Travel to Kyrgyzstan  and Visa

Visa.  Consular service
Consular Service in the "Manas" International Airport is a consular agency of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of KR and ensures a consular service of individuals arriving and leaving from Kyrgyz Republic through "Manas" airport, as well as fulfils civil-legal support to Kyrgyz people.
Consular service uses a simplified order of drawing documents' registration at entry and departure from KR of foreign citizens through "Manas" airport, ensures a decision of practical questions of official entry and departure of foreign citizens, as well as of foreign tourists.
Registration and issue of visas to the foreign citizens and persons without citizenship, arriving to Kyrgyz Republic through "Manas" International Airport is carried out upon their arrival to a check-point.
The argument for issue of visas is a valid foreign passport or its demountable document, issued by competent bodies of a country of citizenship or permanent residence.
Citizens of foreign states provided by appropriate list confirmed by the Government of KR can get a visa in a foreign representative office of KR or directly on arrival in the consular service in "Manas" airport on the basis of personal turning for a period to one month. 

Traveling via the third country as as transit passenger, for example via Russia, you will have to get the Russian transit visa if you don't have a Kyrgyz visa. If you have a Kyrgyz visa, you don't need a Russian transit visa if you are not going out of the transit area in Moscow.
Consular agency for rendered services levies consular charges and charges towards of compensation of actual expenses for these services in accordance with the approved tariff.
List of developed countries of the world, people of which, in case of arrival in Kyrgyz Republic with investment and business purposes, can get entry-departure visas of Kyrgyz Republic in diplomatic representative offices and consular founding of Kyrgyz Republic abroad, as well as in the Consular Service in "Manas" airport on the basis of personal turning for a period to one month.

You can get more complete information on the following site: http://www.airport.kg/eng/helpfulinfo.htm

The cost of the visa is $60 USA. 

Travel. "Manas" Airport. The "Manas" international airport is located 35 (19 miles) kilometers north of Bishkek.There is a minibus shuttle service to the city center (when the airport is functioning; traveling time 30 minutes). Taxis are available. Facilities include left luggage, crèche, bank, bureau de change and snack bar.  Currency Exchange. The som is the monetary unit of Kyrgyzstan. The rate of exchange changes every week and is published on Wednesdays. Today one can change into currency in almost any bank. The official rate of change and that of the so called "black market" are practically indistinguishable. Kyrgyz money. $1 (USA) = 40,5 som (May 2006). 

Attention!!
In case you have cash (US Dollars, Euro), it would be better to have bigger denomination such as 50 or 100, you can exchange them at a better rate.Smaller denomination has lower rate of exchange.
If you have old, demaged, marked, torned notes, the commission during exchange is 10%.

Note. On entering the country, tourists must complete a customs declaration form which must be retained until departure. This allows the import of articles intended for personal use, including currency and valuables which must be registered on the declaration form. Customs inspection can be long and detailed.  Prohibited imports. Military weapons and ammunition, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, pornography, loose pearls and anything owned by a third party that is to be carried in for that third party.  Prohibited exports. As prohibited imports, as well as annulled securities, state loan certificates, lottery tickets, works of art and antiques (unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture), saiga horns, Siberian stag, punctuate and red deer antlers (unless on organized hunting trip), and punctuate deer skins.  All bills are normally settled in cash. Due to a shortage of change, travelers are advised to carry plenty of small notes. Currency exchange receipts are not necessary.  Credit cards. Credit cards are accepted in some of the larger hotels in Bishkek. Check with your credit card company for merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. 

Travelers checks. These are accepted in one bank in Bishkek; commission charges are 5%. Cash is recommended.  Eurocheques. You can cash them in the bank at 3% commissions.  Western Union  is opened in Bishkek now. It is the safest and fastest  way to transfer money. (You must indicate your address, phone number and the sum as we need to fill up the forms to get money).  Currency restrictions. The import and export of local currency is prohibited for foreigners. The import of foreign currency is unrestricted, subject to declaration. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.

Moscow. You can get to Kyrgyzstan by means of aircraft. 
If you fly via Moscow and need a reliable driver, you can find Alexei Konychev's services here. He is an experienced driver, speaking English and he knows Moscow very well. Stephen King from the USA speaks highly of him as he used his services during his staying in Moscow. 
You can contact him by E-mail: alyonka@softhome.net


Svetlana's Marriage Agency of Kyrgyzstan.