The head of the President's Office, Kanaybek Tumanbaev, announced that starting from January 1, 2026, there will be no more private driving schools in Kyrgyzstan. This statement was made during the presentation of new biometric passports, the introduction of which is aimed at improving control in the area of driver's licenses and vehicle registration documents.
According to Tumanbaev, the president has tasked the government with bringing order to this area. Previously, many citizens obtained their licenses without undergoing the necessary training; however, now the process will be fully digitized.
Starting in 2026, a new subject—driving—will be included in the 11th-grade educational program. Students, starting at the age of 16, will be able to study both theory and practice over the course of a year, undergoing training in four seasons. Upon graduation, students will receive a driver's qualification, which is expected to help reduce the number of road accidents.
Additionally, the format of technical passports has changed; they will now be issued in the form of plastic cards. All violations and fines can be tracked through the mobile application "Tündük".
- Lifelong licenses will no longer be recognized abroad. Starting in 2026, they will need to be replaced with new documents indicating their validity period. In the future, all driver's licenses will be issued with a limited duration, - emphasized Tumanbaev.
He also noted that the new biometric passport was developed over the course of a year due to the increasing cases of document forgery in recent years. The new passport features unique protective layers, making it nearly impossible to counterfeit.
On the pages of the new passport, seven regions of Kyrgyzstan are depicted. The new ID cards are being produced at the "Uchkun" factory. By the decree of President Sadyr Japarov, the state enterprise "Unaa" is now under the jurisdiction of the President's Office.
Tumanbaev added that the State Enterprise "Kyzmat" continues the digitalization of public services, which has allowed vehicle registration and car sales transactions to be moved online through the "Tündük" application.
The State Enterprise "Unaa" plans to build a new building and a driving range where comprehensive training and testing of drivers will take place.
During the event, the following were demonstrated:
• the handing out of passports to the first recipients;
• samples of new documents;
• presentation of protection and personalization technologies;
The event was attended by:
1. Kanaybek Tumanbaev, head of the President's Office of the Kyrgyz Republic;
2. Azamat Japarov, director of the State Enterprise "Kyzmat" under the President's Office of the Kyrgyz Republic;
3. Bakytbek Sultanov, general director of the Open Joint-Stock Company "Uchkun" under the President's Office of the Kyrgyz Republic.
