Almaty airport arrival 2026: terminals, bus, taxi, SIM

01

Which terminal will you arrive at?

International flights land at Terminal 2 (T2), and domestic flights use Terminal 1 (T1). If you fly in from Tashkent, Istanbul, Dubai or Europe, you arrive at T2.

The airport put T2 into service on 1 June 2024. Tengrinews reported that from 01:00 on 14 June 2024 every international flight has used T2, and that T1 now serves only the domestic flights of Air Astana, SCAT, FlyArystan, Qazaq Air and Southern Sky. The airport's own arrival guide names the two buildings the same way: domestic terminal T1, international terminal T2.

T1 is being rebuilt. The state news agency Kazinform reported on 19 August 2026 that the main works inside the domestic terminal were due to finish by the end of September 2026, and that work on the passage between the two terminals would follow in October and November. Its entrance arrangements already changed in May. Expect temporary signs, and if you cannot see the way between the buildings, ask the airport information desk on +7 727 228 00 19.

02

What happens after you land?

You go through passport control, collect your bags, pass customs and come out into the arrivals hall, in that order. The airport's arrival guide describes the same sequence and gives no waiting times. We don't give any either.

Almaty keeps the same clock as Tashkent. All of Kazakhstan moved to UTC+5 at 00:00 on 1 March 2024, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration, so a flight from Tashkent brings no time change.

1. 1

   Passport control

   Have your passport ready, plus a visa or e-visa if your nationality needs one. The airport's immigration page asks for a passport valid at least six months after your travel date; the entry rules themselves, including who needs a visa, are on our Kazakhstan entry guide. QazETA, the new electronic travel authorisation, was still a free, voluntary pilot on 24 September 2026: the Interior Ministry told Bes.media on 7 September that not having it is no reason to refuse entry. Media reports of a 1 November 2026 start at airports have not been confirmed by Kazakhstan.

2. 2

   Baggage

   Screens in the baggage hall show your flight's carousel. If a bag is missing or damaged, report it before you leave. The airport's Lost & Found numbers are +7 727 228 00 19, extension 49492, or +7 708 115 01 78 for T2; extension 48195 or +7 708 289 81 59 for T1; email LostBaggageALA@tav.aero.

3. 3

   Customs

   Walk through the green channel if you have nothing to declare, the red one if you do. Cash worth more than US$10,000 in total must be declared in writing, according to the State Revenue Committee.

4. 4

   Arrivals hall

   The meeting point for international arrivals is on the ground floor of T2. After customs you are in the public area, where the airport lists its ATMs, exchange desks, the Onay card point and the Kcell and Tele2 phone shops.

03

How do you get from the airport to the city?

Take bus 92 by day or bus 3 at night for 120 ₸, a car from the official Taxi Point, or a Yandex Go ride. The table sets out what the airport and the operators publish.

Our advice: after a late or long flight, or with several suitcases, go straight to your hotel by taxi or app. The bus suits a daytime arrival with light bags and a hotel near its route. Both buses end in residential microdistricts, not at a central square, so look up your hotel's stop in a journey planner before you board.

04

How do you pay for the airport bus?

Buy an Onay transport card before you board. The airport's bus page names Onay as the way to pay and says the card is sold on the ground floor of the international terminal's arrivals area.

Onay's own site lists the standard “Edinaya” (single) card at 800 ₸ and a single ride at 120 ₸, with the airport among its sale points. For one person, the card and the first ride come to 920 ₸ (our sum). The same card works on Almaty's other city buses, and you can top it up during your stay.

Bank cards are spreading on Almaty's buses but are not yet a sure thing on the airport routes. The city has been rolling out Avtobys, which takes bank cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay on equipped vehicles. On 29 May 2026 Vlast.kz, citing the company and the city transport office, reported that it covered about 80% of public transport and that Onay would keep working alongside it. No source we read says whether buses 92 and 3 are among the equipped ones. The Onay card is the payment the airport itself names, so buy one.

05

Where is the official taxi desk, and what does a taxi cost?

The airport's official taxi service is Taxi Point, open 24 hours, on the ground floor of the domestic terminal (T1) next to exits A and B. It has fixed fares for each car class, from economy to business, but the airport does not publish them.

The airport's taxi page says the driver reaches the pickup point within a minute of your order and that floor signs lead to the terminal exits. It recommends using the airport's official taxi services and confirming the car class, the price and the terms before the trip. The page places Taxi Point in T1 only and names no desk in T2. If you arrive at T2 and cannot find it, ask the information desk (+7 727 228 00 19) before accepting a ride from anyone else.

Yandex Go also serves the airport. Its Almaty tariff page lists city rides from 400 ₸, including the first 3 minutes and 1 km, then up to 58 ₸ per km and 27 ₸ per minute. Pickup from the airport car park adds up to 265 ₸. The page says this tariff is valid to 29 September 2026, and peak-time coefficients can raise the fare. The app shows the price before you confirm.

Canada's travel advice for Kazakhstan, updated 9 September 2026, warns that at airports some drivers insist on taking you and then overcharge heavily, and that ride-hailing apps give generally safer cars and fixed fares, except in the cheapest category. We suggest you turn down offers in the hall and use the desk or the app. Canada: Kazakhstan.

06

Can you buy a SIM card at the airport?

Yes. The airport's shop list places Kcell Activ Telecom and Tele2 stores in the public area and a Beeline store after passport control, so on arrival look for Kcell or Tele2. The list does not say which terminal each shop is in.

Kazakhstan checks the IMEI of every phone used with a Kazakh SIM. A Bes.media guide of 15 December 2025 explains that you get 30 days from the phone's first connection to a Kazakh network to verify it at kz-imei.kz, and that foreigners obtain the required border-crossing certificate in the QazETA app. The UK Foreign Office (entry requirements, updated 30 March 2026) adds that verification also needs a Kazakh individual identification number (IIN). Without verification, your local SIM is blocked after 30 days and you cannot activate another one.

For a stay under 30 days, a local SIM works for the whole trip. For a longer stay, or if you cannot get an IIN, the Foreign Office suggests a global eSIM. If Uzbekistan is your next stop, its phone and customs rules are in our SIM and eSIM guide.

07

Where do you get tenge at the airport?

From an ATM or an exchange desk in the arrivals area. The airport's services list places ATMs of several banks and the Yes Exchange, Tabys Exchange and Service Exchange desks in the public area; Service Exchange is described as open around the clock. Birinshi Exchange and a BCC bank branch are after passport control.

You need tenge straight away for the Onay card, and possibly for the taxi. We suggest taking out or changing enough for the first day, and comparing the rate and any fee shown at the desk or on the ATM screen before you confirm. Card acceptance, the exchange rate we use and how Russian MIR cards work in Almaty are covered in the money section of our Almaty guide. What a trip costs across the country: Kazakhstan trip cost.

08

Does Almaty airport have lounges, Wi-Fi and luggage storage?

Yes. Wi-Fi is free throughout the terminal, luggage storage and a capsule hotel are in the public area, and there are four lounges. The lounges are after passport control or in a separate building, so they serve passengers who are leaving, not those who have just landed.

The airport's list does not give lounge prices or access terms beyond the short descriptions below. If you want a lounge on departure, check with your airline or the lounge operator before the day.

09

Changing to a domestic flight at Almaty

Plan the change as a walk from T2 to T1 and a fresh security check, and ask your airline how your bags travel. The airport site publishes no minimum connection time.

Air Astana has a special arrangement. Tengrinews reported on 11 September 2025 that from 15 September 2025 the airline checks in all its Almaty passengers, domestic and international, in T2 only. Domestic check-in is at counters 14–25, with bag drop for online check-in at counters 14–15; after check-in, domestic passengers walk to T1 for security and boarding. Online check-in opens 36 hours and closes 60 minutes before departure. SCAT, FlyArystan and Qazaq Air kept domestic check-in in T1.

That arrangement is tied to the T1 rebuilding, which Kazinform's August report expects to finish its main stage at the end of September 2026. The check-in hall may therefore move back. Before you fly, confirm with your airline, or with the airport information desk on +7 727 228 00 19, where your domestic flight checks in.

Whether your bag goes through to the final city depends on your ticket and airline. Ask at check-in on your first flight; if the bag is not checked through, you collect it in T2, clear customs and check it in again.

10

Going on by train, or on to Uzbekistan

Take a taxi or a Yandex Go ride from the airport to the station printed on your ticket. Almaty has two main railway stations, Almaty-1 and Almaty-2, and they are in different parts of the city. Going on to Astana or Bishkek? See Almaty to Astana and Almaty to Bishkek.

The Talgo train to Tashkent leaves from Almaty-2, according to the KTZ schedule. Its timetable, fares and the border are in our Tashkent to Almaty guide. What to see once you are in town is in our Almaty guide.

Combining Almaty with Uzbekistan? See our 10-day route from Tashkent to Almaty. We arrange the Uzbekistan part and can advise on the rest. If your trip starts in Tashkent instead, read our Tashkent airport arrival guide.

11

Leaving Almaty by air

Check in at your airline's counter or a self-service kiosk, then go through security and, on international flights, passport control. The airport's departure guide recommends checking in online beforehand and says airlines usually start boarding 40–60 minutes before departure.

At security, liquids, gels and aerosols must be in containers of 100 ml or less, packed together in a clear, resealable 1-litre bag; laptops and tablets may have to go in a separate tray. Duty-free purchases must stay sealed with the receipt. If you fly Air Astana on a domestic route, remember that check-in has been in T2 even though the plane leaves from T1: tell your driver the airline, not only the terminal.

Declare cash worth more than US$10,000 on the way out as well as on the way in, following the same State Revenue Committee rule.

12

What can go wrong at Almaty airport?

Before you arrive, check which terminal you need, how you will pay for a taxi and whether the phone registration rules affect your stay.

• Pushy drivers in the arrivals hall. Canada's advice warns of overcharging at airports; use Taxi Point or an app.
• No published taxi fares. Taxi Point's prices are not online, so ask for the total and the payment method first.
• The official taxi desk is in T1, while international passengers arrive in T2. Ask the information desk if the signs are unclear.
• No Onay card, no bus. Bank-card payment on buses 92 and 3 is not confirmed.
• A local SIM that stops working after 30 days if the phone's IMEI is not verified.
• Building work in T1 and on the passage between the terminals until about November 2026, and Air Astana domestic check-in in T2: confirm where your flight checks in.
• Arriving after 23:00: only night bus 3 runs, to Orbita-2, so a taxi or app is usually simpler.
• Things we could not check: a taxi fare to the centre, whether Taxi Point takes cards, lounge prices and the walking time between terminals.

Common questions