Border crossings reports: Dostyk/Dustlyk (Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan)

[ak2449]

Hello,

First, many thanks for maintaining this excellent resource of knowledge and experience - it is enormously helpful! Second, I apologize in advance if this is not the right place to post this question - I've read the border crossing forums and pages, searched the forum etc, and haven't found an answer so far.

My wife and I are planning to cross from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan through the Dostyk border crossing later this month, do some hiking for a few days and then return - our flights are in and out of Tashkent. She has a US Passport and I have an Indian Passport. As a US citizen, it appears she does not need a Kyrgyz visa under the current rules. I have got a Kyrgyz tourist e-visa (not the transit visa), which appears to be usable at the airport and several border crossings - I have been unable to confirm whether Dostyk allows / is able to process the standard tourist e-visa - would anyone be able to confirm this?

Any advice or help is much appreciated.

Many thanks!
Anthony.

[bwv812]

You can find eligible e-visa crossings here:

http://www.evisa.e-gov.kg/get_information.php?lng=en

Presently foreign citizens and stateless persons with electronic visas of the Kyrgyz Republic can cross the State Border of the Kyrgyz Republic at the following international checkpoints
1. Manas-airport
2. "Osh-airport"
3. "Chon-Kapka-avtodorozhnyi"
4. "Chaldybar- avtodorozhnyi"
5. "Ak-Jol- avtodorozhnyi"
6. "Ak-Tilek- avtodorozhnyi"
7. "Dostuk- avtodorozhnyi"
8. "Kyzyl-Bel- avtodorozhnyi"
9. "Kulundu- avtodorozhnyi"
10. "Bor-Dobo- avtodorozhnyi"
11. "Irkeshtam- avtodorozhnyi"
12. "Torugart-avtodorozhnyi".

Probably Steven should update the visa article with this information.

[steven]

Done. I'm not sure about Ak Jol (Kordai?) but I located all the other ones.

https://caravanistan.com/visa/kyrgyzsta ... -crossings

[glorialyt]

Hi all,

I have just crossed the border from Osh to Uzbekistan. The process was quick. I arrived at 8:30am.

From Kyrgz side, tourist didn't need to queue up for the passport check. I was asked to get to the counter straight. it just took about 5-10 minutes.

Walking a short distance to Uzb side, there was no queue at all. The staff didn't check my phones / medication. It went very smooth for the whole process.

You can walk pass the taxi drivers and catch a bus to Andijan and it was only 3000som. You could go to the last stop and there were a lot of taxi drivers waving at you.

From Andijan to Tashkent, it shall be only 35000som pp for a shared taxi. I asked a local there. It took about 5.5 hours, including a lunch on midway. The driver will stop you to your requested destination.

[sierra]

Crossed in June 2019 from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan on foot.

Arrived to Andijon by train. The marshrutkas depart from the bus station (map) about 400 meters right from the station. Marshrutkas to Dostuk depart from the very end of the left-hand side platform. A small shop that sells refreshments is located in the premises of the station. The ride took us about an hour depending on traffic and cost 3000 UZS.

On the Uzbek side there is a separate queue for foreigners/tourists. The officer who was sorting the people didn't make us wait long. Baggage was x-rayed on customs. The passport officer checked the registration slips stamped by hotels and that was it – no hassle.

The Kyrgyz side was also okay. The dark hut where the passport control is done was quite an interesting experience.

The whole procedure took about half an hour.

The worst part was actually right after I was released to Kyrgyzstan. There was a pack of taxi drivers waiting at the border fence who were quite aggressively promoting their services. One of them followed me and didn't want to go away. I hopped on the first marshrutka I saw – it was number 138, cost 10 KGS – and got off at the Lenin/Navoi intersection. There are some exchange offices at the border crossing but didn't use them, fortunately I had some Kyrgyz soms beforehand. There are plenty of exchange offices at the Kelechek market on Navoi street (map).

Overall, from the train station to Osh city centre it took me two hours.

[mat1990dj]

Hello,

I will be passing from uzb to kirg tomorrow with motorcycle, google maps showing border is closing, does anybody know if I can use this boder? Thank you very much, sorry for my bad english.

By the way, this site is great, have been using it for my barcelona - biskek trip!

[Ewoud8]

Me and my girlfriend crossed the dostyk border today and it was very nice.

First of all: it took us only five minutes (if not less). They did not check our backpacks or phones. Secondly, the guards were just like the other uzbek people: very very friendly.
I had conversations with the guards about football, they asked me about my thoughts of uzbekistan etc...
There was no queue (around 5p.m.) and we just walked trough the 6 guard posts and showed them our passports and OVIR. So do not worry about the border crossing (like we did) and be relaxed, it is a very nice experience

After the border taxi drivers are waiting for you and you are seen like a kind of prey. So be very clear and tell them you do not want a taxi because they will cheat and ask too much! The drivers are unkind and just want to rip you off.

After the border, som could be changed with a nice exchange rate to kyrgyz som.
Good luck!

[Bethany]

Hi all, I did this border crossing on Monday morning with my partner in KY -> UZ direction. From Osh there are buses or you can get a yandex (uber) for about 80 som. There are plenty of exchange places on Kyrgyz side of border with sensible rates to change som. Only slightly negative is they have mainly small notes so you will get a brick of notes.
There was a very large queue on Kyrgyz side but we were waved to a short seperate queue for tourists and children. There are 2 halls of immigration agents in seperate buildings. The one on the right had a much shorter queue. No bag check etc.
On Uzbek side things were a bit more organised but still very simple. Bags were x rayed but no searches etc.
All in all about 40 mins to get through both sizes at about 8am.
On Uzbek side there are plenty of transport options to Andijon (big buses, mini buses, share taxi) but for Margilan and Fergana it seemed shares taxis only at c. 40,000 per person (which seemed expensive to us).

[blakep76]

Crossed this border from Kyrgyz to Uzbek a couple of days ago. Arrived at about 9am and there were already many, many hundreds of people jammed into the queue on the right side. Blazing hot sunshine, packed in tight inside a chicken wire fence. A lot looked like they had been there for many hours, and with the guards only letting around 20 into the immigration building every 10 mins or so it was probably going to be an all day affair for the majority of them. Quite grim, and you really feel a little guilty with all of them staring as you are waved into the queue with only a handful waiting on the left side for tourists, local VIPs and the few lucky ones who managed to somehow avoid the maelstrom on the right (sneaking through, slipping the guards some cash?). Got through the Kyrgyz side smoothly. The immigration guys were quite aggressive with the locals, but all smiles with us, likewise on the Uzbek side - it seemed the immigration and customs officers were more curious about us and eager to practice their English than perform any thorough inspections. A couple of half assed 'Do you have any drugs, guns or pornography?"
All in all both sides took an hour, with the time zone difference we basically left Uzbek customs and immigration at the exact same time as we arrived at the Kyrgyz side.
Suggestions - definitely change your leftover Kyrgyz som at the moneychangers in the road/carpark before the border on the Osh side - the rates are decent.
-Go early - by the time we got into the immigration building both lines were getting pretty long. Even though as a tourist you are prioritized there's still lots of pushing and queue jumping. With backpack I weigh in at about 130kg, but some of those babushkas intent on getting to the front are like Olympic weightlifters.
-Flash that passport, especially if you look like a local. My wife could easily pass for a Kyrgyz and has a passport the same color as the locals. They initially tried to put her into the long line, which, after a few hours would leave you praying for an asteroid to crash into the Earth.

[Kanter]

Crossed this morning, arrived in shared taxi from Ferghana 40 000 sums arranged by hosted, starting at 8 AM. Started crossing at 10 AM. No questions on both sides, just scan bags on Uzbek side, no other control, took me 20 minuts. Not a lot of people this day, maybe because of Kirghize independance day? Bought simcard 100 sums 6 gigs and made change direct after entry. Taxi alone for Osh (150 sums).
Fastest border crossing ever done in central asia.