Kyrgyzstan plans cash payment cap for real estate deals and loans

Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Economy, National Bank, Tax Service and State Agency for Land Resources have been instructed to draft a regulation setting a maximum amount for cash payments in real estate transactions and loan issuance. The instruction was given by Cabinet Chairman Adylbek Kasymaliev in Cabinet resolution No. 653 of 29 September 2026.

The same resolution approved the state strategy on countering the financing of criminal activity and money laundering for 2026–2030. The strategy describes real estate as a priority channel for investing and concealing illegally obtained assets, citing schemes such as buying property through nominees and fictitious loans.

The regulation must be developed by the second quarter of 2028. Separately, the Ministry of Justice and the Financial Intelligence Unit are to introduce targeted checks of notaries and realtors for money-laundering schemes involving property by the first quarter of 2027. The strategy aims to pass the Eurasian Group's third round of mutual evaluation in 2026–2027 and avoid Kyrgyzstan being placed on the FATF grey list.