Dustlik border crossing (Andijan – Osh)

The Fergana Valley is shared by three countries, and its eastern end belongs to Kyrgyzstan. The city of Osh, one of the oldest in Central Asia, lies only a few kilometres from the Uzbek border, and its people include many Uzbeks. The crossing at Dustlik ("friendship"), south-east of Andijan, is the main route between the Uzbek valley and Osh.

For travellers, it is a key link: Osh is the starting point of the Pamir Highway to Tajikistan and the road to the mountains of southern Kyrgyzstan and to Bishkek. For an overview of all crossings, see border crossings in Central Asia.

From Andijan, the border is about 30–45 minutes by car. From Fergana or Margilan, allow about 1.5–2 hours. A taxi or private car with driver is the easiest option; see our transfer service. Shared taxis also run towards the border from Andijan. Uzbek cars normally take you only to the border.

To reach Andijan from Tashkent, see Tashkent to Andijan.

1. Uzbek exit: passport control and customs, with luggage X-ray. Keep your hotel registration slips, which may be checked, and declare large amounts of cash if required.
2. Walk across the neutral zone.
3. Kyrgyz entry: passport control and customs.

Allow 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on queues. The crossing can be busy with local traders, especially in the morning and around holidays.

Citizens of many countries can enter Kyrgyzstan visa-free for a limited stay; others can apply for an e-visa. Rules change; check for your nationality before you travel. To return to Uzbekistan, make sure your Uzbek visa or visa-free stay allows another entry. See Central Asia visas and Uzbekistan visa and entry rules.

Taxis wait after the Kyrgyz checkpoint for the short ride to Osh. Agree the fare in Kyrgyz som (different from the Uzbek som); exchange a little money at the border or use an ATM in Osh. Ride-hailing apps may work once you have a Kyrgyz SIM card.

In Osh: climb Sulaiman-Too, a sacred mountain and UNESCO World Heritage site rising above the city, visit the museum inside the mountain, and explore the huge Jayma bazaar, one of the oldest markets in Central Asia.

• Pamir Highway: from Osh, the road climbs south through Sary-Tash to the Kyzylart pass and into Tajikistan’s Pamirs. A GBAO permit and a Tajik visa or e-visa are needed. Most travellers hire a 4x4 with driver.
• Southern Kyrgyzstan: Sary-Chelek lake, Arslanbob walnut forests and the Alay valley with views of Lenin Peak.
• Bishkek: a long but spectacular road over the mountains, or a short flight from Osh.

A classic route: Tashkent → Fergana Valley (Kokand, Rishtan, Margilan, Andijan) → Dustlik → Osh → Pamir Highway or Bishkek. Or in reverse: arrive from Kyrgyzstan through Osh, cross into Uzbekistan at Dustlik, and travel west through the valley to Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. See our Fergana Valley itinerary.

• Check current opening hours before you go.
• Cross in the morning on a weekday to avoid the longest queues.
• Keep small amounts of Uzbek and Kyrgyz som.
• Do not take photographs at the border.
• Dress modestly; the Fergana Valley and Osh are relatively conservative.
• Buy a Kyrgyz SIM card in Osh for maps and ride-hailing; they are cheap and quick to set up with your passport.