How to get border permits in Kyrgyzstan
Some popular destinations like Kel-Suu lake and Enilcheck ghost town in Kyrgyzstan requires travellers to apply for a border zone permit that allows visiting places in the border zones near China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. These permits must be applied for in advance and you must have the original, hard-copy of the permit along with your passport to pass the checkpoints to enter these areas.
This permit is required in addition to your regular Kyrgyzstan entry visa / stamp.
If you’re still planning, check out the perfect Kyrgyzstan itinerary here and the essential packing list here.
Honestly, we have way too much info to share from spending over a month in Kyrgyzstan for just a few blog posts, so be the first to know about the release of our upcoming Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide. The first 50 on the waitlist will receive our entire Google Maps pin list for free with their copy.
Contents
All of these places require a border zone permit to visit!
How to get a border permit
The most common method of obtaining a multi-region border permit is through Kyrgyzstan’s ‘CBT’ network. Permits through the CBT are ‘usually’ valid for all popular border regions and can be applied for by contacting them on WhatsApp at ‘+996 559 567 685’ for permit pickup in Naryn and ‘+996 777 789 988’ for pickup in Karakol.
If using the CBT to apply for your border permit, you will pay at least €25 and must apply at least seven days in advance of the date you’d like to pick up the permit. Permits provided by the CBT will be valid for one month, with an option for a longer two month permit. Our advice is to apply for your border permit at least two weeks in advance of when you think you’ll be arriving to pick it up, allowing for any delays in the processing of it.
Ensure when applying you are very specific with your requests including the date you want the permit to be valid from and the regions you’d like included, as communication with the CBT can be difficult and abrupt.
Groups apply together and will receive a single hard-copy permit, so make sure if your group won’t be travelling together for the entire trip, or visiting certain regions like Kel-Suu lake or Enilcheck separately to ask for separate permit pages.
There are other ways to acquire a Kyrgyz border-region permit, including through hotels and hostels, other agencies and even in-person at the Kyrgyz Immigration office all of which may be cheaper and quicker, however it is much more convenient to use the CBT network.
Do I need a border permit?
The Kyrgyz border zone is around 30km from any of Kyrgyzstan’s land borders with China, Tajikistan and certain areas nearby Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and any entry to this border zone requires a permit, even for local Kyrgyz people! Due to this, there are many popular tourist destinations that require you to have a valid border zone permit on hand as you must pass military checkpoints in order to reach them.
The most popular destinations are:
Kel-Suu lake in the Naryn region.
Ak-Sai valley and Peak Lenin Base Camp in the Osh region.
Enilcheck ghost town in the Issyk-Kul region.
Pamir Highway approaches on the Kyrgyz side in Osh region.
Chatyr-Kul lake in Naryn region.
You must also acquire this permit in order to leave Kyrgyzstan via any remote overland border crossings like Torugart to China or within the Batken region to either Tajikistan or Uzbekistan.
That’s It!
If you’ve made it down here, thank you so much for reading!
Now you’re ready for the trekking trip of a lifetime in Kyrgyzstan!
