Visa policy of Kazakhstan

Summary

Visitors to Kazakhstan must obtain a visa from one of the Kazakh diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens eligible for an e-Visa.

Kazakhstan Visa with entry stamps of Almaty Airport and Korday border
Kazakhstan entry and exit stamps issued to a Singaporean national at Almaty International Airport
Registration Certificate for non-residents of Republic Kazakhstan

Visa policy map edit

 
  Kazakhstan
  Visa not required (90 days)
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (14 days)
  Visa required

Visa exemption edit

Ordinary passports edit

Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter Kazakhstan without a visa for the following period:[1][2][3]

90 days

30 days

14 days

ID - May enter with an ID card.
IP - May enter with an internal passport.
1 - 90 days within any 365-day period.
2 - 90 days within any 180-day period.
3 - 30 days within any 1-year period.
4 - 30 days within any 180-day period.
5 - 30 days, 60 days within any 180-day period.
6 - 14 days, 42 days within any 180-day period.

Visa-free program edit

Citizens of the following countries may enter Kazakhstan without a visa for 30 days as part of a visa-free policy for countries with the large foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan's economy. These visitors can stay for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period (counted from the first entry).[4]

The program was initially started on 15 July 2014 providing unilateral visa free access to 10 countries and in July 2015 it was further extended to a total of 19 countries, then to 43 in January 2017 and to 54 in September 2019.[5][6][7][8][9]

  Turkmenistan - residents of Balkan Region have visa-free entry to Atyrau Province and Mangystau Province for up to 5 days.[21]

Non-ordinary passports edit

Under reciprocal agreements, holders of diplomatic or service passports of the following countries may enter and remain in Kazakhstan without a visa:[22]

D - Diplomatic passports
S - Service passports
1 - 90 days for diplomatic passports, 30 days for service passports.
2 - For citizens of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia: 90 days for diplomatic or service passports; for citizens of Austria, Croatia, Ireland, Malta, Sweden: 30 days for diplomatic or service passports.
3 - 90 days
4 - 90 days within any 365-day period.
5 - 90 days within any 180-day period.
6 - 30 days
7 - 30 days within any 180-day period.
8 - 14 days

A visa is not required for holders of a UN Laissez-Passer for up to 30 days within any 180-day period.

Future changes edit

Kazakhstan has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:

Country Passports Agreement signed on
  Suriname Diplomatic, official 25 January 2024
  Saint Kitts and Nevis Diplomatic, official 25 January 2024
  San Marino All 8 November 2023
  Vietnam Ordinary 21 August 2023
  Andorra All 4 August 2023
  • In December 2018, it was announced that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan planned to mutually accept visas from February 2019,[23] but this was delayed.
  • In March 2019, it was reported that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were "ready to launch" a joint visa program that could extend to neighboring countries. All approvals have already been obtained, all that remains is to work out the technical details and equipment.[24]

Electronic visa (e-Visa) edit

Citizens of other countries may obtain an e-Visa (except Afghanistan, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Pakistan, Palestine, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Timor-Leste and Yemen).[25][26][27]

Kazakhstan issues business, investor, medical treatment and tourist e-Visas. Holders of an e-Visa must arrive via Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport or Almaty International Airport.

Visa required in advance edit

Citizens of the following countries and territories must apply for a visa at a Kazakhstan embassy or consulate:

Pre-arranged visa on arrival edit

A pre-arranged visa for a stay of up to 1 month may be obtained on arrival for citizens arriving from a country without a Kazakh diplomatic mission. The fee is approximately 80 USD, and they must hold an invitation letter and obtain an approval from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They must enter via one of the following ports of entry:[1]

Visa types edit

Kazakhstan issues 39 types of visa.[28]

A
Diplomatic visa
A1 Issued to foreign dignitaries, diplomats traveling on official business and diplomatic couriers
A2 Issued to diplomats accredited to Kazakhstan
Service visa
A3 Issued to members of the official delegations, accredited mass media journalists, military personnel on official visits and dependents, members of international organizations, diplomatic couriers without a diplomatic passport, service passport holders on official business
A4 Issued to administrative-technical and maintenance staff of foreign missions and offices
Investor visa
A5 Issued to heads and deputy heads and heads of structural divisions of legal entities carrying out investment activities and their family members
B
Business visa
B1 Issued to participants of conferences and meetings, persons accompanying humanitarian aid, lecturers, participants in youth programs and student and school exchanges
B2 Issued to persons installing or maintaining equipment or to persons providing consulting and auditing services
B3 Issued to persons arriving for negotiations or to the founders or the board directors
International road carriage visa
B4 Issued to persons engaged in international road transport
B5 Issued to aircraft, train and sea and river vessel crews
Visa for participation in religious events
B6 Issued to persons participating in the activities of religious associations, except for missionary activity
Student visa
B7 Issued to persons for practical training or internships and their family members
Permanent residence visa
B8 Issued to persons arriving to register a permit for permanent residence
B9 Issued to persons arriving for permanent residence
Private visit visa
B10 Issued to persons traveling for private reasons, funerals, former compatriots, persons accompanying family members who are citizens of Kazakhstan and spouses or children of ethnic Kazakhs
Adoption visa
B11 Issued to persons for adoption of citizens of Kazakhstan
Tourist visa
B12 Issued to persons traveling as tourists
Transit visa
B13 Issued to persons transiting through the territory of Kazakhstan
Exit visa
B14 Issued to permanent residents when exiting for permanent residence abroad
B15 Issued to persons who have lost their passport in Kazakhstan
B16 Issued to persons whose visa validity was reduced
B17 Issued to persons under administrative responsibility, not associated with deportation, if there are no reasons for further stay
B18 Issued to persons who arrived or are staying without a valid visa, if there are no reasons for further stay
B19 Issued to persons who have served criminal sentence or were exempted or whose probationary control or deferral expired
B20 Issued to persons who have presented proof of force majeure for overstay
B21 Issued to persons who were victims of grave or especially grave crimes
B22 Issued to persons charged with criminal offense where the criminal case has been closed or other persons in respect of whom legal restrictions on exit are lifted
C
Permanent residence visa
C1 Issued to ethnic Kazakhstan traveling to Kazakhstan for permanent residence
Family reunification visa
C2 Issued to family members of Kazakhstan national who are permanently residing in Kazakhstan, ethnic Kazakhs and former compatriots with temporary residence permit, foreigners and stateless persons permanently residing in Kazakhstan as well as business immigrants
Work visa
C3 Issued to persons traveling to Kazakhstan or persons in Kazakhstan and their family members for the purpose of employment
C4 Issued to persons traveling to Kazakhstan or persons in Kazakhstan for self-employment in professions that are in demand in the priority sectors of the economy
C5 Issued to business immigrants
C6 Issued to seasonal workers
Missionary activity visa
C7 Issued to persons carrying our missionary activities and their family members
Humanitarian purposes visa
C8 Issued to volunteers and providers of humanitarian aid and with a view to charity and grants provision
Education visa
C9 Issued for the purpose of admission to educational organization in secondary, technical and vocational, post-secondary, higher and postgraduate education
Private trip visa (ethnic Kazakhs)
C10 Issued to ethnic Kazakhs
Minor citizens visa
C11 Issued to underage persons permanently residing in Kazakhstan or who have arrived to Kazakhstan without a visa or to persons born in Kazakhstan intending to go abroad
Medical treatment visa
C12 Issued to persons traveling for treatment, medical examination or consultation and accompanying persons as well as persons in Kazakhstan in the event of the need for treatment; persons traveling to Kazakhstan with the aim of caring for close relatives who are citizens of permanent residents of Kazakhstan and who are treated in hospitals or persons in Kazakhstan in case of need to care for close relatives

Admission restrictions edit

Entry and transit is refused to citizens of Kosovo, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight. Kazakhstan also does not recognize the passports of Abkhazia, the Sahrawi Republic, Somaliland, South Ossetia and Transnistria.[citation needed]

Visitor statistics edit

Most visitors arriving in Kazakhstan were from the following countries of nationality:[30]

Country 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
  Uzbekistan   3,344,577   2,459,757   2,297,180   2,107,177   2,494,568
  Russia   1,708,873   1,587,409   1,646,568   1,757,721   1,780,574
  Kyrgyzstan   1,273,378   1,348,709   1,359,625   1,308,139   1,382,706
  Tajikistan   383,368   207,009   158,507   137,443   186,214
  Azerbaijan   110,810   94,846   89,296   83,174   112,617
  Germany   99,396   90,286   88,346   79,572   75,491
  Turkey   98,840   89,611   106,301   104,986   92,070
  China   94,817   117,465   111,706   228,617   205,066
  Belarus   70,810   63,520   62,786   55,356   55,090
  Ukraine   66,041   73,390   97,100   84,932   82,971
  Turkmenistan   63,249   63,156   69,230   66,938   47,711
  South Korea   30,582   22,276   22,046   20,445   16,620
  United States   29,632   26,402   29,124   25,824   22,508
  Armenia   26,169   26,097   37,461   39,934   54,244
  India   21,890   13,975   11,170   10,725   9,929
  United Kingdom   21,341   20,166   24,201   23,036   22,389
Total   7,701,196   6,509,390   6,430,158   6,332,734   6,841,085

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Visa regime of the Republic of Kazakhstan for foreign citizens".
  3. ^ "Visa-free regime for foreign citizens".
  4. ^ "Stay of visa-free programs citizens".
  5. ^ "The citizens of 83 countries to visit Kazakhstan without visas since 2017". primeminister.kz. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  6. ^ "New rules for Kazakhstan entry visas issuance to come into force on January 1, 2017". mfa.gov.kz. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Infographics Countries with 30 days visa-free regime on 1 January 2017". Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  8. ^ "About introduction of amendments to the resolution of the government of the Republic of Kazakhstan of January 21, 2012 No. 148 "About the approval of Rules of entrance and stay of immigrants in the Republic of Kazakhstan..."". egov.kz. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Постановление Правительства Республики Казахстан от 18 сентября 2019 года № 693 «О внесении изменения в постановление Правительства Республики Казахстан от 21 января 2012 года № 148 «Об утверждении Правил въезда и пребывания иммигрантов в Республике Казахстан, а также их выезда из Республики Казахстан и Правил осуществления миграционного контроля, а также учета иностранцев и лиц без гражданства, незаконно пересекающих Государственную границу Республики Казахстан, незаконно пребывающих на территории Республики Казахстан, а также лиц, которым запрещен въезд на территорию Республики Казахстан»".
  10. ^ "Kazakhstan grants nationals of India, Iran, China visa free stay for 14 days". 10 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Maldives on mutual exemption of visa requirements". gov.egov.kz. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Principality of Andorra on mutual exemption of visa requirements".
  13. ^ "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania on mutual exemption of visa requirements".
  14. ^ "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua on mutual exemption of visa requirements".
  15. ^ "Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles on mutual exemption of visa requirements".
  16. ^ "О введении визового (разрешительного) порядка въезда граждан Латвийской, Эстонской и Литовской Республик на территорию Республики Казахстан - ИПС "Әділет"". adilet.zan.kz. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  17. ^ Was applied under visa exemption agreement between USSR and Hungary
  18. ^ Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Hungary about the order of mutual visa-free trips of citizens with diplomatic and service passports. See Article 7.3 (in Russian)
  19. ^ Was applied under visa exemption agreement between Cuba and USSR
  20. ^ "О ратификации Соглашения между Правительством Республики Казахстан и Правительством Республики Куба о порядке взаимных поездок граждан обоих государств - ИПС "Әділет"". adilet.zan.kz. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  21. ^ "О ратификации Соглашения между Правительством Республики Казахстан и Правительством Туркменистана о взаимных поездках граждан - ИПС "Әділет"". adilet.zan.kz. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Визовый режим РК с другими государствами - Электронное правительство Республики Казахстан". egov.kz. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  23. ^ "Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan To Launch 'Silk Visa' Program in February". Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  24. ^ "Joint visa plan opens doors for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  25. ^ "Kazakhstan eVisa".
  26. ^ "Countries available for e-visa".
  27. ^ "Who may obtain an e-Visa?".
  28. ^ "Kazakhstan visa policy" (PDF). Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y "International tourism, number of arrivals: Kazakhstan". data.worldbank.org. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  30. ^ "stat.gov.kz". stat.gov.kz. Retrieved 17 June 2019.

External links edit

  • "Visa Regime of Kazakhstan with other countries" (in Russian). The Ministry of foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 3 June 2017. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.