VISAS

Below you will find the information necessary to complete your visa application.

AUCA provides visa support to full-time students (24 or more credits per semester).

Please be advised that students should begin the visa application procedure 30 days in advance of their arrival in the Kyrgyz Republic.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

VISA SUPPORT LETTERS

STUDENT REGISTRATION

STUDENT VISA EXTENSIONS

VISA APPLICATION FORM

VISA REQUIREMENTS

A foreign individual may enter the Kyrgyz Republic (KR) using a passport with a valid Kyrgyz visa. (Kyrgyzstan has non-visa regime agreements with some countries.) Depending on your citizenship, in order to enter the Kyrgyz Republic (KR) you will either

not need a visa to enter the country - Non-Visa Regime Countries
need a visa, but will not need a visa-support letter to receive one - Visa Regime Countries
C. need a visa and require a visa-support letter to receive one - Visa-Support Letters

Non-Visa Regime Countries
- A citizen holding a passport from one of the following countries is not required to obtain a visa to enter the Kyrgyz Republic. (Any time limits are noted in parentheses after the country.)
- Note: Although citizens of non-visa regime countries do not need visas to enter the Kyrgyz Republic, they will be required to register with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (See Registration above.).
- Note: Although citizens of non-visa regime countries do not need visas to enter the Kyrgyz Republic, for STUDY they have to obtain Kyrgyz visa in their home country or at Manas International Airport in Bishkek.
  - Armenia
  - Azerbaijan
  - Belarus
  - Cuba
  - Georgia
  - Kazakhstan
  - Malaysia (up to one month)
  - Moldova
  - Mongolia (up to three months)
  - North Korea
  - Russian Federation
  - Tajikistan
  - Turkey (up to one month)
  - Vietnam
  - Ukraine (up to three months)

Visa Regime Countries(visa-support letter is not required)
- Citizens of the following countries may apply for a visa for up to one month without a visa support. You can apply for a visa at a Kyrgyz embassy or consulate, or when you arrive at Manas International Airport in Bishkek. A single entry visa is usually valid for up to one month. To extend your visa, please check in with the Students Visa and Registration Coordinator when you arrive. (See Student Visa Extentions)
- Note: Once international student has been admitted to AUCA, the student has to apply for a “student” visa. Do not apply for a tourist, private or religious types of visa, since these types cannot be extended or changed to student visa. Below is the list of countries that may receive “student” visa up to one month without a visa-support letter at Consular Point in Manas International Airport in Bishkek:
  - Australia
  - Austria
  - Belgium
  - Bulgaria
  - Bosnia and Herzegovina
  - Canada
  - Croatia
  - Cyprus
  - Czech Republic
  - Denmark
  - Estonia
  - Finland
  - France
  - Germany
  - Greece
  - Hungary
  - Iceland
  - Ireland
  - Israel
  - Italy
  - Latvia
  - Liechtenstein
  - Lithuania
  - Luxembourg
  - Macedonia
  - Malta
  - Monaco
  - Montenegro
  - Netherlands
  - New Zealand
  - Norway
  - Poland
  - Portugal
  - Romania
  - Serbia
  - Singapore
  - Slovakia
  - Slovenia
  - South Korea
  - Spain
  - Sweden
  - Switzerland
  - United Kingdom and Northern Ireland
  - United States of America
  - Turkey

Visa-Support Letters
- Citizens of all other countries that are not within the above mentioned list of countries need a visa-support letter to receive a Kyrgyz visa. AUCA can provide a visa-support letter for you. Depending on your citizenship, it will take us from two to six weeks to process the letter.
- Notes:To study or work at AUCA, be sure to apply for a “student” or "business" visa. Do not apply for a tourist, private or religious types of visa as these visas cannot be extended.
- It takes six weeks to process a visa-support letter for citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and Iran. For all other countries, the procedure takes about two weeks.

Receiving a Visa-Support Letter

AUCA will process a visa-support letter for you at your request. Please e-mail the following information to kalyuzhina_l@auca.kg:

Passport information (name, date of birth, passport number, date of issue -- via fax; scanned copy; or e-mail).
Private information (family status, education, profession, guarantor)
Contact information (e-mail address and telephone number).
Requested starting date for the visa.
Kyrgyz embassy or consulate where you will apply for the visa.

Visa Support Letter Fee:

The fee for providing a visa-support letter will be added to the student's tuition, and is determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA):

Citizens of Asian countries, Canada, and the USA: US $20.
Citizens of EU countries: US $16.
Citizens of CIS countries: approximately US $10.
Visa-support letter sent to Manas International Airport: US $7

After you provide Student Visa and Registration Coordinator with the necessary information and fees, you will receive a number that corresponds to your visa-support letter. Please note that consideration of the documents for visa-support letter lasts for two to three weeks at MFA. Use this number when you apply for your visa. Please note that you will have to pay additional visa-processing fees at the Kyrgyz embassy or consulate where you apply for the visa.

STUDENT REGISTRATION

Whether you are required to have a visa or not to enter the country, you have to register your arrival with the Ministry of Internal Affairs or its territorial offices (except for holders of diplomatic passports). It is very important for international students to check in with the Students Visa and Registration Coordinator within 2 days of arriving in Bishkek to confirm their status and receive appropriate instructions.

STUDENT VISA EXTENSIONS

Because visa extension is time-consuming process, be sure to apply 30 days before the expiration date on your current visa by bringing your passport to the Students Visa and Registration Coordinator. For the extension, students will obtain single-entry “student” visas valid for up to one year for full time students and to six months for students of preparatory program, part time and visiting/exchange students. A “single” visa allows the holder to leave and then re-enter Kyrgyzstan only once. After you re-enter the country, you must apply for another visa extension.

Important: you must register your arrival after every re-enter the Kyrgyzstan.

The payment for visa and registration expenses should be processed through branches of RSK Bank. The fees for visa extension are set by the Government of Kyrgyz Republic in soms and are subject to change:

Visa up to three months – 1025 soms (about US $23)
Visa up to six months – 1525 soms (about US $33)
Visa up tp one year – 2525 soms (about US $55)
Registration fee – 100 soms (about US $2,5)

Notes:

Tourist, religious, private visas cannot be extended.
AUCA will not apply for visa extensions for students who have already graduated, who are in academic leave or who have been dismissed from the university.
AUCA provides visa support to full-time students (24 or more credits per semester).
There are fines for visa and registration violations. Fines for invalid visa or late registration can be as much as 1000 to 2000 soms (about US $23 - $45). Please register as required and apply for visa extensions early to avoid problems and fines.
If an international student leaves Kyrgyzstan and then comes back he/she needs to reregister with the Ministry of Internal Affairs or its territorial offices.
Please do not forget to check in with the Students Visa and Registration Coordinator within 2 days of each of your arrivals in Bishkek to confirm your status and receive appropriate instructions.