Kyrgyzstan Tightening Screws On Imported Vehicles

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, October 1. The Kyrgyz government has thrown a wrench in the works with tough new rules for a certain group of legalized foreign vehicles, effectively keeping them under lock and key within the country to put the brakes on their re-export, especially to Russia, Trend reports.

A decree signed by Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev establishes a series of restrictions, effective October 1, for vehicles registered with Kyrgyz license plates bearing the region code "10." These cars, which were legalized under a special amnesty program, now face a ban on:

Alienation (sale or gifting);

Export outside of Kyrgyzstan;

Transferring the right to drive to another person

The transfer of driving rights is permitted only in exceptional, legally-documented circumstances, such as to a spouse or child following the owner's death, or to a family member or court-appointed guardian if the owner is declared legally incapacitated.

This crackdown targets a specific window of legalization. The government's program, which ran from April 1 to September 30, 2025, under a presidential decree by Sadyr Japarov, only applied to vehicles imported into the country before December 31, 2024. Cars brought in after that date are ineligible for registration, leaving their owners to choose between re-exporting them, dismantling them for parts, or scrapping them. The program did not apply to temporarily imported vehicles owned by foreign citizens.

In a final rush to meet the deadline, all regional offices of the State Center for Vehicle and Driver Registration extended their hours, accepting applications until midnight on September 30. As of the morning of September 30, a total of 26,648 vehicles with foreign plates had been registered under the scheme.

The new restrictions are a direct response to Kyrgyzstan's role as a conduit for the re-export of foreign cars, particularly to Russia. This practice gained traction due to two primary economic factors:

Significant Price Disparity: The cost of a car that cleared customs in Kyrgyzstan was approximately 30% lower than the price of the same model sold by official dealers in Russia. This created a lucrative arbitrage opportunity.

Access to Departed Brands: The scheme allowed for the acquisition of new foreign cars from brands that have exited the Russian market since the imposition of international sanctions.

Russia has taken notice of this trade flow. In April of last year, it adjusted recycling fees for Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries, a move aimed at narrowing the price gap for officially sold cars in Russia and bolstering demand for its domestic automotive industry.

The scale of this trade is substantial. According to the analytical agency "Autostat," Russia imported 149,300 new passenger cars in the first half of 2025. Of these, 8,604 units originated from Kyrgyzstan, making it the second-largest source for new car imports to Russia after China. The new Kyrgyz regulations are designed to sever this supply channel.

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