News

Rate of exchange :

At the end of December 2004, the official rate of exchange was :

USD1=KGS40.8132
EUR1=KGS55.6712

FORMALITIES:

VISAS -

Since the end of September 2001, Kyrgyzstan has required all foreign citizens to be in possession of a valid visa for entry into the country. This means that the “72-hour rule”, (which allowed for transit through Kyrgyzstan on the basis of a, for example, Kazakh or Uzbek visa), no longer applies.

In April 2003, the government issued an order (No.213 – dated 15/04/03) which stipulates that citizens of 28 countries can apply for a visa, valid for upto one month, at a Kyrgyz consulate either abroad or at Manas airport in Bishkek. These countries are:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA.

In addition, there is a relaxed visa regime for citizens of the following countries who do not need visas:

Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzergovenia, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Georgia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Malaysia (for upto 1month), Moldavia, Mongolia (for upto 3 months), North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey (for upto 1 month), Ukraine, Vietnam Yugoslavia

In other circumstances – e.g. if applying for a visa at a Kazakh consulate, or requiring a visa for more than one month, or if you are a citizen of another country, then you will still need an invitation – possibly registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bishkek. See our Visas page for more details.

It was also announced at the same time that there are plans to establish consular posts at every official border crossing around the country so that people could receive visas on arrival, and for a consular post to be established at Osh airport. At the moment, however, these are simply plans, which have not yet been implemented. The only place where it is currently possible to receive a visa on arrival is at Manas airport in Bishkek.

Please note that the only legal places where you cross the border is at a designated post – which means that now it is not possible to follow the trekking routes over the mountains from Almaty which were popular in Soviet times unless you have special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is now possible to receive a Kazakh transit visa on arrival at Almaty Airport if you have a valid Kyrgyz visa.

OVIR –

OVIR is an abbreviation, which stands for the Visa and Registration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Don't be surprised if you find that there is some confusion about the situation concerning registering with OVIR. The situation constantly changes.

Kyrgyz law currently states that foreign visitors, including tourists, must register with OVIR within three working days of their arrival in the country. (One regulation says you must register within five days … but we cannot any reference find anywhere that the old requirement has been repealed.) There are a few, very few, exceptions. For example, if you are a Head of State, then you don't need to worry about OVIR.

However, the government issued an order (No. 213, dated 15/04/03) which decrees that citizens of 28 countries in the country for upto one month no longer needed to register. These countries are :

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA

Citizens of other countries – (including CIS countries) are still required to register.

Recently the Bishkek OVIR office has been asking CIS citizens to provide copies of the air ticket, (or of their customs declaration forms) when they register – presumably as proof of when they entered the country. We cannot find any justification of this in the regulations and are pursuing it with the authorities – and are awaiting a reply. If a member of your party is a CIS citizen then it is important that they know this and have a copy available. In the case of customs forms – second copies are rarely ever given and it will require a special request (and the customs official may need some persuasion) to obtain one.

We can arrange registration, where necessary, for our clients here in Bishkek, or in Naryn.

INSURANCE –

It is a requirement of Kyrgyz law that tourists have insurance to cover medical costs. We recommend that this should also cover repatriation costs, and if you are going into the mountains, rescue costs.

PERMITS –

To visit Kyrgyzstan you must have a valid passport, and (depending on your nationality) visa and registration.

Until 2003 a system of permits was in use for some of the alpine “tour zones” (such as Altyn Arashan, near Karakol) but these were abolished in 2004. There is some discussion about whether, or not, to re-impose them for certain areas – in an attempt to ensure quality of service and safety ... however, at the time of writing (September 2004) there are no such permits for these zones.

Permits are required, however, for certain “border zones”. These zones include the areas around Khan Tengri, and the Enilchek glacier, The Ak-Sai valley and Lake Chatyr Kul near Torugart.

(For Torugart, tourists are allowed to transit the border zone if they have a valid Chinese visa, are going to China and are accompanied by the representative – a guide and/or driver – without needing a permit. For trekking in the zone, however, a permit is necessary!)

Border permits can take some time to arrange – so it is best to try and obtain them in advance. Your tour company should be able to arrange this for you.

There are also a few closed zones to which Foreigners are not allowed.

FESTIVALS

One website says that Kyrgyzstan is not particularly well endowed when it comes to festivals. Whereas this is true, it is perhaps a little misleading. The Kyrgyz enjoy a celebration and many festivals and other events can be arranged at short notice. The Chabana, for example, which is featured in the Lonely Planet Guide as an event well worth visiting is a harvest festival which can be organized locally at very short notice. It is sometimes difficult to know what is going to happen and where.

Here is a list of Festivals

QUESTIONAIRES

In 2004, it was decided that every person entering the country would be asked to complete a short form – to enable the authorities to collate statistics about the number of tourists, etc.

It is hoped that the form will be simple (and quick) to complete.

It is in three languages – Kyrgyz, Russian and English.

SILK ROAD LODGE

Prices

We review our prices annually in line with inflation and competitive developments.  In fact, we have managed to maintain prices for a period of two years at a time – changing our prices only twice since the hotel opened in August 2000, (first in 2002 and then in 2004), each time giving two months notice of the change to clients.

As the result of our current review we have decided to make changes some changes in our prices and pricing policy. 

Inflation
Since the hotel opened, the rate of inflation in the Kyrgyz Republic has varied from 2.1% to 6.9% - with an average of just over 4%.   Since the hotel opened in 2000, the cumulative effect of inflation to the end of 2005 is 22%, and as a result the purchasing power of the US dollar/Kyrgyz som has fallen to just 82 cents/tyiyn.

Exchange Rate uncertainties.
Ever since the hotel opened in August 2000, prices in the Silk Road Lodge have been quoted in US Dollars.  The reasons for this are that

• many of our clients are international organizations or
• companies which seek to have a price in an international currency which they can easily understand and compare to prices elsewhere, and
• the fact that a large number of clients pay us by Credit Card and our bankers process credit card transactions in US dollars.

The majority of our guests settle their bills in US dollars.  The majority of our expenses, however, are incurred locally in Kyrgyz Som.  Since the hotel opened in 2000, the value of the US dollar compared to the som has fallen considerably, (by 15%, from 46.9581 som to 39.8536), and if we are to meet our rising costs, whilst maintaining our facilities and level of service, then we need to raise prices accordingly.

When the combined effect of inflation and exchange rate differences are considered, however, then our prices are considerably lower than they were in 2000, even after these price rises will take effect.

As a result of our annual review we have decided to increase our dollar price to the following, (with effect from 01/01/07):

These increases, (of USD10 per room), is an average of 10% on the current prices. 

Switch to Euros as basis of pricing.  
We have now decided, therefore, that as well as introducing price rises to we will change our pricing policy from US dollars to Euro. 

For those clients, however, who wish to be quoted prices in US dollars, or Som, we will be happy to do so, converting at the official exhange rate of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic on the day.

The increases are very modest and amount, on average to an increase from last year’s prices of 10%.   

The result of the annual review mentioned above is to increase our dollar price to the following, with effect from 01/01/07

(The new Euro prices shown to the right are the new dollar prices converted at the exchange rate USD1=EUR1.28 and are the prices that we will apply as from January 1st, 2007.) 

As at present, we will accept payment in either: Euro, US Dollars or Kyrgyz Som, converted at the relevant exchange rate of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan on the day.

Where requested or required by law, we will continue to quote prices also in dollars and soms but the only change is that we will from now on do so on any day by reference to the Euro values above.  

Clients may pay with banknotes in Euros, USD$ or soms but at present, (due to the banking system), can only pay by credit card in USD$. 

Since the exchange rate may vary from day to day, the relevant exchange rate for the client will be that in force at the time of payment, (usually on the day of check-out), at the relevant Accounting Exchange Rate on that day established by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic.  However, clients who wish to pay by credit card (and will therefore be charged in US dollars as that is currently the only in which the banks can process such transactions), or who wish to pay using US Dollar Travellers’ Cheques or in US Dollars, may choose to pay on the day of arrival.

Where discounts are offered to regular high-volume clients these will continue at the same percentage rate based on the Euro values stated above.

Please contact us if you have any questions.  We look forward to your continued patronage.

Exchange rates and method of payment

Dear Guest,

Prices

Our internal method of accounting uses the Euro as the basis of our prices.  Our prices are displayed in Euro, and bills will be issued in Euro. 

As required by law, however, receipts have to be written in Kyrgyz Som and therefore we convert the sum at the exchange rate established by the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan at the time of payment. 

Also, an official VAT invoice has to be in soms and so we convert the sum from Euro to Kyrgyz som at the exchange rate established by the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan at the time the invoice is issued.

Method of payment

You may pay your bill:

• with banknotes in Euros, US Dollars or Kyrgyz Som, or
• with travellers’ cheques in US dollars, or
• by bank transfer in Euro, US Dollars, (from abroad) or in Kyrgyz Som, (within the Kyrgyz Republic), or
• by credit card (Visa, MasterCard) and American Express, however, our bankers can, (at the moment), only process these transactions in US dollars.

Exchange rates

If you want to pay by credit card or in USD$, then for simplicity and in order to protect you from exchange rate movements, you may wish to pay for your room when you arrive.  This will mean that the room price (in Euros) will be converted at the exchange rate of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan which applies on that day. 

If you do decide to pay on arrival, and for some reason need to checkout earlier than planned, then we will issue the appropriate refund, converted at the exchange rate of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan which applies on that day.