Since 1 July 2026, Uzbekistan's Unified National Archive Information System (ISA), approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 352 of 30 June 2026, has been in effect. Even earlier, from 1 June 2026, Presidential Decree No. UP-228 of 24 November 2025 made the use of RFID technology mandatory when handling documents held in the national archives. Here is how radio-frequency identification of documents is structured and what an archive's RFID setup consists of.
How document identification works in the ISA
The core principle behind the ISA is that every archival document is assigned a unique identification number, and this is done via RFID. In technology terms it looks like this: an RFID label with an identifier written to its chip is applied to a file, folder or box; a reader picks the number up contactlessly and passes it to the record-keeping software. From then on the identifier acts as a key to which the document's record card, storage location and movement history are tied. In a typical archive room, three working scenarios are built on top of this:
- Stocktaking: a staff member walks along the shelving with a reader, and the system reconciles the files actually present against the database within minutes;
- Search: a reader in tag-search mode homes in on the required file with an audible signal — even if it is shelved in the wrong place;
- Issue tracking: issuing a file to a researcher or a department, and its return, are logged automatically by reading the label.
Under Resolution No. 352, the system's owner is the Uzarchive Agency under the Ministry of Justice, and its operator is the ICT Development Centre under the justice authorities. From 1 August 2026, the archival documents and records of state bodies will be maintained in the ISA (except information classified as a state secret).
Passive RFID labels for paper documents
Paper media are tagged with thin self-adhesive labels carrying a passive chip: there is no battery — the label draws energy from the reader's field, so its service life is comparable to the retention period of the file itself. Two properties make the technology especially convenient in an archive: a label reads without line of sight — through a file cover or the wall of an archive box — and bulk reading lets you poll an entire shelf in seconds instead of counting page by page. In worldwide document- and library-collection management practice, passive UHF labels are the usual choice for such tasks — an established industry approach to inventory at a distance.
ERFID equipment for archives
ERFID designs and implements RFID systems for archives and document repositories: surveying the collection, selecting labels for the media and box types, and configuring the record-keeping scenarios. The core of the kit is RFID labels for files and folders plus the Chainway C72 handheld UHF reader; compatibility here is generic to the technology — a UHF reader reads UHF labels. Pairing the reader with record-keeping software follows the same mechanics as RFID inventory of fixed assets: scan, reconcile against the database, report the discrepancies. Pricing is calculated per project — leave a request and an engineer will size a configuration for your collection.
Timeline
- From 1 June 2026 — RFID is mandatory when handling national archive documents; the unified archive information system was launched (UP-228);
- From 1 July 2026 — Resolution No. 352 approving the ISA came into force;
- From 1 August 2026 — the archival documents and records of state bodies are maintained in the ISA (except state secrets);
- Every two years — organisations put the archival documents they hold in order;
- From 1 September 2026 — launch of the Shajara genealogy service;
- By 2030 — digitisation of 60% of the National Archive Fund.
If you need the labels and readers themselves: RFID label supply for archives in Tashkent — ERKSONS.