Alimony represents financial support for needy family members, specifically, it is the money that one of the parents provides for their minor children.
Who is obligated to pay alimony, and how is it collected?
After a divorce, the parent who does not live with the child becomes obligated to pay alimony. Alimony can be collected:
- by mutual agreement of the parties;
- by court decision.
The Family Code of the Kyrgyz Republic establishes the amounts of alimony for minor children as a percentage of income:
- for one child — 1/4 of income;
- for two children — 1/3 of income;
- for three or more children — 50% of income.
To collect alimony, it is necessary to file a claim in court. The court issues an order based on which bailiffs begin the collection process.
When filing a claim, a number of documents confirming the relationship with the child must be presented:
- birth certificate;
- marriage certificate;
- copy of the applicant's passport;
- residence certificate;
- medical certificate regarding the child's health status.
In some cases, alimony may continue to be paid even after the child turns 18 if they are studying on a paid basis at an educational institution. In this case, payments continue until the age of 21.
Methods of collecting alimony
The bailiff first offers the debtor to fulfill their obligations voluntarily. Otherwise, the following measures may be applied:
- restriction on leaving the country;
- seizure of bank accounts;
- seizure of property.
Evading alimony payments is a criminal offense under Article 178 of the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan.
How many people in the country evade alimony payments?
According to the General Prosecutor's Office, 1,205 alimony debtors have been declared wanted, and as a result, enforcement proceedings against them have been temporarily suspended.
- 280 debtors were fined;
- 63 debtors were assigned to community service;
- in 244 cases, the initiation of a criminal case was refused;
- 18 materials were returned for correction of deficiencies;
- in 143 cases, the case was terminated;
- 376 materials are under consideration.
Strengthening measures against alimony non-payers
The General Prosecutor's Office is currently working on a draft law concerning the forced employment of individuals who do not pay alimony, as well as the withholding of funds from their salaries for child support.
The draft law has already received approval from deputies in the first reading in the relevant committee and includes the following measures:
- arrest for three days for alimony arrears of three months;
- arrest for seven days for repeated offenses within a year;
- for arrears of 12 months — community service from 100 to 200 hours or imprisonment for up to one year;
- for concealing income — a fine of 100,000 soms or imprisonment for up to three years.
Changes in legislation
As Masalbekova emphasized, there is no separate law regarding alimony obligations. The collection of alimony is carried out based on the law "On the Status of Bailiffs and Enforcement Proceedings." Responsibility for evading alimony payments is provided for in Article 178 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Despite the measures taken, statistics show that the alimony collection mechanism remains ineffective, and the percentage of unfulfilled decisions is still high," she added.
How is alimony collected from citizens abroad?
The collection of alimony from citizens outside Kyrgyzstan is carried out in accordance with the laws of the country in which they reside, as well as based on international agreements:
- international conventions involving Kyrgyzstan;
- CIS agreements on legal assistance;
- bilateral treaties on mutual legal assistance between judicial and investigative bodies.
Information about the debtor's income and place of work can be obtained:
- through official requests to the competent authorities of other countries;
- through international legal assistance;
- by exchanging information between migration and law enforcement agencies.
- through diplomatic channels;
- via international mail;
- using electronic communication means.
What is the statistics on obtaining legal assistance for alimony?
According to the head of the legal assistance and legal education department of the Legal Assistance Service, Aichurek Kamayeva, issues related to alimony rank second in the number of inquiries after those concerning pensions and benefits.
"In 2025, there were 3,665 inquiries regarding pensions and benefits, and 2,447 regarding alimony.
In the same year, 18,181 people received qualified legal assistance, among which 1,037 inquiries were related to alimony collection, accounting for 5.7% of the total number of those who received assistance.
This approach is aimed at protecting the rights of citizens, primarily children," she concluded.
