Kazakhstan Visa Requirements
Here are some important points in regards to visa requirements that you need to be aware of, should you choose to visit this beautiful country.
1. Citizens of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent State (CIS), namely Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldovia*, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine* do not need an entry visa to Kazakhstan.
* However, entry without a visa is restricted to 90 days for citizens from Moldavia and 3 months for citizens from Ukraine.
2. All other foreign citizens will need to obtain an entry visa to Kazakhstan.
3. There are several types of entry visas, namely:
| Visa | Description |
|---|---|
| Business visas | are issued to foreign citizens and persons without citizenship traveling to Kazakhstan for business (to attend business negotiations, forums, market research, etc.) upon application of non-governmental legal entities, registered on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. |
| Tourist visas | are issued upon approval of a local travel agency's application, licensed to operate as such. |
| Transit visas | are issued upon provision of a visa valid to enter the country of destination and relevant tickets with confirmation of departure date from the transfer point on the territory of Kazakhstan, no later than 5 days from the moment of arrival to the port or station in Kazakhstan. |
| Diplomatic visas | are issued to holders of diplomatic passports and in some instances, when the issue of a diplomatic visa has been recognized expedient. Diplomatic visas are registered without levy of consular fees. |
| Official visas | are issued to personnel of foreign diplomatic and other representations and international organizations, who are not considered diplomatic personnel, and also to foreign citizens and persons without citizenship traveling on business, invited by government bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan. |
| Investor visas | are issued to genuine investors - managers and representatives of managerial staff of major foreign companies, operating on the Kazakhstani market or who have genuine plans to develop business projects. |
| Work visas | Work visas are issued upon provision of permission for foreign labor recruitment and other documents if is not regulated by an international treaty or agreement of the Republic of Kazakhstan. |
| Study visas | are issued with permission of the immigration police upon application of educational institutions. |
| Medical visas | are issued to foreigners and persons without citizenship traveling to Kazakhstan for treatment, medical checkup, consultations and similar reasons upon application of the relevant institutions and organizations confirming the character of the invitation. |
| Permanent Residence visas | are issued upon provision of documents stipulated by the legislation. |
| IMPORTANT NOTE | “Visa on Arrival” is not supported. |
4. For most entry visas, your passport should remain valid for at least six (6) months after your planned departure date. Once approved, the issued visa will normally be glued into your passport.
5. Each application for visa will need to be supported by an Invitational letter.
6. An Invitational letter is not needed for single entry official, private, business and tourist, visas, for citizens of the following countries:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and USA.
7. For multiple entry, business and tourist visas, a Permit from the Migration Police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is also required, if the inviting body is a non-governmental organization.
8. Application for an entry visa should be made to the Kazakhstan diplomatic or consular office in the country of your residence. You can find a list of all Kazakhstan diplomatic offices under the “Travel Information/Diplomatic Missions/Abroad (Kazakhstan)” section of this website.
9. When applying for your visa, you will need the following :
a. valid passport;
b. passport size photograph;
c. the invitation letter.
The consul may determine on the spot, if other documents are required.
10. Fees are payable for all visas, with the exception of Diplomatic Visas.
11. It is recommended that you visit the following website for detailed additional information: www.mfa.kz
