Kyrgyzstan coronavirus travel re-opening/restrictions Q&A

[steven]

I'd say just give it a go: the Russian translation is a good idea. But mainly I have the feeling that the people at the border may not be fully informed about who is or is not on the list and they will have their own rules, which you will only find out about once you give it a try.

Good luck, and let us know!

[deidren]

Thanks for this, Steven!
Fingers crossed hopefully USA passport holders will be able to cross this border soon.

I actually did get an update today. This is from a tour operator, I have not been able to find an official source yet, did not get any confirmation from the Uzbek side either so it's definitely not certain.

******

Good afternoon!
The tourist season has been opened!
Travellers can fly to Kyrgyzstan through the airports of Bishkek and Osh.
Land borders are still closed, except for the Duslik border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. List of tourists who can cross this border is attached.
Travellers need to have a PCR test with a negative result, obtained no later than 72 hours before arrival.

List of countries that can cross the Duslik border

1.Russia
2. Georgia
3. Azerbaijan
4. Armenia
5. Belarus
6. Kazakhstan
7. Turkmenistan
8. Belgium
9. Austria
10. United Kingdom
11. Germany
12. Ireland
13. Iceland
14.Italy
15. Latvia
16. Lithuania
17. Liechtenstein
18.Luxemburg
19. Portugal
20.Turkey
21.Switzerland
22.Sweden
23. Qatar
24. UAE
25. China
26. Malaysia
27.South Korea
28. Pakistan
29. Slovenia
30. Kuwait
31. Japan
32. Uzbekistan
33. Hungary

[steven]

They might already, you know. I think it's worth giving it a go. I am not certain if what I got sent is the rule followed at the border.

[Koen]

damn Netherlands not on the list.

[johnbian8308]

I sent an email to the e-visa service mailbox for Kyrgyzstan ([email protected]) yesterday asking about the land border, and I got the reply that at the moment the only way to enter the country is through Bishkek airport with PCR test. Of course they could be wrong

[MelanieD]

Hi, I am cycling in Kyrgystan since March 2, this year. Arrived in Bishkek after a direct flight from Antalya, Turkye. I have met no other tourists these weeks.
The road to Jalalabad and Osh from Kazarman is blocked during the winter months, reopened in May. I've stayed two days in Kazarman and everybody told me this. So I took the only option that was left, the road to Naryn. I mean, I could also go back the same road I came, a beautiful new road, not officially open, from Chaek to Kazarman.
Now I am just before the pass on the way to Naryn. Very cold with a lot of snow.
I will cross the border on a later moment, I have the time here until 26 May. Multiple entry, but I suppose this means that I have to do every time pcr tests. The Netherlands (my country) is not on the list, but I have a temporary Turkish resident card, so hopefully this will work too.

[Wesley]

I'd say just give it a go: the Russian translation is a good idea. But mainly I have the feeling that the people at the border may not be fully informed about who is or is not on the list and they will have their own rules, which you will only find out about once you give it a try.

Good luck, and let us know!

Will do - am trying to gather some more information beforehand, and will report anything useful. If not, I'll just give it a try (if my travel companion agrees) and report the experience.

[asgerd]

Hello all. I crossed Kyrg-Uz at Dostyk on 21 Mar and came back that way today (Uz-Kyrg on 31 Mar), so here's a report. My passport is Canadian and I have a current multiple-entry work visa for Kyrgyzstan. I flew into Bishkek on about 18 Feb for work, with a fresh PCR test in hand, and having the correct documents from my employer got the work visa at the airport.

I've had 10 days off so I went to Uzbekistan. There are ways of getting a PCR test in Osh but on the advice of an agent, I took my test at the border. Crossed on foot at Osh on a wet Sunday morning (21 Mar), all very quiet, was stamped out of Kyrg, walked through the rain and just before the Uz side was asked if I had a recent test. Those who do go through, and those who don't get a new "PCR test". I've had enough of them to know that this was not a real PCR test; conditions were not sterile and it cannot be done in (no exaggeration) 5 minutes. Cost was 140,000 UZS. So 5.5 minutes later I was on my way. Stamped through into Uz and the only delay was because the border agent didn't know whether Canadians need visas (we don't) and then the final guard at the gate insisted that I did. We sorted that out.

I had a pre-arranged ride to Tashkent and subsequently got trains to Samarkand and Bukhara - all quite normal and mostly open although obviously some tourist services are shut or gone for good, for lack of business. Quite busy in both places with local visitors because it was Nowruz week.

Coming back today was more difficult. You do still need a PCR test to re-enter Kyrg and while I was told that it might be waived at the border for a consideration, I didn't want to risk it so I got one done in Tashkent on the way back. The US Embassy site lists several places and I did mine at Shox medical centre, about 350,000 sum and I could give the sample late afternoon and collect it at 10am the next day, which I did. Got the train to Andijan this morning and straight into a shared taxi to Dostyk. So far so good.

At the border, it was really busy. A random gold-toothed woman asked if I had a test and seemed to want to sell me one. I join the unhealthy crush at the first gate, where the guard was shouting at and actually shoving everyone to get back... so still crammed together but a bit further back. That was just to see we had passports. Stamped out of Uz and the next crush was to check for the PCR tests before entering Kyrg and the QR codes on them, if any, were being scanned for authenticity. Glad to see this and mine was fine but many Kyrg/Uz people with results documents that all looked like they came from the same place were turned back. I wonder if they came from the gold-toothed lady and also if this checking of QR codes is a new thing, as my test results 6 weeks ago were not checked in Bishkek and I thought then how easy it would be to forge them.

Then a crush for the Kyrg border agents. They're always quite friendly but mine told me immediately that Canadians couldn't enter - which is technically true as Canada is not on the current list (for Dostyk - I think flying is still fine), but I talked him round thanks to my work visa, and he called someone to check. I'm not sure I'd want to risk that again though.

I was masked throughout the 10 days and many others there are too, more so than in Osh: mandatory on the metro in Tashkent, optional elsewhere it seems but people are masking up inside and on the street, temps taken sometimes, sanitisers available... just standing a bit too close for my comfort. My anecdotal experience is that many (in both Uz and Kyrg) think it's basically finished here and it certainly does not seem to be rampant right now, but there is a new anxiety creeping in.

I will cross-post to an Uzbekistan thread. Happy to answer any questions.

[itfcfan]

Based on what I've read online in the past week, some restrictions due to Covid appear to be increasing in Kyrgyzstan.

OJSC "International Airport" Manas "informs that due to the epidemiological situation, the following international flights have been canceled since March 29

Cancelled flights to/from regional cities in Russia (these had only been announced the previous day, so likely there was push-back from either Russia or KG on this), Almaty (Air Astana flights suspended for a month) and Urumqi (I'm not aware these flights had resumed, so this may simply be an extension of the suspension).
Source: http://www.airport.kg/press-center/news/698

Schools and universities returning to remote learning...

[Wesley]

In line with the previous post, I just received an answer from the Dutch honorary consul in Bishkek, who stated that the situation is relatively bad in Kyrgyzstan, with hospitals overcrowding and so on, and that entry for Dutch citizens is only allowed through Manas Airport (not a word about Osh Airport). According to her, the Dostyk border crossing point is open only to holders of diplomatic passports. Seeing as the Uzbekistan part of my trip has me ending up in Andijan at the end of May anyway, I am still tempted to just go to the border and see what happens - I will tell you in June whether I could cross or not.