Reports: Madaniyat-Izboskan border crossing (UZ-KG)

[steven]

Please read and post reports and questions on the Izboskan border crossing between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan below.

We summarize all info on the Uzbekistan border crossings and Kyrgyzstan border crossings pages.

[Rupert]

The border crossing page states that the Izboskan crossing is open for pedestrians. I'm guessing this would cover cyclists too, but has anyone heard about cyclists using this crossing, as a shortcut to the M41?

[Rupert]

To answer my own question: I crossed the Izboskan border in July 2018. (My hotel in Uzbekistan had phoned someone and confirmed that the Usk-Korgan crossing was closed.) There did not seem to be any signs to the border, but you just follow the straight road, past every town along it, to the end. It is a simple crossing - just huts on both sides. Took no time at all. As a "tourist" I was rushed through ahead of the locals. No customs check on the Kyrgyz side.
On the Kyrgyz side, there is a money changer right next to the border gate, offering the standard rate, and a Megacom office just up the road (no English spoken by the Megacom man, so research in advance which plan you want).

[David_Ra]

Crossed the border at byurgendyu to izboskan on the 24th of September 2018. it was no problem at all. We were done in half an hour to an hour.
Taxi from Arslanbob to the border 1500 Kyrgyz som.
Taxi from border to andijon 80.000 Uzbek som (was hard to bargain to get less/impossible)
Taxi from andijon to margilon 70.000.

[kappazeta]

Crossed from Uzbekistan into Kyrgyzstan in Izboskan a few days ago on our bikes. Smooth and easy, maybe 30 minutes total time. No bags check in Kyrgyz side, on the Uzbek they asked if we took pictures and we showed the ones on our phone, but I think it was more out of curiosity than control. They wanted to see also our registration papers (some from hotels and b&b, one made online, they covered approximately one third of our nights in the country): 2 minutes of looking at them, no question asked, given back.

We had some Uzbek soms left and no bank in Kyrgyzstan seems to accept them, not even the first one which is maybe about 1 km from the border. No informal change either. So if you have Uzbek soms it's better to get rid of them before crossing the border.

[bossie]

Hello, you crossed this border with your bikes. Is it also possible to cross the border by 4x4 car?

[kappazeta]

No, just pedestrian and bikes are allowed, the road is blocked to cars.

[danielb]

hi,
crossed the border 5 days ago on a bike, all the info above is correct plus i was able to exchange uzbek som to kyrgyz som without any problems at a reasonable rate. just before the border on the uzbek side there were many guys willing to change.

[ough]

Crossed the border today, KG > UZ, with a bicycle. Uzbekistan control includes an x-ray of luggage, but other than that it's a simple crossing.

[Romed]

My wife and I crossed the border yesterday, UZ > KG, on foot.
Took the train first from Tashkent to Andijon and stayed the night. At around noon we went to the crossing in front of the bazar,
https://maps.app.goo.gl/i5fwpU7BM7KZg3Gt9.
It was quite busy, supposedly there was also a bus going to the border, we did not have much time, so we asked for a Taxi to Isboskan. The first driver introduced us to another one, he said 60.000 UZS. We half-heartedly tright to haggle, offered 50.000, we agreed on 60.000.

Then we found out that the destination "Izboskan" is problematic, it is also the name of the region, so he drove us to the district capital, Poytug'. It's not totally the wrong direction, but also not where we wanted to go. For future travellers, it might be clearer if you use the name Madaniyat, that is the name the locals on both sides seem to use for that crossing. Then he drove us to the right place. Of course he wanted more money then, what we refused. When he started to make a scene, the other drivers came, seemed to explain to him why he was wrong, and gestured us to move on.

Crossing was easy, first a not very thorough security and luggage check, then a big crowd of locals (women left, men right) around two open booths with officers. After a minute, a guard outside the booths took our (Austrian) passports and brought them through the backdoor inside the booth. The officers stamped our passports first, and gave them back to us through the small window.

That's it for the Uzbek part, we were ushered on to the waiting section under a canopee in the middle of the border crossing. There was a metal gate, the Kyrgyz guards open from time to time to let groups of around 15 continue to the next booths. There a neat queue was formed, women in front. Got our stamp, walked in to Kyrgyztan.

Some drivers immediately offered us their service, but we organized a pick up through Hayat in the CBT office in Arslanbob. Our guy was there as well already, he drove us for 2.000 KGS to Arslanbob, before he stopped in the next city for us to exchange money/use the ATM.