Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan border via the Kyzyl-Art Pass

Hi there, My departure is slowly approaching, and now that I’ve got my Russian visa sorted, I’m fine-tuning the rest of my trip to Tajikistan. Since the Tajik visa is no longer required for stays under 30 days (for French nationals), I’ll need to visit the Ministry of Interior (OVIR) to register within 10 days of entering the country. No big deal, though, since I had to go there anyway to apply for my GBAO permit. 😉 However, I’ve *seen* several reports from travelers (mostly motorized) mentioning that you need an entry permit for Kyrgyzstan, which has to be arranged in advance at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) in Dushanbe. Otherwise, you’re *stuck* at the Kyzyl-Art border (with no Wi-Fi, of course, to try and sort it out). The most recent report was from a year ago, so I’d love to know if this is still the case and if it’s indeed at the Kyrgyz Ministry (consulate?) where you need to go for this pre-authorization. Does anyone have any recent info on this? Thanks in advance!

Hi,

We traveled from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan in the summer of 2024. I’m checking our travel journal to see if we have any info for crossing in the other direction. I’ll get back to you if we find anything. Happy planning!

Thanks, that’s cool. Just so you know, in the Kyrgyzstan-to-Tajikistan direction, this "issue" doesn’t come up. 😕

Good evening I just saw this on the French government website... not great...

Where are you in the upper Jura?

Hi Perju,

Yeah, I saw that latest update on the government website, but you shouldn’t believe everything the French government says According to them, you shouldn’t go to Russia either... Or Iran, Iraq, Pakistan (and plenty of other countries), and yet... Actually, the border (I’m talking about the Kyzyl-Art one—can’t speak for the others) is closed to Tajik and Kyrgyz citizens but not to foreign travelers. For a while now, the .gouv.fr site has been saying the border is closed to all travelers, but it reopened to foreigners in 2023 (2022???)—I can’t remember where I read that because I’ve been browsing so many sites while planning this trip over the past year that I don’t recall which one it was.😕 Besides, LESCS mentioned they crossed it in summer 2024 🙂 and I’ve followed several people on YouTube who crossed last summer (2024) without any issues. The border wasn’t closed to them—it was just that prior authorization from the Kyrgyz government that wasn’t very clear, and I wanted to see if I could get more recent info. Just to be safe, I’ll check on-site when I’m in Dushanbe. I also read that a local travel agency could handle the authorization for a fee, of course...

To answer your first question, I’m no longer in the Jura. I was there when I signed up for VF, but since then, I’ve "moved down" to the Pays de Gex, just 10 minutes from Geneva. Actually, I think we’re kind of "neighbors"—in one of your many posts (after all these years I’ve "known" you on VF ), you mentioned you were from Haute-Savoie, right? If you’d like to grab a drink one of these days, it’d be a real pleasure to meet up and chat "in person" about all our travels.

Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Border

You need an authorization from the Ministry of Tourism to cross the border zone on the Kyrgyz side. Agencies for the border permit and the GBAO (for certain areas of Tajikistan): • Destination Pamir, Erali, +996 707 760 657, destinationpamir@gmail.com • Destination Osh, Abdulkadyr Aliev, +996 776 770 090 destination.osh@gmail.com, destination.osh.azamat@gmail.com, +996 559 770 032 / +996 776 770 096 / +996 555 770 096 • Visit Alay, https://visitalay.com/, Aziret, +996 556 007 030, oshtours@gmail.com

We went through Erali (Destination Pamir). We paid per person: 15 € for border registration and 30 € for the GBAO.

Hi there,

Thanks a lot, LESCS, for all this info. But I’m not sure if I’m mistaken or not—all this info seems to be about Kyrgyzstan. I’m traveling in the TD/KG direction, so I’ll need to get this authorization in Dushanbe. (I say Dushanbe because that’s where I’ll be, but maybe it’s also possible in Khorog or another city...) I’ll keep digging in the meantime, hoping someone who’s traveled TD/KG might chime in. You never know... I’ll also take this opportunity to repeat my “invitation”—if any motorcyclist wants to join me on this trip, it’d be a pleasure! I’m planning to leave France around mid-May. Have a great day, everyone! Spring is starting to show its face... that’s awesome! 😎

Erali can give you the details since he has an agency in both Tajikistan (TJ) and Kyrgyzstan (KG). He’s figured out how to handle border constraints. You can pick up your documents either in Dushanbe, Khorog, or Murghab.

When we met him in Osh, he’d just gone to pick up two cyclists at the Kyzyl-Art Pass—he’d prepared all the paperwork they needed to cross between TJ and KG. Erali speaks English, so you can contact him; he’s really helpful. Since he makes his living from tourism, he stays up-to-date on all the required documents and procedures.

Oh, that’s awesome! :) I’ll save Erali’s number for now. Can we communicate with him via WhatsApp? If so, I can already reach out before leaving to sort things out, even if I don’t have exact dates to give him yet. You also mentioned paying 30 € for the GBAO—does he handle getting that permit for you too? That way, no need to go to the OVIR... 😛

Erali’s number is his WhatsApp. Erali provided us with all the documents, so no need to waste time at the Ovir. Contact him quickly so you know what to expect.

For Tajikistan, remember to bring a scarf to cover your nose and mouth for the Pamir section. An air filter in your panniers will be a lifesaver after riding through Tajikistan. The dust on the tracks has the same grain size as a bag of cement. You’ll find *a lot* of dust between Kalaikhoum and Khorog, and you’ll probably spend hours waiting by the roadside due to construction. The best tip is to tackle this section on a Sunday. Safe travels and good prep!

What bike are you riding? I’m a biker with a 1200GS.

Erali’s phone is his WhatsApp. Erali provided us with all the documents, so no need to waste time at the OVIR. Contact him quickly so you know what to expect.

For Tajikistan, think about bringing a scarf to cover your nose and mouth for the Pamir section. An air filter in your panniers will be a lifesaver after riding through Tajikistan. The dust particle size on the tracks is identical to a bag of cement. You’ll find *a lot* of dust between Kalaikhoum and Khorog, and you’ll likely spend hours waiting by the roadside due to construction. The best tip is to tackle this section on a Sunday. Safe travels with your prep!

What bike are you riding? I’m a biker with a 1200GS.

I spoke too soon when I said I wouldn’t need to go to the OVIR—turns out I *will* have to register there since I’m not getting an e-visa. But for everything else, I’ll probably use Erali’s services. I’ve got the scarf covered. The air filter was already on my list of spare parts I’m bringing. Smart idea to do the Kalaikhoum/Khorog stretch on a Sunday, but the problem is I’d really like to check out the market in Ishkashim on the Afghan side of the bridge (if it’s still there) just to meet some Afghans and say I set foot in Afghanistan ;) (well, not *really* in Afghanistan, but at least half of it 😏). Doesn’t really line up if I have to do the Kalaikhoum/Khorog stretch on a Sunday :/ From what I remember, that market only happens on Saturdays. I’ll figure it out when I get there... For this trip, I’ll be on a Ténéré 700.

According to the latest news from Murgab, it seems that relations between the two countries are improving and there could be changes at the borders starting from Nowruz, March 21st. Also, the Tajik/Kunduz border is now open to motorcyclists and tourists not traveling through agencies.

According to the latest news from Murgab, it seems relations between the two countries are improving, and there may be changes at the borders starting from Nowruz, March 21. Also, the Tajik/Kunduz border is now open to motorcyclists and tourists not traveling through agencies.

Good news, good news... If only for the Tajiks and Kyrgyz. May they come and go as they used to...

Hi Halodujura,

Hope your trip to Tajikistan and crossing the border into Kyrgyzstan went smoothly! I’m planning to do the exact same route as you in about a month and a half with my boyfriend, and I have to admit we’re a bit lost about the documents needed to cross that famous Kyzyl-Art point. Besides the GBAO permit, what else did you need to have with you?

Thanks in advance for your help! !

Hello Halodujura,

Hope your trip to Tajikistan and crossing the border into Kyrgyzstan went smoothly! I’m planning to do the exact same route as you in a month and a half with my boyfriend, and I’ll admit we’re a bit lost about the documents needed to cross that famous Kyzyl-Art point. Besides the GBAO permit, what else did you need to have with you?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi Maryacrs,

First off, sorry for the late reply—I haven’t been on VF much lately. Unfortunately, I can’t help you with that because I didn’t go any further than Kazakhstan. After the Mangystau desert, I was planning to enter Uzbekistan through the only border in the west of the country, but I found out (only the night before!) that this border was closed for renovations until September!!! (we were early June ) The only way to enter Uzbekistan would’ve been to take a detour of almost 3,000 km (!!!) to find an open customs post. Given that this “detour” would’ve been my return route—and, according to locals, the roads were pretty “beat-up”—I decided to save it for another time. Especially since what I wanted to do in Uzbekistan (southern Aral Sea, Khiva, Bukhara...) would’ve meant even more back-and-forth trips of hundreds of kilometers. Long story short, it really messed up my plans... But for your question about documents, you should be able to figure it out pretty easily with all the info LESCS shared with everyone in this same post.

Safe travels if you decide to go in a few weeks.