President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov signed the Law «On the Enactment of the Land Code of the Kyrgyz Republic,» completing a long and controversial process of reforming land legislation.
The document was adopted by the Zhogorku Kenesh (Parliament) on June 4, 2025 after the president had previously returned it for revision. The new Code comes into force amid large-scale demolitions of residential buildings across the country, which makes the document particularly relevant.
The new Land Code establishes transitional provisions governing current land disputes and processes, from the transformation of agricultural land to issues of pasture and irrigated arable land use. It specifies that the right to plots of land acquired before 1999 will be retained, including for dacha and garden plots. They are officially included in the adjacent settlements, which simplifies registration, assignment of benefits, and the enrollment of children in schools and kindergartens.
State protection of previously registered land ownership rights is guaranteed. There are plans to replace old documents with a single, unified cadastral plan.
An important element remains the procedure for expropriating land for state or public needs. According to the new Code:
- Land can only be expropriated, if there are no other options for locating a facility;
- If the owner does not agree, the dispute is resolved through the courts;
- Compensation includes the market value of the plot, buildings, and possible losses;
- Compensation must be paid before the actual expropriation.
The entire plot is subject to expropriation, not just part of it. If the plot is mortgaged, the loan is repaid from the compensation or transferred to the new plot.
The law was adopted amid heated debates about the legality and conditions of demolishing houses in new developments and during the implementation of large infrastructure projects. The approved document attempts to balance the interests of the state and landowners, but law enforcement and judicial practice will show how effective the new rules will be.
