Memo to a tourist in Kyrgyzstan

Memo to tourists entering Kyrgyzstan

Useful phone numbers

Police – 102. Fire – 101. Ambulance – 103. Rescue Service – 110 or 161

Customs regime

Sports and hunting weapons can be imported by foreign citizens into the territory of Kyrgyzstan with mandatory declaration. It is also necessary to have an invitation from a legal entity that has a hunting license, a hunting contract with the specified legal entity or an invitation to participate in sports events and the relevant permission of the internal affairs bodies of the Kyrgyz Republic. The specified weapon must be taken out of the country within the time limits established by the contract or invitation.

Adults are allowed to import 2 liters of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes.

Foreign currency worth more than 3,000 US dollars must be declared in writing.

Permitted for import:

  • Photo, audio, video and office equipment, household appliances and electrical appliances – 1 item of each item per person.
  • Medicines – 500 g per person.
  • Printed publications, video, CDs, film – 10 pieces of each item per person.
  • Carpets – 2 pieces.

Foreign citizens are prohibited from importing into the territory of Kyrgyzstan and using on the territory of Kyrgyzstan all kinds, types and models of weapons, even for the purpose of ensuring personal safety, protecting the life and health of other citizens, their property, escorting cargo and for other purposes, unless this is provided for by international treaties of the Kyrgyz Republic .

Opening hours of shops, banks, museums

Grocery stores are usually open from 08.00 to 22.00 and around the clock, department stores – from 09.00 to 19.00.

Banks are open from 9.00-9.30 to 17.00-17.30 from Monday to Friday, closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Money, currency exchange

Currency can be exchanged at bank offices, currency exchange offices (usually open around the clock) and in many shops. Not only US dollars and euros are accepted for exchange, but also British pounds sterling, Russian rubles, Kazakh tenge, Uzbek soums, Chinese yuan and other types of currencies.

Credit cards are accepted for payment in most banks and in some large hotels in Bishkek. Travel checks can be cashed at the offices of large banks, licensed exchange offices and some large stores in the capital, but the fees are quite high (3-7%). In the province, it is almost impossible to use non-cash means of payment.

Post, phone, internet

In most cities of the country, all types of network services are available, up to high-speed data transmission lines. Internet cafes can be found in almost all major cities of the country.

Transport

Public transport is represented by buses, trolleybuses, fixed-route taxis. A single railway line, just over 60 kilometers long, leads from Bishkek to the border with Kazakhstan and further towards Moscow. There are airports in Bishkek, Osh, Jalal-Abad, Batken, Razzakov, Tamchy.

Car rent

When renting a car, the use of a national Russian driver’s license is allowed.

Tips

Tipping is about 5-10% (large restaurants include it in the bill automatically). But in general, in accordance with the Islamic canons of hospitality, tips are not accepted.

Electricity

The mains voltage is 220 V, 50 Hz.

Health and vaccinations

Before traveling to Kyrgyzstan, it is recommended to get vaccinated against viral hepatitis A.

National features

One of the unshakable traditions of local life is hospitality. It is not accepted here to refuse an invitation to lunch or dinner. In communication, the Kyrgyz are usually quite simple and democratic.

When entering the house, you should take off your shoes. The style of clothing is quite democratic, but when visiting places of worship, you should not wear too open or short clothes.

shopping

From Kyrgyzstan, you can bring felt hats “kalpak” and items of national costume: quilted robes “ichken”, leather shoes, traditional vessels and leather cases – for example, for making, storing and serving koumiss. The visiting card of the folk crafts of Kyrgyzstan is the felt carpet “shyrdak” made of sheep’s wool, decorated with bright national patterns.

Attachment 1

LIST of items prohibited for import into the Kyrgyz Republic

  1. Items prohibited for import into Kyrgyzstan
  2. All types of weapons and ammunition.
  3. Narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as devices for smoking opium and hashish.
  4. Printed works, clichés, negatives, filmed films, photographs, films, video cassettes and video discs with recordings of films and other video programs, manuscripts, gramophone records and other sound recordings, drawings and other printed and pictorial products containing information that could harm political, economic interests of the country, state security, public order, health protection, morality of the population.

Appendix 2

LIST of items prohibited for export from the Republic of Kyrgyzstan

All types of weapons and ammunition, as well as military equipment.

  1. Narcotic and psychotropic substances.
  2. Canceled securities.
  3. Works of art and antiques (paintings, sculpture, drawings, watercolors, various types of engravings, miniatures, porcelain, crystal, ceramics, wood, leather, precious and non-precious stones and metals, bones, folk art crafts, carpets, tapestries, furniture, artistic clothing and footwear, numismatics, artistic weapons, books, manuscripts, records, musical instruments, tools, postage stamps, etc.) and other items of significant artistic, historical, scientific or other cultural value.

Note: The items specified in this paragraph can be exported only with special permits of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan with the payment of a customs duty in the amount of 100 percent of the assessment indicated in the export permit.

  1. Films, cassettes, discs with recordings of films, video programs containing information that could harm the interests of the state, as well as the rights of citizens.
  2. Horns of saigas, deer, sika deer and red deer, as well as skins of sika deer and snow leopard.

Note:

  1. The items specified in this paragraph may be exported by foreign trade organizations with special permits;
  2. Foreign tourists holding hunting licenses are allowed to export the said items as hunting trophies.

7. Other items, the export of which is prohibited in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.

Movement across the customs border of objects of flora and fauna listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as their derivatives, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to seven years with confiscation of property. (A derivative should be understood as a derivative of something, a product of something. For example: skins, souvenirs made from bones, and other materials of rare animals)

We recognize that the sexual exploitation of children is a worldwide problem. In all our actions and operations, we actively oppose all types of sexual exploitation of children around the world.

Please report cases of sexual or any other form of exploitation and harassment, especially of children and adolescents, to your guide.