The Cabinet of Ministers has amended the rules governing the issuance of ID cards and ordinary passports

The Cabinet of Ministers has amended the procedure for the receipt, processing, personalisation, registration, issuance and destruction of ID cards and ordinary passports for citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

The relevant Resolution No. 651 was signed on 29 September 2026.

One of the key changes concerns the digital version of the ID card. Once a physical ID card has been personalised, a digital copy will be automatically generated. The digital ID card will have legal validity and will be deemed equivalent to the physical ID card.

The description, a sample of the digital ID card and the procedure for its creation will be approved by the competent authority responsible for population registration.

The rules for issuing passports to minors have also been clarified. When applying for a standard passport, a person under the age of 16 will require a declaration from their parents or another legal representative. In cases where parents are unable to participate in the application process, provision is made for the submission of a notarised consent form and power of attorney if the relevant data is not available in state information systems.

For citizens who have reached the age of 16, the procedure for obtaining a standard passport for the first time has been clarified. If a person wishes to obtain both a standard passport and an ID card at the same time, the list of required documents will depend on the availability of the relevant information in state information systems and the ability to submit documents in digital format via the ‘Tunduk’ app.

A separate procedure has been established for citizens aged 18 and over. When applying for the first time, a standard passport will be issued on the basis of an ID card.

The changes also concern the spelling of personal details. When completing the application form, citizens may, if they wish, specify their surname, first name and patronymic in Latin characters using a spelling that differs from the standard transliteration rules. However, such spelling must not alter the meaning or phonetics of the name.

The requirements for identity verification and biometric data have also been clarified. When processing documents, officials will verify details against state information systems, compare the person’s appearance with photographs in previously issued passports, and check for the presence of biometric data.

For individuals aged 16 and over, fingerprints from both hands will be scanned for comparison and the collection of biometric data. In the absence of one or more fingers, or both hands, a special procedure for conducting biometric verification is established.
In addition, the rules for handling documents showing signs of alteration or forgery have been amended. Upon detecting such signs, staff must immediately report this to the management of the local office and to the internal affairs authorities.

For documents issued through overseas institutions, a separate procedure is provided for recording such cases: a report is drawn up, one copy of which is sent to the authorised body responsible for foreign relations for forwarding to the law enforcement agencies of Kyrgyzstan.

The decree also sets out requirements for the storage of personalised, unclaimed and invalid passports and ID cards prior to their destruction. They must be stored in specially equipped premises that ensure the safety of the documents. Premises for storing documents intended for destruction must be dry and fitted with fire alarms.

The decree will come into force 10 days after its official publication.