Kyrgyzstan: technology regulation at a glance

Framework: Law of the Kyrgyz Republic 'On Virtual Assets' No. 12 (adopted 22 Dec 2021, signed 21 Jan 2022, in force Aug 2022; amended Jul 2025, Sep 2025, Dec 2025, Feb 2026); supervised by the State Service for Regulation and Supervision of Financial Markets (FinSupervision); National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic oversees CBDC and bank-related VASP activity

Kyrgyzstan has established one of Central Asia's most permissive and actively developing crypto frameworks through its 2022 Law on Virtual Assets and a series of amendments through 2026. Crypto assets are legal, treated as civil-rights objects (property) rather than currency or securities, and operate under a dedicated licensing regime administered by FinSupervision. The country has issued more than 126 VASP licenses, launched a state-supervised gold-backed stablecoin (USDKG), and passed legislation creating a national crypto reserve, while a February 2026 presidential decree expanded executive authority over token issuance rules.

Framework: Digital Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (Chapter 23 on AI), National Council for AI Development (Cabinet of Ministers Resolution, January 2025), self-regulatory organisations (SROs)

Kyrgyzstan's parliament adopted a comprehensive Digital Code on 18 June 2025, signed into law by President Sadyr Japarov, with Chapter 23 establishing binding principles for the design, development, and application of AI systems. Rather than a standalone AI act with prescriptive government oversight, the approach deliberately delegates industry-specific AI standards, ethics, and rules to self-regulatory organisations (SROs), principally AIDA (Association of AI System Proprietors and Developers). A National AI Council was created by Cabinet resolution in January 2025 as an advisory body, and a dedicated National AI Strategy remains pending adoption.

Framework: Law of the Kyrgyz Republic 'On Personal Information' (No. 58, 2008, as amended 2021/2022); supplemented by the Digital Code (signed 2025, in force ~December 2025). Supervised by the State Agency for Personal Data Protection under the Cabinet of Ministers (dpa.gov.kg), established January 2022.

Kyrgyzstan enacted its foundational personal-data statute in 2008 (Law No. 58 'On Personal Information'), with significant amendments in 2021-2022 that strengthened rights and obligations. A dedicated supervisory body, the State Agency for Personal Data Protection, was established in January 2022 to enforce compliance and maintain a mandatory registry of data-array holders. In 2025, President Japarov signed a comprehensive Digital Code into law, adding consolidated rules on personal-data processing in digital environments, artificial intelligence systems, and telecommunications, which entered into force approximately December 2025.

Framework: Law on Payment Systems and Law on Electronic Money (Kyrgyz Republic); NBKR Board Resolutions on licensing of payment organizations, payment system operators, and e-money issuers; supervised exclusively by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR)

Kyrgyzstan operates a fully established licensing regime for digital payments and fintech under the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (NBKR), which issues separate perpetual licenses for payment organizations, payment system operators, and e-money issuers. Updated capital requirements came into force in 2025 with a transition period to January 2027, and a five-year Payment System Development Strategy (2023-2027) governs ongoing modernization. No dedicated open banking or BNPL framework has been identified; however, a CBDC pilot (Digital Som) received legal tender status by legislation in 2024 with full implementation targeted by late 2026.

Framework: Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 241 (April 30, 2025), establishing a permanent Digital Nomad status procedure, administered by the Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration via the e-gov.kg portal

Kyrgyzstan enacted a permanent Digital Nomad status regime in May 2025 (replacing a pilot program), granting ICT and tech professionals from 61 eligible countries the right to live and work without a separate work permit for up to 10 years through annual renewals. An online application platform was launched in December 2025. Citizens of visa-required countries must additionally obtain a dedicated 'DN'-type visa.

Framework: Law on Protection from False Information (2021); Law on Protection of Children from Information Harmful to their Health and Development (2023); Digital Code (adopted June 2025, in force December 2025); Mass Media Law (adopted June 2025); Presidential Decree on State Monopoly over International Internet Traffic (August 2025); State Committee for National Security (GKNB) blocking authority

Kyrgyzstan operates an increasingly restrictive internet control regime built on overlapping laws enabling rapid state-ordered content removal, platform blocking, and criminalization of online speech. A presidential decree effective August 2025 handed exclusive control of all international internet traffic to the nationalized operator ElCat for one year, giving the state direct choke-point authority over the entire internet. Freedom House rated Kyrgyzstan 'Partly Free' on internet freedom in its 2025 report, noting a continuing decline driven by detentions, platform blocks, and new restrictive legislation.

Framework: Law on Cybersecurity of the Kyrgyz Republic (No. 121, July 17, 2024); Digital Code of the Kyrgyz Republic (2025); enforced by the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) / Coordination Centre on Cybersecurity (cert.gov.kg)

Kyrgyzstan enacted a dedicated Law on Cybersecurity (No. 121) on July 17, 2024, establishing a unified legal framework covering critical information infrastructure (CII), incident notification obligations, and a coordinating cybersecurity authority under the State Committee for National Security. This was supplemented in 2025 by the adoption of the Digital Code, which consolidated digital regulation and formally recognised digital resilience as a component of national security. Implementation rules for CII were issued by Cabinet resolution in December 2024.

Framework: Law on State Registration of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs (Kyrgyz Republic); Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic (primary registrar); National Investment Agency (invest.gov.kg)

Kyrgyzstan permits 100% foreign ownership of companies in most sectors with no local partner requirement, and imposes no minimum charter capital for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), the most common business vehicle. Registration is handled digitally through the Ministry of Justice portal and can be completed remotely via power of attorney, typically within 5-10 business days, making it one of the more accessible jurisdictions in Central Asia for foreign entrepreneurs.