Consumer protection in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's consumer protection framework is based mainly on Law No. 90 On Protection of Consumer Rights of 10 December 1997, amendments including 22 June 2023, the Civil Code and sector-specific rules. A consumer is a private individual using goods or services for personal or household purposes rather than for business. Foreign citizens and stateless persons may submit complaints to public bodies. Business purchases generally fall outside the consumer definition. Consumers have rights to quality and safety, truthful information before a contract, free choice, state and public protection, and fair contract terms. A seller or provider may not impose an extra paid service without consent or require a tied purchase. Unfair consumer-contract terms are invalid. Product and service information must be supplied in the state and official language. The legal definition of a seller or provider can also cover a private individual who sells goods or services under a contract. For defective goods, a consumer can generally seek free repair or reimbursement of repair costs, a price reduction, replacement with the same or a similar product, or termination of the contract with a refund and compensation for losses. Technically complex goods usually qualify for replacement or a refund when the defect is substantial. The seller or manufacturer bears the burden of showing that the problem resulted from misuse after delivery. A repair should take no more than 20 days. Replacement normally takes up to 7 days, while a quality check may take up to 20 days. A price reduction or reimbursement of losses should be provided within 10 days. Delay can trigger a penalty of 1% per day. A non-food product of proper quality can generally be exchanged within 14 days, excluding the day of purchase, if it remains unused and in its original condition and the purchase can be proved. Cabinet Resolution No. 313 of 13 June 2024 contains updated lists of durable goods with a service life, expired goods, technically complex goods and non-exchangeable non-food goods. The applicable list can therefore change the result even when the product appears unused. Distance sales require information before agreement about the product or service, the seller's name and address, origin, price, delivery, service life or expiry date, warranty, payment terms and the period of the offer. The seller must provide written return information with the delivery. The consumer may withdraw before transfer or within up to 5 days after transfer; if the written return information was missing, the period can extend to 3 months. A refund should be made within 10 days. If there is no receipt, other evidence of the purchase may be used. A dispute with a seller outside the Eurasian Economic Union can be difficult because enforcement, payment recovery and evidence are handled across borders; a report to the State Agency for Antimonopoly Regulation does not guarantee recovery from a foreign seller. A written or otherwise traceable contract should identify the subject, quality, price, term, performance duties and liability. Keep the contract or order, receipt, warranty, delivery evidence, photographs and correspondence. Additional services require consent. For an individual loss or moral damage, court proceedings may be available. The State Agency for Antimonopoly Regulation, abbreviated as SAR, under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce monitors consumer rights, reviews complaints and contracts, acts against unsafe, expired or poorly labelled goods and may take measures or bring court proceedings within its authority. Territorial units, local government bodies and consumer associations may provide pre-trial assistance or pursue collective or indefinite consumer interests. A complaint normally starts with a written claim to the seller or service provider, supported by the relevant documents and photographs. If the response is absent or inadequate, the consumer can contact SAR or its territorial unit, the competent quality or safety body, or the regulator for the relevant sector. Public complaints are free. Electronic appeals are registered within 1 working day, acknowledged within 3 working days and ordinarily reviewed within 14 working days. A special check can extend the review by up to 30 calendar days. The response should be given in the language used for the appeal where possible. No universal rule requires a seller claim before every type of court case, and sector rules may differ. Court, technical-expert, translation and transport costs depend on the case, and regulators do not guarantee compensation. Financial complaints concerning banks, microfinance organizations, credit unions, payment institutions and other licensed financial-credit institutions are supervised by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic, known as NBKR. It oversees disclosure, contract terms, forced services, unfair practices and complaint handling. A supervised institution must maintain a complaint procedure and register, appoint responsible staff and respond or remedy the matter. NBKR may request information, inspect, require correction and impose sanctions. Its consumer channels include an official appeal, WhatsApp at 0501 89 00 00, consumer-rights telephone numbers 0312 61 52 78, 0555 85 57 48 and 0770 73 73 49, and the public reception number 0312 61 04 86. Law No. 237 of 28 October 2025 applies to consumer-credit contracts made after it became effective by banks and NBKR-supervised non-bank financial-credit institutions. It covers financing for goods or services and instalment or deferred-payment arrangements, but excludes mortgages and other real-estate financing. The rules address comparable cost information, responsible lending, an individual debt-burden ratio, the annual effective rate and disclosure of the full cost. The current NBKR implementing rules should be checked when preparing a specific claim. Digital services are governed by the Digital Code. A provider must identify itself, disclose service information before agreement, preserve agreement records during the contract and for 3 years afterwards, offer support and provide an in-site or in-app complaint channel. A consumer may withdraw at any time, receive the amount paid minus the value of the service already used and request deletion of stored records where the rules allow it. The provider should remedy a complaint within 5 working days or explain a longer period within those 5 working days. After the provider's decision, the consumer must use the competent sector regulator before going to court; the regulator depends on the type of digital service. Travel contracts must state the trip subject, quantity and quality of services, price, term, performance arrangements and liability under Tourism Law No. 34 of 25 March 1999, as amended on 10 January 2024. Oppressive terms are invalid. An unauthorised paid extra can require a refund or contract termination. A travel company remains responsible for its own services and the services of its partners. A departure or return delay can lead to a penalty of 3% per day, capped at the package price. Tourists have rights to accurate information, safety, protection of property, emergency medical help and compensation for loss and moral damage. Medical and accident insurance is mandatory for tourists. The Tourism Department supports policy and administration. A unified tourism activity and resource register exists, but reported inclusion is voluntary, so the provider's status should be checked directly. For electricity, contract, meter, billing and supply disputes, contact the supplier or energy company first and preserve meter photographs, bills and inspection acts. The Ministry of Energy and the Department for Regulation of the Fuel-Energy Complex handle tariffs, licensing, monitoring and control. The tariff policy for 2025–2030 took effect on 1 May 2025, and the applicable tariff varies by consumer group and current order. The Ministry's listed telephone channels are 105, 1209 and +996 702 001 209. The general complaint period is 14 working days, with a possible extension of up to 30 calendar days where applicable. Medicines are regulated under Law No. 13 On Circulation of Medicines of 12 January 2024. The Department of Medicines and Medical Devices under the Ministry of Health handles registration, quality and safety oversight, pharmacovigilance, licensing and citizen complaints. Its hotline is 0800 800 26 26. Pharmacies generally cannot accept medicines previously purchased by individuals back under good pharmacy practice safety rules, so ordinary return or exchange is usually unavailable. A suspected defective, unsafe, expired or counterfeit medicine should be reported to the pharmacy or seller and to the Department of Medicines and Medical Devices with the batch number, receipt and photographs. After card or payment fraud, contact the bank immediately through its official number, block the card or wallet, submit a written dispute with an account statement and obtain a stamped copy. Preserve chats, payment identifiers and other evidence, and report suspected theft to law enforcement. NBKR advises consumers never to disclose a PIN, CVV, CVC or SMS code and never to transfer money to a person claiming that a protected or special NBKR account is required. Updated anti-fraud transaction-monitoring rules include provisions effective from 1 March 2026. Sector responsibility, the evidence available and the counterparty's solvency determine the practical outcome.