Kyrgyzstan Getting In and Out information
Air
Russia's "Aeroflot" operates direct flights to Moscow. Turkish Airlines also flies
to Bishkek from London, Paris, Brusseles, Amsterdam with a stopover in Istanbul.
There are also direct flights to Tashkent (Uzbekistan) operated by "Uzbekistan
Airlines" and Urumchi in China operated by "China Southern Airlines".
In addition, there is a number of direct flights from Europe to Almaty, in neighbouring
Kazakhstan. The connection from there to Kyrgyzstan is via frequent flights
or bus or taxi services to Bishkek (travel time - 4 hours). Other European airlines
flying direct to Almaty include Lufthansa from Frankfurt on Main and KLM from
Amsterdam. Transit visa required to cross Kazakhstan.
|
Destination
|
Flight time
|
| Moscow | 4 hours |
| Frankfurt on Main | 6 hours |
| Tel Aviv | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| London | 9 hours |
| Brusseles/Amsterdam | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| Paris | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| Istanbul | 5 hours |
International airport
Bishkek Manas Airport (FRU) is 40km (24 miles) north of Bishkek. Facilities here open 24 hours and include exchange offices, duty-free shops, a number of cafes and bars. There is a minibus shuttle service to the city centre at day time (travel time - 60 minutes). Taxis are readily available, travel time is 20-25 minutes. A few taxi companies have their offices across customs area. Please be aware of private taxi drivers - fraud may occur!!
Rail
There are rail connections with the Russian Federation (travel time to Moscow is three days) and with other Central Asian republics. It is possible to connect to China through Almaty in Kazakhstan; and to Iran and the Middle East via Turkmenistan. Railroad services are cheap comparing to Western standards but not exactly reliable and comfortable.
Road
Kyrgyzstan has road connections to all its neighbours. The main international road links are with Kazakhstan and there are presently two crossing points into China, Torugart and Irkeshtam; visitors should note that the Chinese authorities normally require proof of an invitation by a Chinese tour operator as a condition of entry. Generally, main roads have good conditions. Note that the road to Osh can be affected by landslides during spring in the mountain areas, while winter may cause hazardous conditions on a number of roads crossing over mountain passes, some of which may be closed during certain periods; visitors should also note that garage services are very limited outside the cities and towns. If you are going to travel with your own car, please contact your local Embassy first to get further information and additional details you might need to know crossing the borders in Central Asia.
|
Destination
|
Distance in km
|
Travel time
|
| Almaty/Almaty airport | 250/270 km |
2-3 hours
|
| Balykchi (Issyk-Kul) | 175 km |
1.5-2 hours
|
| Djalal-Abad | 576 km |
8-10 hours
|
| Karakol | 392 km |
5-6 hours
|
| Maida-Adyr | 570 km |
10-12 hours
|
| Naryn | 348 km |
5-6 hours
|
| Osh | 710 km |
10-12 hours
|
| Song-Kul | 360 km over Kochkor/332 km over Suusamyr |
6-7 hours
|
| Talas | 300 km over Suusamyr/385 km over Djambul |
5-6 hours
|
| Tashkent | 585 km |
8-9 hours
|
| Tash-Rabat | 467 km |
8-9 hours
|
| Torugart pass | 550 km |
10-11 hours
|
Bus
There are coach services to all of the neighbouring countries.
There are regular bus links from Bishkek to Tashkent (Uzbekistan) (travel time
- 10-12 hours), Almaty (Kazakhstan) (travel time - 6 hours), Kashgar in China
(travel time 20-24 hours), Moscow, Ekaterinburg and further to Europe; services
leave the long-distance West bus station in Bishkek.
On Foot
Please note that the only legal places where you can cross the
border is at a designated post - which means that now it is not possible to
follow the trekking routes over the mountains from Issyk-Kul to Almaty in Kazakhstan
which were popular in Soviet times.
Car hire
It is possible to hire the car with driver for long journeys from us or to look for these is at the west bus stations for Tashkent, Issyk-Kul and Almaty Area. The car to Kyrgyz-China border can be hired in travel agencies only as they require special border permition for drivers. Please not there is no car hire self driving service represented in Kyrgyzstan.
Duty Free
The following goods may be imported into Kyrgyzstan by travellers of 16 years or over without incurring customs duty: 1000 cigarettes or 1000g of tobacco products; 1.5l of alcoholic beverages and 2l of wine; a reasonable quantity of perfume for personal use.Note: On entering the country all valuable items such as currency, jewellery, cameras and computers should be declared. Customs declaration form must be retained until departure.
Prohibited imports: Firearms, military weapons, ammunition, drugs, photographs and printed matter directed against the country, live animals, fruits and vegetables.
Prohibited exports: All prohibited imports, Items more than 100 years old and those of special cultural importance require special permission for export. When buying items that may be more than 100 years old, ask for a certificate stating the age of the items. Precious metals, stones, furs, saiga horns, Siberian stag, red deer antlers and deer skins, arms and ammunition are also prohibited unless on organised hunting trip.
Cash: Ammounts exceeding 3500 USD must be declared both for
Import and Export. Fill out two custom declarations and make sure you got your
copy stamped by custom officer. Retain it until departure if you plan to export
the cash. Cash Import and Export are not limited.