Visa & Permits

Foreign visitors are required to have a valid passport and a visa to enter Kazakhstan. To apply for a visa, please contact the Embassy of Kazakhstan in  your home country. In countries, where Kazakhstan does not have an Embassy, Consulate or Diplomatic Representative, visa may be obtained on arrival at the airport provided permission has been approved in advance. Visas are only valid for the cities indicated on the visa.

To obtain a visa, a Letter of Invitation is required from a sponsor in Kazakhstan and must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Astana (also known as Visa Support). Normally the sponsor is a tour operating agency or a hotel. Once the permission is granted it is then sent to the Kazakhstan Consulate overseas where the visa is issued. The complete procedure can take a minimum of three weeks.

Invitation Letter requirements:
01 Name
02 Nationality / Citizenship.
03 Sex and marital status
04 Date and place of birth
05 Residence address.
06 Passport number, issue date / place & validity
07 Date and point of arrival / departure
08 Occupation & place of work (name and address of organization).

Registration: Every foreign visitor should upon the arrival in Kazakhstan, be registered with the local police department known as OVIR. The hotel where the tourist is staying or the Travel Agency that is providing the local tour services normally does this.

Visa rules and regulations are subject to change at a short notice. Prior to making reservations prospective visitors are advised to contact the nearest Kazakhstan Consulate for current regulations governing the issuance of tourist visas.