Last updated on 3 November 2026
A local SIM in Kyrgyzstan costs 500 som (about €5.13) for 4 weeks of unlimited data at O!, or 330 som as a new customer, and with it you register your phone’s IMEI within 30 days for another 500 som. The POVNOMAD Kyrgyzstan eSIM starts at €1.90 for 1 GB over 7 days and runs in roaming, which the registration portal imei.kg exempts. As of 30 October 2026.
For heavy use the local SIM is cheaper: unlimited data plus registration come to about €10.26, our 10 GB plan costs €10.90. For a week with a few gigabytes the eSIM costs less, and you skip both registrations.
Local SIM, travel eSIM or roaming: what is the difference in Kyrgyzstan?
| Local SIM (O! All unlimited 500) | Travel eSIM (POVNOMAD) | Roaming on your home contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 500 som (€5.13) for 4 weeks, 330 som (€3.39) for the first three fees | €1.90 for 1 GB/7 days, €4.90 for 3 GB/15 days, €10.90 for 10 GB/30 days | Kyrgyzstan is outside EU roaming, your provider sets its own rates |
| What you need | passport from any country; the number is registered to you | eSIM-capable, unlocked phone | roaming enabled on your contract |
| IMEI registration | within 30 days of the first connection: 500 som (€5.13), later 1,000 som | not needed, roaming is exempt | not needed, roaming is exempt |
| Kyrgyz number | yes | no, data only; WhatsApp and Telegram run over data | your home number |
| Hotspot | 10 GB per period at no extra cost | yes | depends on your contract |
| Network | O! | Beeline 4G according to the product page | partner network of your provider |
As of 30 October 2026. O! prices from o.kg, IMEI fees from imei.kg, POVNOMAD prices from the Kyrgyzstan product page. Converted at €1 = 97.46 som (National Bank of Kazakhstan rates of 30 October 2026 for the euro and the som, crossed over the tenge).
How much does a SIM card cost in Kyrgyzstan?
O!, run by NUR Telecom, addresses visitors directly. In a notice of 15 July 2026 it writes that foreigners can activate service with a passport from any country. The eSIM is registered entirely online in the My O! app, but it switches on only once your phone connects to a network in Kyrgyzstan. A physical SIM is sold in O!Store shops and by O! promoters.
| O! All unlimited 500 (prepaid) | Included | Price | in euros |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular fee, 4 weeks | unlimited data at maximum speed, 100 minutes to other networks, calls and texts inside O! free, 10 GB for hotspot | 500 som | €5.13 |
| First three fees for new customers | same | 330 som | €3.39 |
Source: o.kg, All unlimited 500, retrieved 30 October 2026. O! may reduce speeds at peak load in the network or at your cell, including under a fair-use policy. The page names no fixed threshold. Euro amounts at €1 = 97.46 som.
O! also requires the number itself to be registered. If you do not register it within 30 days of activation, O! keeps the number reserved for 20 som a day.
Compare that with travel eSIMs bought before departure, as of 30 October 2026:
| Plan | POVNOMAD | Airalo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | €1.90 (7 days) | €6.00 (3 days) |
| 3 GB | €4.90 (15 days) | €14.00 (7 days) |
| 5 GB, 30 days | €6.90 | €21.50 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | €10.90 | €35.00 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | €15.90 | €44.50 |
| Unlimited, 7 days | – | €25.50 (3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbit/s) |
Read on 30 October 2026 on povnomad.com and airalo.com/de/kyrgyzstan-esim (EUR view). “–” = no such plan. POVNOMAD sells data plans only for Kyrgyzstan; a plan ends when its data is used up.
Do you have to register your phone’s IMEI in Kyrgyzstan?
With a Kyrgyz SIM, yes. The official portal imei.kg says that under a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers all mobile devices must be registered by IMEI. You register “within 30 days from the first connection to the network of the Kyrgyz Republic operator”. The fee is 500 som including taxes, for citizens and foreigners alike. After 30 days it doubles to 1,000 som.
A foreign SIM is exempt. In the words of imei.kg: “If you are using roaming, you do not need to register.” A travel eSIM connects in roaming, so your phone needs no registration.
Foreigners register with their passport number and a photo of the passport; dual-SIM phones pay once per device, not per IMEI. imei.kg allows two devices per person and year.
Source: imei.kg, English version, read on 30 October 2026.
Will you have signal in the mountains?
We cannot answer that with data. O! states coverage of 99.8 percent of the country’s populated areas. That figure covers villages and towns, not passes, high valleys or trekking routes, and we found no published coverage figure for those. Our eSIM uses Beeline 4G according to the product page, and the product page itself warns that coverage in remote regions may be limited.
Before a trek, save offline maps on your phone. Where no mast reaches, neither a local SIM nor an eSIM gets a signal.
When is the eSIM the better choice, and when is it not?
On a week in Bishkek and at Issyk-Kul with 3 GB, the eSIM costs €4.90 and you skip two registrations: the number with O! and the phone with imei.kg. Coming from Almaty? Two country eSIMs with 3 GB for 15 days each cost €9.80 together; our Kazakhstan SIM card guide explains the rules there, and the Uzbekistan SIM card guide covers the third country of the region. Our Global eSIM covers all three on one profile, from €21.90 for 3 GB over 30 days. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi (instructions for iPhone and Android).
The O! SIM is the better deal in these cases:
- You use more than 10 GB. O! charges €5.13 for 4 weeks of unlimited data; even with the IMEI fee you pay about €10.26, our 20 GB plan costs €15.90.
- You need a Kyrgyz number. O! says its number works for verification in local taxi, banking and delivery apps.
- You want to share data: O! includes 10 GB for hotspot per period.
This guide is also available in German.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a SIM card cost in Kyrgyzstan?
O! charges 500 som (about €5.13) for 4 weeks of unlimited data on All unlimited 500; new customers pay 330 som (€3.39) for the first three periods. As of 30 October 2026, at €1 = 97.46 som.
Do I need to register my phone’s IMEI in Kyrgyzstan?
With a Kyrgyz SIM, yes. imei.kg sets a deadline of 30 days from the first connection and a fee of 500 som, which doubles to 1,000 som after that. As of 30 October 2026.
Does a travel eSIM need IMEI registration in Kyrgyzstan?
No. imei.kg says phones in roaming with a foreign operator’s SIM need no registration. A travel eSIM connects in roaming. As of 30 October 2026.
Can I buy a Kyrgyz eSIM before I arrive?
You can register an O! eSIM online with your passport in the My O! app. According to O!’s notice of 15 July 2026, it activates only after your phone connects to a network in Kyrgyzstan.
Is a local SIM cheaper than an eSIM in Kyrgyzstan?
From about 10 GB on, yes. O! with IMEI registration comes to about €10.26 for 4 weeks of unlimited data, the POVNOMAD eSIM to €10.90 for 10 GB. Below that the eSIM costs less, for example €4.90 for 3 GB over 15 days.
Which network does the POVNOMAD Kyrgyzstan eSIM use?
Beeline 4G according to the product page, with data exit in Poland. Hotspot is included. You see the network in use in the POVNOMAD app after purchase. As of 30 October 2026.
How do I know if these prices are still current?
We read every price on 30 October 2026 on o.kg, imei.kg, povnomad.com and airalo.com. O! charges in som, so the euro amount changes with the exchange rate. Check the operator’s page before you buy.
Last updated on 30 October 2026. Prices read on that day on o.kg, imei.kg, povnomad.com and airalo.com; exchange rates of the National Bank of Kazakhstan of 30 October 2026. Prices and rules may change at any time.