can cost you your deposit and land you on the register of unscrupulous contractors.

3. Only the director has a key

The director is on a business trip or on sick leave — and nobody can sign the bid. The law allows multiple keys, and there is no limit on how many company keys can be issued to employees — as clarified by the Yangi Texnologiyalar Research Centre under the Tax Committee, which issues the keys. Get a company key for one more responsible employee. If the director changes, the new head needs their own key, and the previous director's certificate should be revoked.

4. The key and password are "with a helper"

A company key is a signature and a seal in one. Anything signed by an outsourced accountant or an acquaintance who is "helping with tenders" has legally been signed by you. Under Article 27 of the law, the director is responsible for the company's keys, even those issued to employees, and the key holder must immediately notify the registration centre if anyone else is using the key. If an employee with a key leaves, suspend or revoke their certificate through a Public Services Centre.

5. Outdated E-IMZO software

If E-IMZO is not installed or is out of date, the platform will show «Ошибка соединения с E-IMZO. Возможно у вас не установлен модуль E-IMZO» ("E-IMZO connection error. The E-IMZO module may not be installed") or «Установите новую версию приложения E-IMZO» ("Install the new version of the E-IMZO application"). Download the current version from e-imzo.soliq.uz and immediately test logging in on every platform you use. Do this on a quiet day, not an hour before the bid deadline.

Checklist: do it today

• Legal entity — make sure your key carries the company's INN. IE — make sure you are registered on the platform as an IE.
• Check your key's expiry date and set a reminder 40 days before it — so you have time to renew.
• Get a company key for a second employee.
• Update E-IMZO and test logging in to id.uzex.uz with the key itself.
• Prepare your documents in advance — see the list in "Documents for tender participation".
• Find out about tenders on the day they are published, not the day before the deadline: in the Tanlo catalogue you can save a search for your industry and get new lots in Telegram.

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