Kyrgyzstan is set to introduce mandatory insurance for tourists, requiring tour operators to provide liability coverage for every traveller visiting the country.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the new rules, which aim to shift the financial burden of costly search-and-rescue missions and mountain evacuations from the state budget to the insurance market, Qazinform reports.

Under the new system, tour operators will have to obtain an insurance policy for each tourist as a condition of legally operating in Kyrgyzstan.

Insurance coverage to reach 5 million soms

The amount of coverage will depend on the type of trip:

Up to 3 million Kyrgyz soms for traditional tourism, including sightseeing, cultural and educational, health and recreational tours.

Up to 5 million soms for adventure tourism, including mountaineering, skiing, rafting and trekking in remote areas.

A five- to seven-day policy is expected to cost about 3,000 soms, or approximately 400-500 soms per day. By comparison, a typical multi-day traditional tour in Kyrgyzstan costs between 15,000 and 25,000 soms.

Officials say the measure is intended not only to reduce financial pressure on the government but also to provide greater protection for travellers and improve safety in the country’s rapidly developing tourism sector.

The new requirements come as Kyrgyzstan faces growing attention over the dangers encountered by tourists and climbers in its high-altitude mountains.

One of the most widely reported cases involved Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsina, who suffered a broken leg while climbing Victory Peak, which rises more than 7,000 metres above sea level, in August 2025. She remained stranded on the mountain while rescue efforts were considered.

On September 2, 2026, Nagovitsina was declared dead in Kyrgyzstan.