Living in Bishkek

Direct transportation between Turkey and Kyrgyzstan is provided by air. THY and PEGASUS companies have daily scheduled flights from Istanbul Atatürk and Sabiha Gökçen Airports to Bishkek Manas Airport.

Of the neighboring countries to Kyrgyzstan, only Kazakhstan (Almaty) can be used for transportation to Bishkek. For this purpose, you can travel from Istanbul to Almaty by air and from Almaty to Bishkek by land or air. The travel time from Almaty to Bishkek is approximately 3.5 hours by road and 45 minutes by air. There is no need to obtain a Kazakhstan visa for arrivals via Kazakhstan.

If you inform us of your arrival date in Bishkek by email, phone, etc., depending on the time of your flight from Istanbul to Bishkek, you will be met by our staff at Bishkek Airport and brought to the Student House to be hosted.

If there is any problem and you cannot contact our staff at Bishkek Airport: First, convert 15-20 US Dollars into Kyrgyz currency Som at the exchange office at the airport. (As of June 2025, 1 US Dollar is approximately 87 Kyrgyz Som.) The taxi fare from the airport to the University campus is approximately 12 US Dollars in Som.

Yes, the rooms in the Student Dormitory will be ready before you arrive. After you enroll at the University, you can also register at the Student Dormitory.

Yes, your first-degree relative who comes with you will be able to stay temporarily in the Student Dormitory or guesthouse if there is a vacancy.

All first-time students coming to the University from outside Kyrgyzstan are not allocated a place in the Student Dormitory. In the upper grades, you can continue to stay in the Student Dormitory in accordance with the provisions of the Directive, if you meet the points and other criteria.

No. However, we recommend our students to stay in the Student Dormitory in the first year, until they have familiarized themselves with the environment and the language.

Yes, you can rent it.

Houses in Bishkek are rented out together with their furnishings. Rents vary according to the number of rooms, the condition of the furniture inside and the neighborhood. As of 2024, house rents are around 300-400 USD for 1 bedroom houses, 400-500 USD for 2 bedroom houses and 500-600 USD for 3 bedroom houses.

This depends on your agreement with the landlord. When renting the house, you should discuss with the landlord whether such expenses will be included in the rental fee.

Individual incidents that occur in major cities of all countries may also occur in Bishkek from time to time. However, there have been no organized and systematic attacks and threats against foreign students so far.

First of all, you should have your passport or Student ID with you. You should also avoid being on the streets, in or near entertainment centers late at night. It has been observed that isolated incidents from time to time occur mostly in and around places where alcohol is consumed. In addition, it is important that students from outside the country make healthy friendships with Kyrgyzstan students and spend time together outside the country to minimize all risks.

If you stay in a student dormitory and eat in the student cafeteria, you can live on a reasonable amount of money. Depending on your lifestyle and personal expenses, the amount of money you may need in Bishkek may vary.

Debit cards and credit cards with Visa, Elektron, Maestro and MasterCard logos can be used to withdraw money from the ATMs of banks in Bishkek. You can also bring money through international money transfer organizations such as Western Union. Apart from these, you may also have the opportunity to receive your money in Bishkek in person by depositing money into their bank accounts in Turkey in consultation with the staff working at the University.

Turkish Lira is not widely used in Bishkek. We advise you not to bring Turkish Lira. However, at a few exchange offices in Bishkek and at Kyrgyz Demirbank, Turkish Lira can be exchanged for Som or US Dollars at lower rates than the market.

Weather conditions in Bishkek are typical of the continental climate.

Specialist doctors work at the University Health Center. When our students get sick, they apply to the Health Center. After the necessary examinations and analyzes, treatment is carried out. If the technical capabilities of the Health Center are insufficient for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the student is referred to other major hospitals in Bishkek.

No, you will not pay any fees to the Health Center for diagnosis, treatment and medicines available at the Center. If you are referred to public hospitals in Bishkek, you will not pay for diagnosis and treatment, but you will pay for medication. Private hospitals charge a fee.

All medicines produced and sold in international markets are available in Kyrgyzstan. However, if there is a specific medication that you need to use continuously due to a chronic illness, it may be useful to bring enough of it for the duration of your stay here.

Yes, food, ready-made clothing, etc. products produced in Turkey are widely sold in Bishkek. However, the prices of the products brought from Turkey are a bit expensive compared to Turkey.

 Yes, many restaurants in Bishkek produce and sell dishes and desserts of Turkish cuisine.