Bishkek Airport Sim Card

[B7474U3]

In case anyone is curious at Bishkek Airport there is a a row of people giving out SIM cards between Immigration and Baggage reclaim. There are also shops from the phone companies once you go through customs into the arrivals hall.

I went with a 2 week unlimited data package with O! For 500 som (around £5 / $7). I’ve no idea if you could get it cheaper in town but I was quite happy with that price.

It took around 3-4 minutes for the vendor to set it up on my phone.

Also in the arrivals hall is a couple of money changers (check as they seemed to offer different rates). I went with the money changer with the better rate and was pleasantly surprised when the rate was more or less the same as I saw in town.

[terrymy]

I had O! sim card in Osh airport as well. I wonder in what way do you pay for the connection afther unlimited package? I had some difficulties with this because I had to find local stores and ask a salesman to make this procedure.

[fg_fita]

In case anyone is curious at Bishkek Airport there is a a row of people giving out SIM cards between Immigration and Baggage reclaim. There are also shops from the phone companies once you go through customs into the arrivals hall.

I went with a 2 week unlimited data package with O! For 500 som (around £5 / $7). I’ve no idea if you could get it cheaper in town but I was quite happy with that price.

It took around 3-4 minutes for the vendor to set it up on my phone.

Also in the arrivals hall is a couple of money changers (check as they seemed to offer different rates). I went with the money changer with the better rate and was pleasantly surprised when the rate was more or less the same as I saw in town.

Hi! Thank you so much for sharing it! Could you tell me which rate should accept as a good one for exchange the money and if they can accept EUR without problem?

All the best

[B7474U3]

In case anyone is curious at Bishkek Airport there is a a row of people giving out SIM cards between Immigration and Baggage reclaim. There are also shops from the phone companies once you go through customs into the arrivals hall.

I went with a 2 week unlimited data package with O! For 500 som (around £5 / $7). I’ve no idea if you could get it cheaper in town but I was quite happy with that price.

It took around 3-4 minutes for the vendor to set it up on my phone.

Also in the arrivals hall is a couple of money changers (check as they seemed to offer different rates). I went with the money changer with the better rate and was pleasantly surprised when the rate was more or less the same as I saw in town.

Hi! Thank you so much for sharing it! Could you tell me which rate should accept as a good one for exchange the money and if they can accept EUR without problem?

All the best

I’d check what the rate is on Google and then select the Money Changer that offers the best rate in relation to that. From what I remember changing Dollars to Som the rate was around 82-83. It was possible to change Euro as well.

I did see in town numerous places on Manas Avenue offering to change GBP - although I only brought Dollars with me so I didn’t actually attempt to change GBP.

[RollingTreeHouse]

I had O! sim card in Osh airport as well. I wonder in what way do you pay for the connection afther unlimited package? I had some difficulties with this because I had to find local stores and ask a salesman to make this procedure.

You can top up at any provider retail location, newspaper stand or payment terminal.
Some payment terminals have a (partial) English language option, they usually charge a commission of KGS 5 per transaction unless they are branded in the colours of your chosen operator (O!, MegaCom, Beeline, etc.), in that case they charge no commission.

As for data plans and roaming I refer you to the ever-useful SIM Card Wiki.
Packages can be set to auto-renew when they expire, in that case they'll send you a reminder to top up in case your balance is not sufficient.

I found out that it was more convenient to get a roaming package of a Kyrgyz operator for the neighbouring countries than to get and register a new SIM card in each country, especially if you're planning on only using data and not doing many phone calls abroad.
Just make sure that you have a balance of more than KGS 100 after purchasing the roaming package and before leaving the country, they block your existing packages otherwise until you deposit at least 100 som!

[sgt_sid]

Hi, thanks for the info! Really helpful. Do you happen to know if this free sim card thing (or the shops) and currency exchange operate 24/7 in the airport? I'll be arriving in Bishkek around 5am this Saturday and would be great if I can sort this out before leaving the airport, especially the currency exchange since from the airport I'd be heading for Bishkek (by taxi - anyone knows how much should I pay?), then Tokmok and then to Karakol by public transportation. Cheers!

[B7474U3]

Hi, thanks for the info! Really helpful. Do you happen to know if this free sim card thing (or the shops) and currency exchange operate 24/7 in the airport? I'll be arriving in Bishkek around 5am this Saturday and would be great if I can sort this out before leaving the airport, especially the currency exchange since from the airport I'd be heading for Bishkek (by taxi - anyone knows how much should I pay?), then Tokmok and then to Karakol by public transportation. Cheers!

I couldn’t say for sure since I arrived mid-morning.

Since the airport seems to be busiest very early in the morning I would guess that the shops and money changers would be open, but I cannot say for sure.

Would be interesting to hear from someone who has arrived at that time of the morning though.

[Jealgu]

Hi, thanks for the info! Really helpful. Do you happen to know if this free sim card thing (or the shops) and currency exchange operate 24/7 in the airport? I'll be arriving in Bishkek around 5am this Saturday and would be great if I can sort this out before leaving the airport, especially the currency exchange since from the airport I'd be heading for Bishkek (by taxi - anyone knows how much should I pay?), then Tokmok and then to Karakol by public transportation. Cheers!

Last year I arrived in Bishkek very early morning, there where three booths of the different operators right next to each other at some point exiting the plane. Wasn't really possibly to miss. Exchanging currency was also no problem, of.course you do not get the best rate in airport.

[digitalnomad11]

DO NOT BUY THE sim card from the counter that comes immediately after THE BORDER CONTROL at Bishkek airport (24th Sept 2023)

A) They would charge Som 550 for the basic plan. which actually you can get for 299 within the same airport after the baggage collection. Multiple shops

B) the Sim card issued by them does not support data sharing on my other phone so there is no point in having data for 45 GB

[Lovetotravel]

You can get a whole month unlimited data SIM card in town for that price at Tsum - big department store in the centre of Bishkek. Beeline had a leaflet explaining it in English