visa regulations

							Visa Regulations
The Rules to Obtain Kazakh Visas
oreign citizens and people without citizenship should obtain a visa to enter the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the order stated by the treaty with another country. The basis for Kazakh visa issuance and prolongation of the visa terms are written requests of international organizations, representative bodies of foreign countries, as well as Kazakh state institutions completed in accordance with the order determined by the current legislation to the Department of Consular Service of the MFA RK in Astana or Representative office of DCS in Almaty. Private organizations that invite foreign citizens as tourists or for business purposes, should coordinate the invitation with local migration police (or with Departments of migration police in Astana and Almaty for the organizations located in these cities) prior to submitting the written request to DCS MFA RK. Entrance visa for foreign citizens, entering the Republic of Kazakhstan for private affairs, is executed by the Departments of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Visas are issued by the Kazakhstan Embassy on the basis of an invitation from an individual or organization that is the sponsor in Kazakhstan, or by bilateral agreement. To get a visa, any foreign citizen should also provide to the Consular Department of MFA RK abroad a valid passport (or other respective document), application form and photo. A necessity to submit other documents is determined by a Consul. Consular officer should verify an authenticity and terms of the documents submitted. The period of passport validity should be not less than six month after the visa is expired. If in the country there is no such department or embassy, then an applicant must apply to the Consular Department of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in a neighboring country, which is responsible for issuing visas to your country. In case of emergency (illness or death of relatives) a visa can be issued on the basis of an international telegram from the Republic of Kazakhstan signed by a doctor. Normal fee for consular service is an amount of consular fee and reimbursement of expenses to be paid in USD or resident’s country currency. A consular fee for single PK visa can vary depending on types of visa: $30 for 7-day Entry/Exit visa; $50 for 14-day Entry/Exit visa; $70 for 1-month Entry/Exit visa and over 1-month Entry/Exit visa will cost $100. A fee to be paid for double PK visa is equal to 1. 5 times of single visa and thrice-repeated visa will cost 1. 75 times of single visa for the corresponding period. A consular fee for 1-year and 2-year Multiple-entry visas will be $200 and $400 respectively A consular fee for Transit visa is equal to $15. Pursuant to the mutual agreements, there are special counselor tariff for Lithuania and China citizens. The staff of diplomatic and councilor offices accredited in Kazakhstan as well as citizens of Japan and Turkey are free from payment of counselor charges. Some of foreign citizens and people without citizenship of Kazakh nationality may have privileges for visa issuance and discounts on consular fees. An amount of administrative expenses to be reimbursed for visa issuance is equal to $5 in the offices of MFA RK abroad and $10 within the territory of Kazakhstan. A counselor fee for prompt issuance of Kazakh visa is doubled. Visas are also divided into Diplomatic, Official, Investor, Business, Tourist, Student, Medical and Employment, Residence and Transit. Diplomatic visas are issued free of consular fee to foreign citizens having Diplomatic passports who are going to enter the RoK for official purposes and in other cases when issuance of diplomatic visa is considered as reasonable. Doing Business in Kazakhstan - 1 Visa Regulations

F

Official RK visas are issued to the staff of foreign Diplomatic and other representative offices and international organizations, as well as to foreign citizens and people without citizenship entering RK for official purposes on invitations received from the state institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Investor’s visas are issued to actual investors such as managers of the large foreign companies doing business in a Kazakhstan market. Business visas are issued to foreign citizens and people without citizenship entering RK for business purposes under the invitations received from private legal entities registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Such visas provide no rights for employment within the territory of Kazakhstan. Private visas are issued to foreign citizens and people without citizenship entering RK to visit relatives of for other private purposes under the invitations registered with the Department of Internal Affairs of RK. Tourist visas are issued by the Consular Department of MFA RK abroad on the basis of confirmation on acceptance of a foreign citizen by tourist firm registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan and having a license for tourist services for foreign citizens, as well as permissions from Departments of MIA and MFA of RK. Tourist visas are issued for the period not more than 30 days and can be extended by respective departments of MIA RK and DIA in Astana and Almaty only in cases of emergency (illness of a tourist, extraordinary natural events, etc. ). Student visas are issued to foreign citizens entering Kazakhstan to study, for internship, etc. and having the appropriate permission certificates from the Departments of Internal Affairs and Visa Support Department of MFA RK that are submitted on the basis of petition from Training institutions that has a right to train foreign citizens. Medical visas are issued to foreign citizens and people without citizenship entering RK for medical treatment, diagnostics, consultation or other similar purposes and having the appropriate permission certificates from the Departments of Internal Affairs and Visa Support Department of MFA RK that are submitted on the basis of petition from medical organizations or other confirmation documents. Employment visas are issued to: 1. foreign citizens entering RK for employment and having the appropriate invitation, official employment contract signed by Kazakh employer, as well as permission certificates from the Ministry of Labor and Social Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, that vests the inviting legal entity with the right to attract foreign citizens for employment; 2. foreign citizens entering RK for employment in accordance with international treaties or agreements. Residence visas RK are issued on the basis of all necessary document prepared in accordance with the current legislation. Transit visas RK are issued by Representative Offices abroad and Counselor departments of MFA RK in airports of Astana, Almaty and Atyrau for transit travel through the territory of Kazakhstan in the presence of documents (visas) valid for entrance to the country of destination and corresponding transportation documents with stated dates departure from the territory of Kazakhstan that is not longer than 72 hours from the time of arrival to Kazakhstan. The visa gives the right to stay within the territory of Kazakhstan or to travel by transit through the territory of Kazakhstan for the period stated in visa and depending on a type of a visa. It can be: Entry, Entry/Exit, Exit, or Exit/Entry visas. Transit visa can be extended by the Department of Counselor Service of MFA RK and the Department of Migration police of MIA RK depending on a type of a primary visa. The issuance of other visa that differs from a type of a primary visa is performed by designated offices of the MFA RK.

Regulation for Foreign Citizens to Stay in Kazakhstan
Foreign citizens, entering Kazakhstan for temporary residence should have valid passports and submit them for verification upon the request of the authorized state institutions. Doing Business in Kazakhstan - 2 Visa Regulations

In case if passport is lost, a foreign citizen should immediately inform a local Department of Internal Affairs and request a certificate that confirms a loss of the passport. Foreign citizen, entering Kazakhstan should register their passport with the MFA or the Migration Police Department of MIA RK within three days after arrival to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan is responsible for registration of passports of: 1. Heads of Diplomatic and Counselor Institutions, Diplomatic Institutions Officials, Counselor Department Officials, administrative and support staff of Diplomatic and Counselor Institutions, Military Attache and Trade departments staff and members of their families, as well as Heads of Diplomatic and Counselor Institutions guests, who temporarily live within the territory of these Diplomatic and Counselor Institutions; 2. Representatives of Ministries of Foreign Affairs of foreign countries entering the Republic of Kazakhstan for official purposes who have diplomatic passport or other similar passport and members of their families; 3. Official persons from International Organizations entering the Republic of Kazakhstan for official purposes, staff of these International Organizations Representative office in Kazakhstan, as well as staff of Representatives offices of International Organizations that have Headquarters in the Republic of Kazakhstan that have diplomatic privileges and immunity in accordance with the International treaties, and members of their families; 4. Heads or other top management of foreign institutions – investors, whose visas was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan; and 5. persons entered under the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In all other cases the passports of foreign citizens should be registered with the Department of Internal Affairs. At that, the passports of foreign citizens entered the Republic of Kazakhstan for the period less than 30 days should be registered with the local Department of Internal Affairs within three days after arrival. The passports of foreign citizens entered for the period more than 30 days should be registered with the Regional Department of Internal Affairs. Foreign citizens entered the Republic of Kazakhstan for private affairs, as students or tourists can get employment within the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan or perform any kind of business that differs from the purposes stated in a visa, except for the cases stated in the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Foreign citizens are free to travel throughout the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan open for visiting by foreign citizens. Foreign citizens temporarily entered the Republic of Kazakhstan should inform the host organization or receiving physical person on their trip to other regions of the Republic. The host organization should inform the local Department of Internal Affairs on a destination, duration and a purpose of the visit. Foreign citizens arriving to Kazakhstan by personal car, as well as involved international automobile transportations are free to travel throughout the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan open for visiting by foreign citizens. Foreign citizens and people without citizenship older than 16 years entering RK for a period more than three month without medical AIDS certificate are obliged to be examined in regional or city AIDS prevention centers within ten days after arrival to the territory of Kazakhstan. The AIDS certificates issued in a country of a foreign person’s permanent residence are valid after registration with the medical institutions mentioned above. The AIDS certificate is valid during three months. Persons that have diplomatic privileges and immunity on the territory of Kazakhstan can be examined for AIDS only by their approbation.

Doing Business in Kazakhstan

- 3 -

Visa Regulations