Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Entry requirements

Visa Requirements

All British passport holders must have a valid visa prior to travel. Travellers should ensure they hold the appropriate visa for the purpose of their travel especially for business visas or work permits. Kazakhstan authorities have very strict policy on visa non-compliance, which could be a ban on entry to Kazakhstan for up to five years.

A visa for Kazakhstan is normally valid for 30 days from the date of issue and should be obtained from your nearest Kazakh Embassy before travelling. There is also a consulate based in Aberdeen where visas for Kazakhstan can now be obtained. Please check the validity dates of your visa and any associated restrictions for Kazakhstan carefully before travelling and similarly, if necessary, for the country for your onward destination.

Passport validity

You should ensure that your passport is valid for at least three months after your proposed date of leaving Kazakhstan.

Visits of up to 90 days

For most visits British passport holders travelling to Kazakhstan do not need to register with the local authorities (OVIR -The Department for Visas and Registration under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA)) providing you arrive at one of the 12 Kazakhstan International Airports. However, British travellers are advised to check with local oblast authorities as some oblasts still insist upon the registration requirement for visitors even for short stays.

In cases where British passport holders do not need to register with the local OVIR offices, they must ensure that they keep their white immigration card stamped by Kazakhstani Immigration throughout their journey and ready for inspection upon departure. Failure to do so could result in you having to register with the local authorities. If you intend to travel through any of Kazakhstan's border points you should check with the nearest Kazakhstan Embassy to see whether registration with OVIR is required.

Visits for more than 90 days and long-term visitors

If you intend staying for longer than 90 days you will need to register with the local authorities. In such circumstances you may be registered through the organisation that invited you to Kazakhstan or the tourist agency organising your visit. As your registration includes details of where you work or study and your residence in Kazakhstan the MIA should be informed in writing of any changes to these details.

For long-term visitors (including work permit holders), you should check with your prospective employer in Kazakhstan whether you must provide an original HIV/Aids-free certificate as sometimes this is needed by the local authorities where you live/work. You should ensure you have the original with you, as copies are not accepted.

Caspian Sea ferry services

If you intend to take one of the Caspian Sea ferry services from Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan you should be aware that you need a valid visa for that country before you travel. You may find that if you arrive at your destination without a valid visa you will be returned back to Kazakhstan.

Transiting Kazakhstan

There is no agreement allowing visas issued in one Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) country to be used to transit Kazakhstan. If you intend to visit two or more CIS countries you should contact the relevant embassies for advice before travelling.

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the Kazakh Embassy in London.

Travelling to restricted areas

Foreigners may only enter the following territories of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which are closed to foreign travellers until 2015, if prior permission has been received from the Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry, with an agreement with the Kazakh National Security Committee:

• The Gvardeyskiy urban-type village in Almaty Region (south eastern Kazakhstan)
• The town of Baykonur
• The districts of Karmakchi and Kazalinsk in (southern) Kyzylorda Region