Modernization of Syrym Checkpoint Promises Smoother Border Crossings, Orda.kz Talked with Drivers about Current Situation

The Syrym automobile checkpoint in West Kazakhstan Region will partially close on July 10, 2025, for a planned reconstruction project expected to last around 16 months, Orda.kz reports.

The work will cost approximately 22 billion tenge and includes a new three-story administrative building and two inspection complexes.

Traffic lanes will increase to 12, with two designated for large vehicles, according to Mirlan Nasipov, acting director of ZKOF JSC NC KazAvtoJol.

During construction, traffic will be rerouted to the Shagan, Aqsay, and Tasqala checkpoints. Syrym currently handles a high volume of traffic, with more than 1,300 trucks, 800 cars, and over 6,000 people passing through daily.

Recently, videos online showed trucks backed up near the Syrym crossing, with lines reportedly reaching 10 kilometers. Orda.kz visited the site to speak with drivers.

Truck flow into Kazakhstan was steady, but movement in the opposite direction was slower. Around 50 trucks were waiting near the border. A new electronic queuing system requires drivers to book time slots in advance, which some said is helpful while others found it inconvenient.

One driver, Andrey from Shymkent, said he was delayed due to a paperwork issue:

We are standing here and not moving forward because our ICN (International Consignment Note - Ed.) is not quite correct. It so happened that our documents were filled out incorrectly, otherwise we would have already crossed the border. The electronic queue turned out to be inconvenient for us, because we could have arrived here, for example, yesterday evening. There weren't many vehicles then, we would have already passed this way. But we were only able to register our queue for today. And without the electronic queue it was great, we pushed slowly and passed as before,

He also noted the system places an extra workload on customs officers:

Other drivers shared similar concerns, especially those transporting perishable goods. Ilya, a driver carrying ham, noted:

We need to allocate a very large area for these things. For example, like in Türkiye: you drive up, take a ticket and look at the electronic board, your number lights up — move ahead. If you are carrying perishable goods, there is a separate line for you. Everything is thought out to the smallest detail. Right now, some guys I know are traveling from Russia and carrying dairy products to Kazakhstan, and they have been standing in the direction of the “Syrym” checkpoint for more than 12 hours. Will anyone buy bad milk? No. And who will they blame for all this? The driver. For example, I am carrying ham, and its expiration date is a month. While I load it, while I bring it, I still stand in line, while I unload it. Who will buy expired goods? Again, no one. My ICN also states that it is perishable. But no one here thinks about it.

Some drivers suggested a simpler system — such as paying a fee at a booth — would be more efficient than the current electronic process.

Drivers from Russia also described faster processing on the Russian side, while Kazakh procedures involved additional paperwork and scanning, increasing wait times. One driver said:

The Russian side lets everything through and checks everything quickly and efficiently, but the Kazakh side can’t keep up, can’t cope. The neutral zone is completely filled with trucks. We are transporting goods, everything is checked quickly at the Russian border, there is an X-ray machine, but at the “Raw” checkpoint everything is done manually. We made an accompanying invoice, there is all the data on the car, the driver, the goods. Everything is in electronic form in the Department of State Revenue. But why do they copy all these papers? While they are being scanned, another 20 minutes have to wait. In general, it takes at least 30 minutes per person. Previously, we went through passport control, looked at the documents, and we passed through. If we used to cross the border with an empty truck, we only went through passport control, now even an empty car goes through a tax check. That’s why there are such queues. 

Belarusian drivers said they waited 14 hours in line, though they felt fortunate compared to others. Alexey from Kyrgyzstan, transporting dairy products, echoed concerns about delays:

I probably stood in line for at least 10 kilometers. I have perishable dairy products. This border is one of the longest. There is no X-ray. While you go through phytosanitary control on one side, while you register at the veterinary clinic on the other side. Customs control - on the other. Everything is scattered. Roughly speaking, it takes about an hour to process documents. You can take an example from Uzbekistan. You go in, a large room, several departments, they check everything very quickly, process, pay and go on. Everything in one place.

Drivers also pointed out that queues form year-round, with winter weather bringing added complications.

Passenger vehicles reportedly faced no major delays.

The State Revenue Department previously said the CarGoRuqsat electronic queue system was introduced to improve efficiency and transparency by allowing bookings and early document checks.

Original Author: Alina Pshenichnaya