Foreign guests enter and leave the Republic of Kazakhstan through checkpoints at the state border using passports or documents replacing them, if they have Kazakhstan visas, if they are required. As of June 2023, citizens of 81 countries can enter Kazakhstan without a visa.
Who doesn’t need a visa?
Visa-free entry with the right to stay in the country for up to 14 days is granted to citizens of the following countries:
Hong Kong, India, Iran.
Visa-free entry with the right to stay in the country for up to 30 days is granted to citizens of the following countries:
Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Great Britain, Vietnam, Venezuela, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Qatar, Cyprus, Colombia, Korea, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, Ecuador, Estonia, Japan, China.
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:
Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Vatican City, Hungary, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia, Russia, Ukraine.
How to get a Kazakhstan visa?
For those foreign citizens who need a visa to Kazakhstan, today there are 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 institutions 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 can be issued to foreigners.
Option two.
e-Visa via the Visa and Migration Portal vmp.gov.kz .
Citizens of 109 countries* can apply for one of the following categories of single-entry electronic visas:
business B1, B2, B3
tourist B12
for the treatment of C12
E-Visa is issued on the basis of an invitation from the Kazakh side (individual or legal entity). The invitation is valid only for the visa recipient, does not apply to accompanying persons and is not subject to renewal.
To obtain an e-Visa, a foreigner must:
register on the portal vmp.gov.kz
go to the “Electronic visa” section and enter the invitation number from the Kazakh side
fill in the necessary passport data and pay the consular fee (60 US dollars for a single tourist visa, 80 US dollars for a visa for business travel and treatment
, print out the e–Visa and present it at passport control at one of the international airports 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, for study and as tourists, cannot be employed on the territory of 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 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 engaged in international road transport of goods, follow only roads open to international road traffic.
Do I need to register with the migration police after arrival?
30 days without registration
Since 2020, according to the Law signed on December 30, 2019, mandatory registration of foreigners staying in Kazakhstan for up to 30 days has been canceled. Nevertheless, the host party remains obliged to notify the migration service of the arrival of a foreign guest within three working days from the moment of entry into the country.
You can send a notification on the eQonaq website.kz or in the mobile app.
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 on the territory of Kazakhstan for more than 30 days, the receiving party (hotels, hostels, rental apartments, medical and preventive institutions and other legal entities and individuals) is obliged to issue a temporary residence permit (registration) to the guest.
Please note that the registration of foreigners and the notification of the arrival of foreigners in Kazakhstan are two separate duties that are now assigned to the receiving party.
Additional information on the visa regime of Kazakhstan
Entry/transit to/through the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan of foreigners from among the citizens of the states with which direct (regular, irregular charter flights) air communication has been resumed by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan is permitted – subject to visa requirements, unless otherwise provided for by international agreements of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Foreigners from among the citizens of the states with which direct air communication has been resumed by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan can enter Kazakhstan through third countries (if they have an appropriate visa).
