Some of the best places on a self-drive trip in Kyrgyzstan — Kel-Suu Lake, the Lenin Peak base camp, the abandoned Soviet town of Enilchek on the way to the Inylchek Glacier — lie inside official border zones. To enter them you need a border zone permit (propusk) issued by the Kyrgyz State Border Service.
The permit gives access to these areas inside Kyrgyzstan; it is not permission to cross the border. AYDO cars may only be driven within Kyrgyzstan. It is also a separate document from your visa: even visa-free travellers need one, and without it you will be turned back at the military checkpoint.
Do you need a border permit?
Only if your route goes into a border zone. These are remote areas along the borders with China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The main roads and the most visited places — Issyk-Kul, Karakol, Son-Kul, Naryn, Tash Rabat and the road to Osh — are outside the zones and need no permit.
Permits are handled by our partner – Travel Land
AYDO rents cars – we don’t issue permits ourselves. Instead we work with Travel Land, a licensed Kyrgyz tour operator and our long-standing, reliable partner. They handle border permits as a dedicated service, deal with the Border Service paperwork every day and take care of our clients’ applications from start to finish.
- Apply online — about 5 minutes, from anywhere in the world: your travel dates, passport details and a passport scan for every traveller.
- Pay online. English-speaking support helps you at every step.
- Wait 14 days while the State Border Service processes the application.
- Collect the original permit at Travel Land’s office in Bishkek right before you start your trip.
Border zones and places that need a permit
| Region | Places inside the border zone |
|---|---|
| Chui | Chon-Kemin Valley |
| Issyk-Kul | Karkara Valley; the Sary-Jaz Valley with the Enilchek ghost town, the Kara-Tash hot springs, the Inylchek Glacier and the approach to Khan Tengri |
| Naryn | Kel-Suu Lake, the Arpa plateau, Chatyr-Kul Lake and the road to the Torugart pass |
| Osh | The Lenin Peak base camp at Achik-Tash, Sary-Mogol, the road south of Sary-Tash towards the Kyzyl-Art pass (Bordobo) |
| Batken | The border areas of Batken region |
One permit covers all five zones, so there is no separate application per region — just list every area on your route when you apply.
How much does a border permit cost?
The price is per person and depends on how many travellers are on one permit:
| Travellers on one permit | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 | €49 |
| 2 | €45 |
| 3 | €40 |
| 4 | €35 |
| 5 or more | €30 |
Two people travelling together pay €45 each, €90 in total, whether they visit one zone or all five.
How long does it take?
Processing takes 14 days, counted from the moment you pay and upload the passport scans. Apply as soon as your dates are fixed; for trips in June–August we recommend applying 4–6 weeks ahead. The permit is issued for your travel dates and can cover up to 30 consecutive days.
At the checkpoint
Every traveller shows two originals: the passport and the stamped paper permit. Photos, photocopies and PDFs are not accepted. You are not crossing a state border here — the checkpoint controls entry to an area inside Kyrgyzstan.
Does the car need a permit?
No. Permits are issued for people only; the car itself needs no permit to enter a border zone.
Roads inside border zones closed to our cars
A permit lets you into the zone, but not every track inside it is open to rental cars.
Some sections are closed to AYDO cars. The full list is on the forbidden roads page.
Still choosing a car for the trip? See 4×4 car rental in Kyrgyzstan.