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Visas
VisasFor most Western travellers, it is possible to obtain a visa from a Kazakh embassy in your own country with just a cover letter stating your reasons for travel (a letter of invitation is no longer required). Visa prices in the West are T125 for US citizens or T33 for UK citizens. Invitation-free visas are good for a maximum of 30 days.
The necessary documents for obtaining a visa are:
- Letter explaining the purpose of the visit
- Application form, fully completed and signed by the applicant
- Valid passport with one full blank page to affix the visa (please note that the passport must be valid for at least six months after visa expiry date)
- One passport sized photograph
- Self addressed and prepaid envelope (special delivery or registered post only).
Alternatively, tourist visas can be obtained at Almaty airport for T40, but these require a letter of invitation from a Kazakh company or travel agent, which usually charge around T30-T40 for the service. It is not officially possible to get a visa at any other airport in the country or at any land borders.
Getting a visa at a Kazakh embassy elsewhere in Asia is possible, but this tends to be more complicated and you may be required to show proof of hotel bookings. However; the process is cheaper and easier in the Central Asian capitals of Bishkek, Dushanbe and Tashkent.
Transit visas are available to most western nationalities at the airport as long as you have a ticket out of Kazakhstan within five calendar days. Travellers are usually registered with the Kazakhstan Office of Visas & Registration (OVIR) when they enter the country, but it's a good idea to check whether this has been done, or whether you need to register yourself. When in doubt, register within five days of your arrival.
The Kazakhstan Embassy of the UK and France advises all applicants to submit visa applications at least 5 days prior to the departure date. |
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