In short: Suits those who have an employment contract, a patent, a residence permit or a certificate of study and can visit a branch. Russian citizens without such documents are not issued a card, and Mir does not work.
Terms for non-residents
- Non-residents
- Limited
- Remote account opening
- No
- Visa / Mastercard
- Yes
- Russian-language support
- Yes
- Founded
- 1992 (established on 7 May 1992 as Kyrgyzmelbiznesbank; the Optima Bank brand has been used since 2013)
- Owner
- Alatau City Bank JSC (Kazakhstan, formerly First Heartland Jusan Bank), 97.14%; the ultimate owner of the group is Vyacheslav Kim
- Size
- KGS 102.05 billion (about USD 1.17 billion) in assets as of 30 September 2026
- License
- National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic licenses No. 018 and 018/1 of 16 August 2013
- Terms for citizens of Russia and Belarus
- since 1 June 2022: a personal visit to a branch and one of the supporting documents; the requirement also applies to existing clients opening a new card
- Capital adequacy
- 18.6% as of 30 September 2026 against a 14% requirement
- Profit and growth
- net profit for the first nine months of 2026 of KGS 2.77 billion; assets grew from KGS 74.7 billion as of 30 September 2025
- Account currencies
- som, dollar, euro, ruble, tenge (for citizens of Kyrgyzstan)
- Visa Platinum
- free issue, servicing KGS 7,000 a year, access to 1,200+ DragonPass business lounges, a multi-currency account including rubles
Pros
- Assets grew from KGS 74.7 billion to KGS 102.05 billion in a year, and capital adequacy is 18.6% against a 14% requirement
- Owned by Alatau City Bank (the group of Vyacheslav Kim)
- Visa Platinum and Infinite cards with accounts in soms, dollars, euros and rubles
- Free issue of Visa OptimaGOLD and Elkart; an app with Apple Pay and Google Pay
Cons and limits
- For Russian citizens an account and card are available only in person and only with a supporting document
- Issuing Visa Infinite Standart costs KGS 90,000, and Platinum servicing costs KGS 7,000 a year
- Mir cards have not been serviced in the bank's network since November 2022
- Since 1 October 2026 the correspondent bank ATB withholds 1.5% on some incoming ruble payments
## About the bank
Optima Bank was established on 7 May 1992 as Kyrgyzmelbiznesbank and has operated under the Optima Bank brand since 2013. In July 2025 Vyacheslav Kim completed the purchase of Alatau City Bank (formerly First Heartland Jusan Bank), which owns 97.14% of Optima Bank. The ultimate owner of the group is Vyacheslav Kim. At 30 September 2026 assets were KGS 102.05 billion, against KGS 74.7 billion a year earlier. Capital adequacy was 18.6% against a 14% requirement.
The bank is not among the Kyrgyz banks that came under US, EU and UK sanctions in 2025 and 2026.
## Account for non-residents
A special procedure has applied to citizens of Russia and Belarus since 1 June 2022. An account or card is issued only in person at a branch and with one of these documents:
- an employment contract;
- a patent (VAT registration);
- the founding documents of a Kyrgyz legal entity with a non-resident participant;
- a contract or certificate from an educational institution;
- a residence permit.
The requirement also applies to existing clients opening a new card. On the website the application must state your citizenship: if you are not a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, it is forwarded to a branch. Terms for other foreigners are not published separately.
## Cards and payments
| Card | Currencies | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Visa OptimaGOLD (Flagman) | som | free issue, free first year, then KGS 500 a year |
| Elkart | som | free issue and first year |
| Visa Platinum | som, dollar, euro, ruble | servicing KGS 7,000 a year |
| Visa Infinite Standart | som, dollar, euro, ruble | issue KGS 90,000 |
Visa Platinum gives access to more than 1,200 business lounges under the DragonPass program. Visa cards can be added to Apple Pay and Google Pay, and the Optima24 app has Optima QR payments.
Mir does not work: in November 2022 the bank suspended incoming transfers from the Mir system and operations in its acquiring network. Since April 2024 Mir has not been serviced in the country at all. The bank does not state support for the Faster Payments System (SBP) or UnionPay.
## Who it suits
- Foreigners with an employment contract, a patent, a residence permit or a certificate of study who are ready to visit a branch.
- Those who need a Visa card with a ruble account and access to business lounges.
- Those who like an app with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
If you do not have a document from the list, look at banks with general terms for foreigners: Bakai Bank or MBANK.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents does a Russian citizen need for an Optima Bank card?
A passport, a personal visit to a branch and one of these documents: an employment contract, a patent (VAT registration), the founding documents of a Kyrgyz legal entity with a non-resident participant, a contract or certificate from an educational institution, or a residence permit. The requirement has applied since 1 June 2022.
Can I open an account remotely?
No. The application on the website is submitted stating that you are not a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, after which the website forwards it to a branch. For Russian citizens a card and account are available only in person.
Does Mir work at Optima Bank?
No. In November 2022 the bank suspended incoming transfers from the Mir system and Mir operations in its acquiring network. They have not resumed.
What about ruble transfers?
Since 1 October 2026 the correspondent bank ATB charges 1.5% on incoming ruble payments with certain currency operation codes. The bank recommends using details at the International Bank of Azerbaijan. The Sendy service at the bank was discontinued on 21 August 2026.
How much do the cards cost?
OptimaGOLD: free issue, free servicing in the first year, then KGS 500 a year. Visa Platinum: free issue, servicing KGS 7,000 a year. Visa Infinite Standart: issue KGS 90,000.