Kazakhstan visa and entry rules 2026: QazETA, registration

01

Do I need a visa for Kazakhstan?

Probably not, if you hold a Western passport. The foreign ministry's visa table, updated on 21 August 2026, lists US, UK, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Japanese, South Korean and all EU passports as visa-free for up to 30 days. Russians, Belarusians, Armenians, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and several other neighbours get 90 days, and Indian citizens get 14. Kazakh MFA: visa regime for foreign citizens

The table below groups the passports our readers ask about most. It covers ordinary passports only; diplomatic and service passports have their own columns in the ministry's table. If your country is not here, look it up on the ministry page before you book: it lists every country, and it is the source we follow.

The day limits come from Kazakh law. Under paragraph 6 of the Rules of Entry and Stay of Immigrants (Government Decree No. 148), a visa-free visitor's permitted stay ends 30 calendar days after crossing the border, and 90 days in total in each 180-day period, unless an agreement or the government sets another limit. For citizens of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) the figures are 90 days, and 90 in 180. Rules No. 148, paragraph 6

For Uzbek citizens, the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan agreement allows 30 days per visit without temporary registration and 90 days in 180 in total. For Indian citizens, the Kazakh embassy in London adds that visa-free stays may not exceed 42 days in any 180. Agreement with Uzbekistan, Article 2, Kazakh embassy in London: information about visas

02

How do the 30-day and 90/180-day limits work?

Each entry gives you up to 30 days, but every day you spent in Kazakhstan during the last 180 counts towards the 90. Leaving and coming back starts a new 30 days, not a new 90. Rules No. 148, paragraph 6

The border officer does the sum on the spot. The rules say the permitted stay is calculated at entry by counting 180 calendar days back from the day you arrive, and the same count is made when you leave and at any check inside the country. If the count at entry shows you have used up your allowance, you are refused entry. Rules No. 148, paragraph 6

An example (our calculation, for a traveller entitled to 30 days per visit): you fly into Almaty on 1 October and cross to Kyrgyzstan on 25 October, which is 25 days. You come back overland on 10 November and leave for Tashkent on 5 December: 26 more days. Each visit is under 30 days, and you have used 51 of your 90. A third visit in January can last the full 30 days, taking you to about 81. On a fourth visit in February the officer, counting back 180 days, still finds the October, November and January days, so you would have only about 9 days left.

When you plan, count the day you arrive and the day you leave as full days and keep a margin of a day or two. The rules count from the day of crossing but do not explain part days, and the QazETA platform's help pages tell visitors to count their remaining days themselves. A night on the Tashkent to Bishkek bus through Kazakhstan also counts. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan keep their own, separate counts: see our Kyrgyzstan page and Uzbekistan visa guide. QazETA: questions and answers

03

What is QazETA, and do I need it now?

Not yet, according to the official statements available on 24 September 2026. QazETA is Kazakhstan's electronic travel authorisation for visitors from visa-free countries. It is in a pilot: on 6 September 2026 the Interior Ministry said that applying is not compulsory, that no fee is charged, and that not having QazETA is no reason to refuse entry. Economist.kg: Interior Ministry statement, Bes.media: Interior Ministry reply, 7 September

The legal basis is Law No. 326-VIII of 24 June 2026. It defines the electronic entry permit, leaves its fee to the government and adds a new ground for refusing entry: having no permit, for citizens of countries the government will name. The foreign ministry said on 10 September that these provisions took effect on 25 August 2026 and that the list of countries and the dates of mandatory use would be set separately. Law No. 326-VIII on Adilet, Mgorod: foreign ministry reply

How it works, as the foreign ministry described it in January: you apply in the QazETA mobile app at least 72 hours before travel; the authorisation is valid for 180 days; it does not change how long you may stay; and it does not guarantee entry, which is decided at border control. Kazakh embassy in London: the QazETA platform

Our advice: if you are between 19 and 64 and travel on a visa-free passport, apply anyway. It is free during the pilot, and the official platform's own entry checker already answers ‘Entry permit required’ for adult UK and US passports (checked 24 September 2026), which is not what the ministries say. During the pilot, an approved QazETA costs nothing and may help avoid confusion at check-in or at the border. QazETA: entry checker

04

When will QazETA become mandatory, and what will it cost?

No Kazakh authority has given a date. On 16 September 2026 the foreign ministry's spokesperson, Zhanbolat Usenov, told journalists that the procedure for visa-free countries should be settled by the end of 2026 or early 2027, and that the tool is being considered for citizens of all countries with a visa-free regime. Kazakhstan Today, 16 September 2026

A schedule is circulating anyway: airports from 1 November 2026, road borders with China, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan from 15 November, road borders with EAEU countries from 30 November, rail and sea crossings from 15 December. It came from a Serbian foreign ministry notice, reported on 1 September. When we read that Serbian page on 24 September, it no longer gave any dates: it said the stages and the fee would be announced later by the Kazakh authorities, and that travellers arriving without a permit are told it will be required on later entries. Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry did not confirm the dates when asked. VisasNews, 1 September 2026, Serbian MFA: Kazakhstan, Bes.media

The fee is not set either. The law leaves the amount to the government; figures of about 3,900 ₸ online and 7,600–7,800 ₸ at the border appeared in August reports and remain unconfirmed. Law No. 326-VIII, Article 6-2, VisasNews

The age rules are unclear too. The platform's exemption list names people under 18 and people aged 65 and over; its entry checker says ‘up to and including 18’; and one answer in its help pages says children under 16. Until the government publishes the implementing rules, do not assume that travellers aged 16 or over are exempt. QazETA: questions and answers

05

Do I have to register in Kazakhstan?

You do not file anything yourself for a short visit, but someone must: your host. Under paragraph 9 of Rules No. 148, the person or company that houses you must inform the police of your arrival within 3 working days. Rules No. 148, paragraph 9

Hotels do this through eQonaq, the state guest-registration system. Landlords and friends who host you must do it too, in eQonaq, on the visa and migration portal vmp.gov.kz (which needs a Kazakh electronic signature) or in person at a migration office. The duty applies to foreign guests only, including visa-free visitors, whatever the length of stay. Kazinform: eQonaq, vmp.gov.kz: notice of a foreigner's stay, German foreign office

Private rentals are where it goes wrong. The penalty falls on the host: under Article 518 of the Administrative Code, a private person who notifies late gets a warning and businesses are fined from 10 monthly calculation indices (MRP). Before booking an apartment, ask the owner in writing who will file the notice, and ask for proof afterwards; Germany's foreign office suggests keeping a printout until you leave. Administrative Code, Article 518, German foreign office

Older guides mention a 5-day window. The current rules and the government's own portal both say 3 working days. vmp.gov.kz: notice of a foreigner's stay

06

What if I want to stay longer than 30 days?

Get a visa before you travel. Germany's foreign office says a stay of more than 30 days needs a visa applied for in good time at a Kazakh mission, and Kazakh Invest, the state investment agency, says the police extend a visa-free stay only for business purposes, with a single business visa of up to 30 days. German foreign office, Kazakh Invest: registration of foreign citizens

Citizens of 48 countries, including the UK, can get a single-entry visa without an invitation letter in some categories, among them a 30-day tourist visa (B12) and a 90-day private visa (B10), according to the Kazakh embassy in London. For any visa, your passport must stay valid for at least 3 months after the visa ends. Kazakh embassy in London, Rules No. 148, paragraph 5

Overstaying costs money and can mean expulsion. Article 517 of the Administrative Code sets the penalties below; in 2026 one MRP is 4,325 ₸. After a fine, the rules give you 15 calendar days to leave. Germany's foreign office adds that a delayed or cancelled flight is no excuse and that court proceedings can keep you in the country for weeks. Administrative Code, Article 517, Budget law 2026–2028, Article 7, Rules No. 148, paragraph 6

Staying more than 30 days with a local SIM card? A Kazakh SIM in a foreign phone is blocked after 30 days unless the phone's IMEI is registered, and the registration uses a border-crossing certificate issued in the QazETA app, according to the UK foreign office and the QazETA help pages. UK FCDO: entry requirements, QazETA: questions and answers

07

Who needs an e-visa, and where can you enter with one?

If your passport is not on the visa-free list, check the e-visa first. The foreign ministry's January 2026 description says citizens of 104 countries, including India, Egypt, Nepal and Sri Lanka, can apply for single-entry e-visas in categories such as tourist (B12), business and private. Kazakh embassy in London: the QazETA platform

Two conditions catch people out. You need an invitation, registered with the Kazakh police by your host in Kazakhstan, and you may enter and leave only through an international airport. The visa and migration portal adds that e-visas are not issued to foreigners travelling with children, that the e-visa must be printed, and that paid consular fees are not refunded. A new passport means a new e-visa. Kazakh embassy in London, vmp.gov.kz: visas

This airport-only requirement excludes train and road crossings: no e-visa entry on the Tashkent to Almaty Talgo or at Beyneu. The portal page still names only the Astana and Almaty airports, while the ministry's newer text says any international airport. If you plan to land elsewhere, such as Shymkent, confirm with a Kazakh consulate first. vmp.gov.kz: visas

We found no e-visa fee on the official pages we read, so ask the consulate. Apply through the official QazETA app or vmp.gov.kz.

08

How much passport validity do you need?

Plan on six months. The sources disagree: the UK foreign office says 30 days from arrival and one blank page; Germany's foreign office says six months at entry; and the QazETA platform asks for a passport valid for at least six months when you apply for an ETA. The Kazakh rules we read set a figure only for visa holders: 3 months after the visa expires. UK FCDO, German foreign office, QazETA: ETA, Rules No. 148, paragraph 5

Germany's foreign office warns that a damaged passport can lead to refusal of entry. The UK foreign office says Kazakhstan does not recognise dual nationality: anyone found with a Kazakh passport and another passport is fined and may lose Kazakh citizenship. German foreign office, UK FCDO

Two more checks from the same advisories. Declare cash above US$10,000 on arrival (Germany says from US$10,000; we did not find the Kazakh customs text). A minor travelling without parents should carry a notarised consent from the parents translated into Russian or Kazakh, as Germany's foreign office recommends. UK FCDO, German foreign office

09

Can I cross by land from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan?

Yes, with a visa-free passport; with an e-visa, no. From Tashkent, the daily Kazakh Railways Talgo to Almaty and the road crossings both work. The main road post, Gisht Kuprik (Zhibek Zholy on the Kazakh side), has been closed for rebuilding and was still being prepared for its launch on 7 September 2026; Kaplanbek is the crossing in use. Our Tashkent to Almaty guide has the train times and the dated border status. Otyrar, 7 September 2026, Kazinform: Kaplanbek

In the west, the road crossing at Tazhen (Daut-ota on the Uzbek side) was closed to people from 1 February 2025, and Kazakhstan's State Revenue Committee sent foot passengers to the rail crossing at Beyneu. The train is the way through: see Nukus to Beyneu, which found no reopening notice up to 24 September 2026. State Revenue Committee, 30 January 2025

From Bishkek, the main road crossing to Almaty is Korday (Ak-Zhol on the Kyrgyz side), open around the clock according to Caravanistan's crossing guide. Caravanistan: Kazakhstan border crossings

At any land crossing, keep your passport, your onward ticket and any QazETA approval where you can reach them. We arrange the Uzbekistan part of a trip and can advise on the Kazakhstan part: send us your route.

10

Do I need anything to transit Kazakhstan?

Not if you stay airside: passengers in the transit zone of an international airport are on the QazETA exemption list. If you leave the airport, the normal rules apply: visa-free passports use their allowance, and everyone else needs a visa, because the entry rules require one unless the law or an agreement says otherwise. QazETA: questions and answers, Rules No. 148, paragraph 5

The platform's help pages also mention transit of up to 3 days without an ETA, which is not in its own exemption list. We would not rely on it, and we found no official visa-free transit rule for passports that need a visa.

11

What can go wrong?

Most problems come from rules that are changing or from someone else's paperwork. These are the ones we would plan around. See all our Kazakhstan guides and safety advice. Combining countries? The Central Asia trip planner compares entry rules and border crossings across all four.

• Mixed messages on QazETA. The ministries say it is voluntary; the official platform's checker says it is required. An airline check-in agent may follow the checker. Applying is free, so apply.
• A rental host who fails to report your arrival. The fine is the host's, but you are the one without proof of notification at a check. Ask for confirmation.
• The 90/180 count on multi-country trips. An Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan–Kyrgyzstan–Kazakhstan loop adds up quickly, and the check happens at the border when it is too late to change plans.
• E-visa at a land border. Not allowed: e-visa holders must fly in and out.
• Closed border crossings. Gisht Kuprik has no announced opening date, and the western road crossing at Tazhen is closed to people.
• What we could not verify. egov.kz did not load for us; we found no official e-visa fee, no Kazakh text for the cash limit and no final QazETA age rule. The page says so where it matters.

Common questions