Prohibited Items for Export from Kyrgyzstan

Prohibited Items for Export from Kyrgyzstan

Cultural values that may not be exported (or shipped) from the Kyrgyz Republic include:

• Items protected by the state and listed in national registers and protection lists.

• Objects recognized as having artistic, historical, or other cultural significance in accordance with the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic.

• Items permanently stored in state and municipal museums, archives, libraries, or other public cultural repositories of the Kyrgyz Republic.

• Objects associated with historical events, societal or governmental development, or with the lives and activities of prominent individuals.

• Components and fragments of architectural, historical, artistic, or monumental heritage sites.

• Artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations or as accidental finds.

• Icons and religious items made before the mid-19th century, and unique objects of any era made of gold, platinum, or natural precious stones (diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, pearl, alexandrite) that are over 50 years old.

Cultural Values Requiring a Permit for Export (Shipping) from the Kyrgyz Republic

• Sculptures, paintings, and graphic artworks from any country made over 50 years before the export date (including sketches, studies, watercolors, drawings, engravings, bookplates, etc.).

• Miniatures on wood, metal, bone, paper, and other materials older than 50 years.

• Decorative and applied artworks, including traditional folk crafts and artisan works.

• Unique stone objects over 50 years old.

• Unique and rare postage stamps and blocks.

• Domestic and foreign coins and coin collections made of precious or non-precious metals, and paper money issued before or including 1960 that hold collectible value.

• Domestic and foreign orders, medals, badges of honor, and commemorative medals.

• All types of cold or firearms (domestic or foreign) that are 50 years old or older.

• Artistic, household, and scientific instruments (e.g., clocks, barometers, scales, binoculars, telescopes), artistic furniture, books, clothing, footwear, and musical instruments created more than 50 years prior to the date of export.

• Ethnographic collections and items.

• Specimens and collections in zoology, botany, mineralogy, and paleontology.

• Archival documents in any format.

• Printed works that are rare examples of artistic design, illustration, and printing.

• Printed works considered biographical rarities.

• First editions and best lifetime publications by prominent figures in public life, science, and culture.

Wildlife and Plant Items

Transportation of items from the animal and plant world listed in the Red Book of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as their derivatives (e.g., hides, souvenirs made from bones or other materials of rare animals), is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 3 to 7 years with confiscation of property.

Weapons

The following are not considered cold weapons:

• Special-purpose sports and tourist knives

• Hunting knives

• Decorative items and souvenirs

A knife is considered a household tool (not a weapon) if it meets certain criteria:

• No distinct sharp tip; the tip may be rounded or replaced with another tool, preventing stabbing injuries.

• The tip of the blade is positioned more than 5 mm above the spine line for blades up to 180 mm in length.

• The tip is at least 10 mm above the midline of the spine when the blade length exceeds 180 mm.

• The blade has a curved shape, particularly if the spine is concave by more than 5 mm with a total blade length not exceeding 180 mm.

• The spine is concave by at least 10 mm when the blade length exceeds 180 mm. A good example is a utility or camping knife of the "kukri" type.

• The blade features a skinning tool in the form of a sharpened hook on the spine, located no further than one-third of the distance from the tip of the blade.

• The blade length is less than 90 mm.

• The edge (single-edged, one-and-a-half-edged, or double-edged) is ground at an angle of 70 degrees or more.

• The average thickness of the blade exceeds 5 mm.

• There is no sharpened edge or cutting edge on the ground bevels. This principle can be clearly seen in tools like chisels.

• The total length of the handle is less than 70 mm. A typical example would be push daggers with T-shaped or L-shaped handles.

• The difference between the minimum handle width (at the pommel) and the maximum width (at the middle section) does not exceed 8 mm.

• If there are multiple finger grooves or guards, their depth and height must each be less than 4 mm.

• The blade hardness is less than 25 HRC.

• The blade is notched.

• The blade is made of non-durable materials that cannot provide sufficient rigidity (e.g., plastic, aluminum).

• The knife has low structural strength, making it unsuitable for combat purposes, particularly for thrusting or slashing strikes.

• A single finger groove or guard does not exceed 5 mm in size.