Foreign guests enter and leave the Republic of Kazakhstan through checkpoints at the state border using passports or replacement documents, if they have Kazakh visas, if they are required.
As of March 2020, citizens of 73 countries could enter Kazakhstan without a visa. However, according to the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 220 dated April 17, 2020, the visa-free regime for 54 countries was suspended until November 1, 2020. The visa-free regime is valid only for citizens of Azerbaijan, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Georgia, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Ecuador and South Korea.
Who doesn’t need a visa?
Visa-free entry with the right to stay in the country for up to 30 days is granted to citizens of the following countries:
Azerbaijan, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Ecuador.
The list of countries with visa-free entry to Kazakhstan for up to 30 days also included the following countries (suspended until November 1, 2020): the Union of Australia, the Republic of Austria, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Hungary, the Vatican City State, the State of Israel, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Hellenic Republic, Ireland, Iceland, the Italian Republic, Canada, Principality of Liechtenstein, Principality of Monaco, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Thailand, Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Malaysia, United Mexican States, New Zealand, Portuguese Republic, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Colombia, Republic of Malta, Republic of Poland, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovenia, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Chile, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic, United Kingdom Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Sultanate of Oman, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Finland, The French Republic, the Czech Republic, the Swiss Confederation, the Republic of Estonia and Japan. Citizens of the countries listed above can enter the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan with all types of valid passports, with the right to stay in the country for up to 30 days.
Visa-free entry with the right to stay in the country for up to 90 days is granted to citizens of the following countries:
– Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine.
Hong Kong SAR citizens can enter Kazakhstan without a visa with the right to stay in the country for up to 14 days.
Up to and including December 31, 2020, a 72-hour visa-free regime for entry, stay and exit from the Republic of Kazakhstan was introduced for citizens of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of India traveling through the international airports of Astana, Almaty, Aktau, Shymkent, Karaganda and Taraz to a third country or returning from a third country. As of March 30, 2020, this regime has been suspended until November 1, 2020.
How do I get a Kazakhstan visa?
For those foreign citizens who need a visa to Kazakhstan, there are currently several options for obtaining it: through the representative offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, or electronically, i.e. e-visa.
Option one
Visas are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan), foreign missions and consular posts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and in the absence of such – by specially authorized representatives of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At the request of the host organizations, multiple-entry visas may be issued to foreigners.
Option two. E-visa
Since 2019, foreign tourists from 105 countries have been given the opportunity to apply for an electronic tourist visa, citizens of 18 countries – for medical treatment or business.
An electronic visa (business, tourist and medical categories) is issued on the basis of a valid invitation from the Kazakh side. To receive this invitation for a foreign tourist, the inviting party (in the case of a tourist visa, only the tour operator or travel agency) must submit a package of documents to the relevant departments of the Migration Service Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The deadline for reviewing the invitation is 5 working days, after which the inviting party will be provided with the invitation number, which must be transmitted to the tourist for further electronic visa processing. Next, the tourist can apply for an electronic visa through the portal www.vmp.gov.kz
Visa categories:
A single-entry visa for tourism (category B12) is issued for a period of up to 90 days and the right to stay in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for no more than 30 days.
A business trip visa (category B1) is issued once for a period of up to 90 days and the right to stay in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for no more than 60 days.
Business travel visas (categories B2-B3) are issued single-entry for up to 90 days and the right to stay in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for no more than 30 days.
A single-entry visa for medical treatment (category C12) is issued for a period of up to 180 days and the right to stay in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for no more than 90 days.
Foreigners can enter/leave the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan using a valid electronic visa only through the checkpoints of the international airports of Astana and Almaty. It is necessary to have a printed visa with you for presentation at the airport.
You can get additional information on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The grounds for issuing visas of the Republic of Kazakhstan and extending their validity period are:
The grounds for issuing entry visas must correspond to the purposes of foreigners’ stay in Kazakhstan. Thus, those arriving in Kazakhstan at the invitation of relatives and acquaintances, that is, on private business, as well as those arriving for business purposes, to study and as tourists, cannot be employed in Kazakhstan, engage in other activities unrelated to the purpose of entry specified in the visa, except in cases provided for by legislative acts of the Republic. Kazakhstan.
The category and types of visas, the procedure for their issuance, as well as the reduction and extension of their validity periods are determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in coordination with the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Foreigners passing through the territory of Kazakhstan in transit to a country with which their State of citizenship has a visa-free entry agreement are required to have a transit visa of Kazakhstan.
Those passing through the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan in transit by motor vehicles, including those carrying out international road cargo transportation, follow only roads open to international automobile traffic.
Do I need to register with the migration police after arrival?
30 days without registration
Starting from 2020, according to the Law signed on December 30, 2019, the mandatory registration of foreigners staying in Kazakhstan for up to 30 days has been abolished. However, the host party remains under an obligation to notify the migration service of the arrival of a foreign guest within three working days from the moment of entry into the country.
To do this, the visa and migration portal must:
fill in information about the foreigner and, if necessary, about his children;
sign the completed application form using an EDS;
in 15 minutes, you will receive a ready-made document, which will be stored in your personal account.
The service is free and has been provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs since 2014.
Stay of a foreign citizen in Kazakhstan for more than 30 days
If a foreign citizen stays in Kazakhstan for more than 30 days, the receiving party (hotels, hostels, rental apartments, medical institutions and other legal entities and individuals) is obliged to issue a temporary residence permit (registration) to the guest.
Please note that registration of foreigners and notification of arrival of foreigners in Kazakhstan are two separate duties that are now assigned to the receiving party.
