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Note!
Regulations and requirements may be subject to change at short notice!
passports & visas
Passports valid required by all
Visa required, except for: Nationals of Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan and the Russian
Federation
Nationals of China (PR), Turkey and Malaysia for stays of up to 30 days;
Transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting
aircraft within 24 hours provided holding onward or return documentation and
not leaving airport.
Note! For those wishing to continue on to China, Chinese visas should
be obtained before departure for Kyrgyzstan. |
k y r g y z s t a n
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getting in
Bishkek "Manas" Airport is 30km (19
miles) north of Bishkek. There is a minibus shuttle service to the
city centre when the airport is open (travel time - 60 minutes).
Taxis are available. Airport facilities include left luggage,
crèche, bars, 24-hour restaurant, chemist, bank (Mon-Fri
08:00-16:30) and bureau de change (24 hours).
vaccinations
No vaccinations are required.
duty free
The following goods may be imported into
Kyrgyzstan by persons of 16 years of age or older without incurring customs duty:
1000 cigarettes or 1000g of tobacco products; 1.5 litres of alcoholic
beverages and 2 litres of wine; a reasonable quantity of perfume for
personal use.
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 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, red deer antlers (unless on
organised hunting trip) and deer skins.
Currency restrictions: There are no restrictions on the import or
export of local or foreign currency, provided declared on arrival.
exit duty
US$10
time
GMT + 5 (GMT + 6 from second Sunday in April to
Saturday before last Sunday in September)
money
Som (KS) = 100 Tyin. Notes are in denominations of KS100,
50, 20, 5 and 1, and 50, 10 and 1 Tyin.
Note! Visitors using the national currency are advised to carry
plenty of small change as some shops and, particularly markets, may be unable to
accept large denominations.
Currency exchange: Foreign currencies can be exchanged at commercial
banks and at authorised bureaux de change. The US Dollar is the easiest currency
to exchange.
Rate (per $US): 47.972 (January 2002)
Credit & debit cards: These are accepted in hotels, numerous restaurant and shops.
Travellers cheques: Travellers are advised to take
travellers cheques in US Dollars.
telephony
Country code: 996 (312 for Bishkek; 502 or
517 for mobiles)
Mobile telephone: GSM
900 and 1800 networks
transport
There are bus and trolleybus services around the
capital
dining
Kyrgyz food shows the effect of its location and history.
Shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton barbecued over charcoal) and
lipioshka (round unleavened bread) are often sold on street corners. Plov
is a Central Asian staple: rice fried with shredded turnip and scraps of mutton,
served with bread. Laghman is a noodle soup with mutton and vegetables
that was originally imported from Chinese Turkestan. Beshbarmak is
noodles with shredded, boiled meat in bouillon. Around Lake Issyk-Kul, the
noodles are sometimes served with jellied potato starch rather than meat.
Shorpur is a meat soup with potatoes and other vegetables. Manty
(steamed noodle sacks of meat and vegetables), samsa (samosas) and
chiburekki (deep-fried dough cakes) are all popular as snacks. The Kyrgyz
and the Kazakhs are almost alone among Central Asian peoples in eating horse
meat; only young mares are used and they are fed on the Alpine grasses, which
are thought to impart a particularly good flavour. Restaurants in the capital
tend to stop serving at 2200.
Black or green tea is the most popular drink. Koumys (fermented mares'
milk) is mildly alcoholic and can still be found in the countryside; refusing an
offer of koumys may cause offence. Other local specialities include
dzarma (fermented barley flour) and boso (fermented millet,
resembling beer). During the summer, chai khanas (open-air tea houses)
are popular. Beer, vodka and local brandy are all widely available in
restaurants.
shopping &
souvenirs
In Bishkek, Osh and Al-Medin bazaars are popular for food
and handicrafts. There is also a shop in the Art Gallery that sells paintings
and traditional Kyrgyz products. Particularly popular are embroidered Kyrgyz
felt hats (kalpak), felt carpets and chess sets with traditional Kyrgyz
figures. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00.
working hours & days
State organizations are closed on Saturdays and Sundays and mainly work from
09:00 - 17:30 (18:00). Banks are open weekdays usually Monday-Friday 09:30-17:30.
public holidays
December 31,January 1: New Year
Jan 7: Russian Orthodox Christmas
Jan 14: Orthodox New Year
Mar 7-8: Kurban Ait (Feast of the Sacrifice)
March 8: Women’s day
Mar 21: Nooruz (Kyrgyz New Year)
Apr 13: Good Friday
Apr 16: Easter Monday
May 1: Labour Day
May 5: Constitution Day
May 9: Victory Day
Jun 6: Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet)
Aug 31: Independence Day
Sept 1: Knowledge Day
Dec 20-21: Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
Dec 26: Christmas
power
supply
The electrical current is 220 V,
50 Hz alternating current; wall outlets take continental-type plugs, with
two round prongs. To use US-purchased electric-powered equipment, bring a
converter and an adapter.
weights & measures
Metric: Metric conversions
