The gate guard saw my bike and waved me forward. At the gate they asked a few questions like where I was from and asked to have a look at my passport before letting me into the compound. All was good and then one of the guards notice my country sticker collection on the windshield.
He started naming the countries, Malaysia, Singapore, (I had to help a bit) Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, then China, he recognized Kyrgyzstan flag and then pointed at the blank spot below looking dead into my eye and asked, “ Where is Kazakhstan?”
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| Windshield sticker a few months later in China when I finally got all the flags |
I could not find any sticker in Almaty I told him. Do you know where to find sticker in Kazakhstan?
No NO ….. Go back … find sticker then you can leave Kazakhstan.
I was almost turn around at the border not allowed to exit Kazakhstan as the border guard was laughing away saying it was a joke but I could see the dismay in his eye that I did not have a Kazakhstan flag sticker along with the rest. I am coming back to Kazakhstan later and will find one else make one I told him.
Into the den and I proceed to the Immigration passing the Officer my passport and Vehicle Ownership Certificate (VOC) where they stamped me out fairly quickly. Baggage check was superficial touch and go then I was allowed to proceed 100meters forward to the Kyrgyzstan border.
Process was the same and repetitive. Handover Passport together with VOC, wait and get stamped into Kyrgyzstan then had a luggage check before pushing on into the country. Its a simple border crossing with no fuss. Only downside is that if you are in a car or campervan like LUCH or DONKEY which was behind me, then you will be subjected to the queue depending on luck.
One thing to note is that this border crossing from either way will not issue or take back the Custom Union paper for the motorbike. This is because Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan share a custom union agreement so the Temporary import paper I got in Torugart border was still active.
Traveled on: June 2024
