Kyrgyz President calls for unified visa and visa-free travel in Central Asia

Sadyr Japarov has called on Central Asian republics to initiate a mutual visa-free regime and establish a regional visa for foreign visitors. This single visa would allow its holders to travel freely across all five countries in the region.

Japarov announced this idea after the long-standing border issue between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was resolved.

The Kyrgyz leader described the signing of the State Border Treaty with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon as a historic event not just for the two countries but for the entire region.

"Now, lasting peace has been established in Central Asia," Japarov declared.

He further proposed that the leaders of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan implement a mutual visa-free policy.

"For visitors from other countries, a single visa — similar to the Schengen visa — should be introduced, allowing free movement across all nations in the region," Japarov wrote.

Existing visa-free arrangements and past initiatives

Most Central Asian republics already have visa-free travel agreements for their citizens, eliminating the need for entry permits. However, Turkmenistan remains an exception.

The concept of a unified regional visa for foreign tourists was first proposed in 2018. The idea was initially put forward by Dariga Nazarbayeva, daughter of Kazakhstan’s first president Nursultan Nazarbayev. She suggested that such a visa should serve as the Asian equivalent of the Schengen visa.

In December 2018, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan announced plans to launch the "Silk Road" common visa in 2019. However, the project was never implemented.