Bakhaidir Buakhanovich Khasanbaev, head of the Uzbek Ethnocultural Association in the Merken District of the Zhambyl Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, shared with VB.KG information about the problems related to the new rules for the stay of citizens of Kazakhstan in the Kyrgyz Republic, which came into effect on September 1, 2025. According to him, he receives numerous appeals from citizens, and he believes it is important to draw the attention of government agencies, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Border Service, the State National Security Committee, the Government, and the Jogorku Kenesh, to this situation. The existing procedure for calculating the duration of stay causes confusion: data from the automated system does not match manual calculations, which negatively affects people's lives and their businesses.
According to official information from the Border Service of the State National Security Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, the rules that came into effect on September 1, 2025, approved by the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of the KR No. 541 dated October 10, 2023, limit the stay of citizens of Kazakhstan in Kyrgyzstan to 90 days within a 180-day period. The countdown begins from the first day of entry, starting from the moment the rules came into effect.
Despite the fact that the new rules were adopted back in 2023, their actual implementation began only on September 1, 2025, which has been repeatedly confirmed by official clarifications from border guards.
However, since December 2025, there have been cases of refusal of entry to citizens of Kazakhstan at some border points for reasons not corresponding to the new norms. For example, at the "Chaldovar - road" checkpoint, border guards began counting the duration of stay from October 10, 2023 (the date of the resolution's adoption), rather than from September 1, 2025, when the rules came into effect.
As a result, citizens receive acts of refusal stating that their duration of stay allegedly exceeds 200, 300, and even 400 days, which is impossible under the "90/180" rule. Even in the case of gross violations, the duration of exceeding cannot be more than 180 days, which indicates a failure in the program's algorithm, rather than real violations by individuals.
Manual recalculation shows that the actual stay of citizens in the KR since September 1, 2025, often amounts to only 15-20 days, which fully complies with the law. The situation became particularly critical during the New Year holidays for the following reasons:
many residents of border areas have relatives on both sides of the border;
numerous Kazakhs study at universities in Kyrgyzstan;
citizens cannot cross the border despite the absence of violations.
The problem is widespread and undermines trust in law enforcement practices. Despite attempts to explain the situation on the ground, no changes have occurred. In this regard, Bakhaidir Khasanbaev decided to appeal to the competent authorities of the KR with a request to:
pay attention to the established practice;
initiate a check on the functionality of the software;
ensure uniform application of the rules;
protect the legal rights of citizens of Kazakhstan.
Some cases have become possible thanks to the assistance of senior border service officials who conducted manual recalculations. However, these are only isolated examples, while hundreds of people cross the border daily, and automated calculations are applied without the possibility of operational verification.
Examples of specific cases:
Case 1. Dina Karimzhanova. Received a refusal on 17.12.2025. Actual stay from 01.09.2025 - 45 days. The act states: 405 days. Dina works at the hospital in the village of Andas Batyr (RK), and her family lives in Kara-Balta (KR). Due to the error, she could not get home to her children for a long time. Only after public intervention was she allowed to pass.
Case 2. Furhatjan Ruzaev. Received a refusal on 13.12.2025. Actual stay - 13 days. The act states: 201 days. The citizen could not visit his elderly parents in the KR during the holidays.
Case 3. Karima Karimova. Received a refusal on 16.12.2025. Actual stay - 5 days. The act states: 99 days. Instead of explanations, the woman faced threats of deportation. It later turned out that she had not violated any rules.
Case 4. Zarina Janabatyrova. Received a refusal on 14.12.2025. Actual stay - 15 days. The act states: 108 days. She also could not reach her relatives in time.
Case 5. Davran Mirsalimov. Student at MUIT (Bishkek). At the time of crossing the border, he had 96 days of stay (including studies), but was not informed about the new rules. As a result, he missed the session and could not enter the country to continue his studies.
We draw attention to the situation, as it directly affects the lives and well-being of people.
From the editorial office: Indeed, the discrepancies between manual and computer calculations raise concerns. There is likely an error in the program's algorithm. These failures create tension for families, and people cannot reach their loved ones. We hope for a swift resolution of the situation, as friendly relations between our countries are built on human connections.
