Citing Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry, Kyrgyz media reports said yesterday that the authorities of Kyrgyzstan decided to introduce restrictions for foreign citizens who are subject to a visa-free regime.

AKIpress reports that Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan endorsed a regulation outlining the rules of stay of foreign citizens in the country.

Firstly, the practice of repeatedly exiting and re-entering the country to extend one's stay, referred to as "visa-run" will be restricted.  

A new visa-free regime based on the 60/120 principle will be implemented. Under this scheme, for those who have a 60-day visa-free status, re-entry into Kyrgyzstan will only be allowed 60 days after their last departure. The same rule will be applied accordingly for citizens with 90-day visa-free access.

The Foreign Ministry advises foreign nationals to plan their stays well in advance and to get the necessary authorization documents if needed, without leaving the country.

The fees for exit visas will increase proportionally to the length of time a foreign citizen exceeds his/her stay period.

24kg, citing the Foreign Ministry’s statement, says: ”The ministry stresses that the changes reflect the desire of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic to ensure more effective management of migration flows and improve the overall security in the country.”