Kyrgyz 64.7% (official), Uzbek 13.6%, Russian 12.5% (official), Dungun 1%, other 8.2%

Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%

Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mouontainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy.

Army, Air Force, National Guard

A passport and visa are required. American citizens can obtain a one-month single-entry, non-extendable tourist visa upon arrival at the Manas International Airport outside Bishkek for a $80 fee without invitation or sponsorship. If purchasing a visa at the airport, at least one blank passport page is required. All foreigners present in the Kyrgyz Republic for more than sixty days must register with the Kyrgyz Department of Visa and Passport Control. Failure to do so may cause difficulties when exiting the country. Individuals traveling to the Kyrgyz Republic to perform religious work or work in affiliation with any religious organization in any capacity are required by Kyrgyz law to declare so on their visa applications. Individuals engaging in any type of missionary activity must obtain a work visa and register with the Office of Religious Affairs after arrival, as it is illegal to engage in religious activity on a tourist visa. Failure to do so may lead to difficulties with local law enforcement as it is considered a violation of Kyrgyz law to engage in activities not matching the purpose of travel indicated on an individual’s visa. In general, travelers should apply for the correct category of visa for their purpose of travel. Travelers cannot obtain a tourist visa at land borders or other airports. The Embassy recommends that Americans traveling in the Kyrgyz Republic also obtain Kazakh visas, as commercial air travel out of the Kyrgyz Republic is limited and Americans may need to travel through Kazakhstan to return to the United States. For further information regarding entry/exit requirements, contact the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic at 2630 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone: (202) 338-5141, fax: (202) 742 6501. Visit the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic web site for the most current visa information.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our web site. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information sheet.

Transit Visas: Travelers intending to transit through Russia en route to a third country must have a Russian transit visa. Even travelers who are simply changing planes in Moscow or another international airport in Russia for an onward destination will be asked to present a transit visa issued by a Russian Embassy or Consulate. Russian authorities may refuse to allow a U.S. citizen who does not have a transit visa to continue with his or her travel, obliging the person to immediately return to the point of embarkation at the traveler’s own expense.

Airports:  37, Airports w/paved runways:  18

Bishkek – Manas International Airport (FRU/UAFM)
Bishkek Airport, Kyrgyzstan, Manas International Airport, Bishkek, 720062, KYRGYZSTAN
Tel: +996 (0)312 963011
Fax: +996 (0)312 693583
E-mail: info@airport.kg
Website: www.airport.kg
Customs, hours: 24 hours
Tel: +996 (0)312 693569
Fax: +996 (0)312 693569

The US Dept. of State issued a TRAVEL WARNING for travelers to the Kyrgyz Republic on 20 April of 2010.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1163.html

The Department of State warns US citizens of the situation in the Kyrgyz Republic in the aftermath of recent political demonstrations and subsequent unrest. The Department of State has authorized the voluntary departure of all non-emergency US government personnel and eligible family members from the Kyrgyz Republic. This replaces the Travel Alert for the Kyrgyz Republic dated April 9, 2010, and provides information on potential threats to US citizens in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Department of State strongly urges US citizens to avoid travel to the Kyrgyz Republic. In the aftermath of anti-government demonstrations on April 6-8, the situation remains unstable. We urge US citizens to defer travel to the Kyrgyz Republic until the security situation improves, and alert US citizens traveling or residing in the Kyrgyz Republic of the potential for further instability. There remains a persistent danger of further demonstrations, unrest, and crime. Demonstrations could occur without warning, sometimes resulting in injury or death. We remind US citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. US citizens remaining in the Kyrgyz Republic are urged to avoid the areas of large gatherings and demonstrations, including peaceful demonstrations.

US citizens who choose to travel to the Kyrgyz Republic despite this Travel Warning are urged to register through the State Department's travel registration website https://travelregistration.state.gov so they can obtain updated information on travel and security. US citizens without Internet access may register directly with the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. By registering, US citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. 

For the latest security information, US citizens traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's web-site where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except US federal holidays).

The US Embassy in Bishkek is located at 171 Prospect Mira, Bishkek 720016. Non-emergency e-mail messages about consular matters may be sent to consularbishkek@state.gov. For inquiries or after-hours emergencies, call (996) (312) 551 241.

Infant MR total:  33.38 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:  TOTAL 68.81 years (male 64.8/female 73.02)

Required:  None
Recommended: Hep A & B, Rabies, Typhoid, Malaria
Boosters: MMR, DPT, poliovirus

Malaria risk area in Kyrgyzstan: Risk in some southern and western parts of the country, mainly in the provinces of Batken, Osh, and Jalal-Abad in the areas bordering Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Risk also in the capital city Bishkek.

Tickborne encephalitis (TBE) is widespread, occurring in warmer months in the southern part of the nontropical forested regions of Europe and Asia. The annual incidence rate of tuberculosis is high in some countries in the region. High rates of drug-resistant TB are found in Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of Russia, and Uzbekistan. Cases of diphtheria have declined (after a large outbreak in the 1990s) with improved rates of immunization.

Medical services in the Kyrgyz Republic are extremely limited.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has been documented in wild birds or other avian species in several of the countries in Eastern Europe. Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry (such as chickens and ducks) and wild birds and avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept.

Country Calling Code:  +996

Internet Country Code:  .kg