Kyrgyzstan makes tourist insurance mandatory

Kyrgyzstan is to introduce mandatory insurance for tourists, requiring tour operators to arrange liability cover for every traveller, under a new Cabinet of Ministers resolution.

The measure is designed to move the financial burden of complex mountain search and rescue operations and medical evacuations from the state budget to the insurance market, while strengthening protection for visitors.

Coverage limits will depend on the type of trip. Traditional tourism, including sightseeing, cultural, educational, health, and recreational travel, will require cover of up to 3 million Kyrgyz soms (US$34,000). Adventure tourism – including mountaineering, skiing, rafting, and trekking in remote areas – will require up to 5 million soms.

Having an insurance policy will become a legal requirement for tour operators to operate.

A five- to seven-day policy is expected to cost about 3,000 soms, equivalent to roughly 400–500 soms per day. That compares with an average price of 15,000–25,000 soms for a traditional multi-day tour in Kyrgyzstan.

The new requirements come as attention grows around the risks of mountain tourism in Kyrgyzstan, home to three famous peaks above 7,000 metres. In August 2025, Russian mountaineer Natalia Nagovitsina suffered a broken leg while climbing Victory Peak and remained stranded awaiting rescue. She was declared dead in Kyrgyzstan on 2 September.

For travel insurers and assistance providers, the new rules could create opportunities in a market where high-altitude adventure tourism carries significant rescue and evacuation exposure.

Meanwhile, as diving and climbing grow in popularity in Greece, the ITIJ team recently explored whether the country’s emergency responders are being stretched too far.