There is a mutual visa-free regime between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan, located in the center of Eurasia and once a former part of the USSR. This means that a visa to Kazakhstan is not required for Russians.
Moreover, unlike many world powers that limit “visa-free” tourism, official Astana extends it to all purposes of stay. To travel to Kazakhstan of any type (tourist, guest, business and any other), Russian citizens do not need a visa. You don’t need a visa even if you get a job. Therefore, the question of how to obtain a visa to the republic is not relevant for Russians.
Nuances of “visa-free”
What do you need to remember when planning a visit to a Eurasian country from Russia? What are the main conditions for entering Kazakhstan without a visa? The basic requirements for visa-free travel are:
- Our compatriots can cross the Kazakh border using any passports that do not expire until the end of the trip:
- Russian;
- overseas;
- official;
- diplomatic;
- if you have a sailor's passport.
- Young Russians will also not need a visa. But if a child under 14 years of age is participating in the trip, you should take his birth certificate with you. It is important that this document confirms Russian citizenship (with a stamp or insert). Children over 14 can enter Kazakhstan using Russian passports.
- If a minor travels only with his father/mother, the second parent writes consent for the child to travel. If a young tourist goes on a trip with a third party or independently, both parents agree.
- Upon entry, each guest over 16 years of age fills out a standard migration card. In it, the visitor indicates key information about himself, the purpose of the visit and the children under 16 participating in the trip. The card will be issued free of charge at the border checkpoint; it can be filled out in Russian (or Kazakh or English). The form must be retained until the end of the visit. If the card is lost or damaged within 3 days, you must apply for its restoration to the competent authorities.
- Medical insurance is not a mandatory document that will be required when crossing the border. But it is strongly recommended to arrange it in advance. Medical care for Russians, including those living with a residence permit, is fully paid. There are only a few exceptions.
- Russian citizens have the right to stay in the republic without a visa for 3 months (90 days): 1 month without registration with the possibility of extending their stay for another 2 months. During this time, visas to Kazakhstan are not required.
Visas based on invitation
Russians can come to the Republic of Kazakhstan without a visa for a stay of up to 30 days. This means that you do not need to issue an invitation to enter.
A foreigner who has a foreign passport can obtain permission to enter Kazakhstan on the basis of an invitation. Entry into the country by invitation is possible for both a private and a business visit. To draw up an invitation, the inviting person (citizen of Kazakhstan) must contact the Department of Internal Affairs or the embassy at the place of residence or at the address of the organization. If the invitation is sent from a government organization or from a foreign person or institution, then it is issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
List of documents that must be provided to issue an invitation to a person who is expected by non-governmental organizations in Kazakhstan:
- Direct invitation in the form of a letter drawn up in a certain form, in 3 copies;
- Receipt confirming payment of the state duty. Its amount is ½ of the monthly calculation index for each invitee.
List of documents for inviting persons who are planning a trip to the republic on a private visit:
- A petition drawn up in free form;
- Application or questionnaire of a certain form in two copies;
- Receipt confirming payment of the state duty. The amount of the fee is ½ of the monthly calculation index for each invitee.
Documents are registered at the embassy and reviewed in accordance with the established procedure.
Applications are subject to consideration within a calendar week (no more than 7 days).
After a positive decision, an invitation is drawn up, which is valid for 1 year. It is sent to the invited person and is the basis for him to be issued a visa to Kazakhstan for the purpose of freely crossing the border. A valid passport is required to obtain it.
How to extend your stay
The scheme for prolonging residence in Kazakhstan is as follows:
- A Russian enters the republic visa-free.
- Accommodation without registration is available for Russian citizens for 30 days. Before this period expires, you must contact the Kazakh authorities. The corresponding application must be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic - to the division of the migration service committee. The applicant will need to present:
- completed application (the form will be issued on site);
- passport;
- migration card filled out upon entry.
- Based on the request, the stay will be extended for another 60 days, by placing a corresponding stamp in the immigration office. You will have to pay about 30 rubles for the extension. A visa in Kazakhstan is not required to extend your stay.
- To live in a Eurasian state for more than 3 months you will have to:
- or apply for a residence permit;
- or, on the basis of an employment contract, obtain temporary registration from the migration service.
It is important to know! For visa-free entry into Kazakhstan, a foreign passport is required if desired - Russians can get by with an internal ID card. However, obtaining a residence permit for foreigners is strictly permitted if they have a foreign passport.
Long stay
Residence of Russians in Kazakhstan is possible temporary or permanent. The main thing is compliance with the established rules.
Both documents give the go-ahead for working, doing business, training and treatment.
Temporary residence permit (TRP)
Such a document is usually issued for six months. A citizen of Russia can come to the territory of Kazakhstan an unlimited number of times, but the total number of days of stay is no more than 90 .
In special cases, such as family reunification or an employment contract, the permit is issued for a year . Next, you need to leave Kazakhstan for a few days and then repeat the procedure.
RVPs for Russians are requested by their host citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan or persons with a permanent residence permit, if they have their own housing.
If an organization is involved in the troubles, it should not have problems with the law: the statutory documents are registered, taxes are paid.
Resident card
A document permitting permanent residence is issued for a period of up to 10 years or the period of validity of a Russian passport.
Foreigners over the age of 16 who have been legally staying in Kazakhstan for a long time on the basis of a temporary residence permit can apply to the migration police for it.
First, collect a package of documents:
- Statement.
- Original passport with a validity period of at least 180 days and a copy of it.
- “Departure sheet” from the migration service at home or the embassy in Kazakhstan.
- Biography.
- Certificate of no criminal record (Kazakh).
- A document confirming registration at the place of residence in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- The result of the medical examination.
- 1 photo 35x45 mm.
- Paid duty in the amount of 20% of the MCI (approximately 550 tenge).
MCI (monthly calculation indicator), established by the legislation of the country for the calculation of taxes, fines, duties, an analogue of the Russian minimum wage.
Russians do not need to confirm their solvency when entering Kazakhstan. Consideration of the application lasts 2 months.
Work in Kazakhstan
Russian citizens do not require a special work permit; it is enough to conclude an employment contract .
The country has a shortage of only highly qualified specialists in various sectors of the economy. There are enough hard workers of our own.
A visa to Kazakhstan for Russians is not required for travel in both directions, since both countries are part of the single economic space (EAEU).
Russian tourists and businessmen who bring income to the economy of our southern neighbor are welcome, regardless of nationality. First of all, ethnic Kazakhs who want to return to their historical homeland will not have problems with long-term residence.
Apparatus employed
As we have already noted, even if employed in the republic, our fellow citizens will not need a work visa. A work permit, patent and other special documents are also not required. To carry out work, you only need to indicate on the migration card, filled out upon entry, the purpose of the visit “To work”.
For citizens of the Russian Federation arriving in a Eurasian state for the purpose of employment, temporary registration is issued at the migration service. At the reception at the department you will have to present the contract concluded with the employer. On its basis, the Russian will receive temporary registration.
Job
To get a job in Kazakhstan, Russian citizens do not need to apply for any visas. If you have an employment contract and a valid international passport, you can reside in the republic throughout its entire validity period.
Registration at the place of stay in this case is also required.
To receive state medical care in Kazakhstan, you need to take out medical insurance according to the European model. Russian medical insurance is not valid in other countries. Car insurance is also required. Its cost, as a rule, does not exceed 1000 rubles.
Subtleties of entry into the Eurasian republic
The rules for entry into Kazakhstan are the same at all checkpoints. A Russian citizen may be refused to cross the border if:
- the passport submitted by the visitor raises doubts about its authenticity;
- the purpose of arrival stated by the visitor may not correspond to the real one;
- this person was previously expelled from the territory of the Eurasian republic for some reason;
- Russian citizens are subject to certain restrictions received from the competent Kazakh authorities.
Regarding customs control, the basic rules are as follows:
- There are no restrictions on carrying cash for individuals;
- canceled securities are prohibited from being transported there and back;
- Often in the summer season a sanitary ban is imposed on the transport of fish, meat and poultry back and forth.
How to fill out the card
The card is issued to absolutely all foreigners. Here are some exceptions:
- international flight drivers;
- transit passengers;
- persons who have a Kazakhstan visa;
- members of railway, air and sea vessels;
- persons with diplomatic passports;
- persons under 16 years of age.
The form must be filled out without corrections or errors, everything must be indicated legibly. Letters – Cyrillic or Latin. You can copy your FI from your own passport. The language in which you need to fill out (one of) is English, Kazakh or Russian.
The purpose of the visit must be indicated correctly, it must coincide with your real intentions.
The host can be your friend, relative, or company. You must indicate where you are going and your address.
The form also has a section for children. There you should indicate the total number of children under 16 years old who will keep you company when traveling to Kazakhstan.
If the card has been lost, its holder must notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the incident within three days. Service employees must issue a duplicate of the lost document with a registration mark. If you discover the loss of your card already at the checkpoint, then the most realistic scenario is that you will be sent to the department to conduct an investigation and replace the document.
Prices in Kazakhstan
How much does it cost to stay in a hotel in Kazakhstan? How much will a taxi ride cost? Our sign will help you find out this important information.
| Services | Price |
| Single apartment in a mid-range hotel | From 2.5 thousand rubles. per day (prices may vary significantly by region) |
| Eating in an inexpensive cafe | 200 rub. for a business lunch or dinner |
| Meals in a mid-level restaurant | 600 rub. for lunch |
| Taxi | 100–150 rub. within city limits, 500 rubles. when traveling to the airport |
| City transport and minibuses | 15 rub. |
| mobile connection | 4–10 rub. in 1 min. conversation (when connecting to a Kazakh mobile operator) |
| Shops with manufactured goods and food products, supermarkets | At the Russian level |
In conclusion, we would like to remind you once again that a foreign passport is not required when entering Kazakhstan from the Russian Federation. You can get by with a Russian ID card. However, for a long stay of 3 months or more, a foreigner will certainly be required. It is submitted when applying for a residence permit.
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Visa to Kazakhstan for Russians in 2021
Citizens of neighboring countries (including Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia) visit the republic without a visa. The period of stay for CIS citizens, as well as for Russians, in most cases is 90 days. Residents of most European and a number of developed countries also do not need a visa to Kazakhstan.
Citizens of countries that do not have a visa-free regime with Kazakhstan draw up the appropriate documents. A Kazakh visa can be business, investor, tourist, private, for study, for treatment, work, transit. If necessary, you can obtain an entry document both in Kazakhstan (authorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs) and in diplomatic missions outside its borders.
The import and export of foreign or national currency is not limited and is not declared if the amount does not exceed 10,000 USD.
The following items are allowed to be transported without paying duty:
- Up to 1000 cigarettes or 1000 g of tobacco;
- Up to 2 liters of alcoholic products;
- Products worth up to 500 USD.
Import is strictly prohibited:
- Drugs and potent drugs;
- Weapons and explosives;
- Printed materials and video materials that undermine state power.
You cannot export:
- Gold, precious stones and valuable minerals;
- Rare birds and animals.
A passport is now sufficient to cross the Kazakh border. For citizens of countries with which Kazakhstan has signed agreements on a visa-free regime, migration cards have been canceled since January 11, 2021. An entry stamp is made in the passport at the checkpoint when crossing the border.
Update March 16, 2021
Kazakhstan has completely closed its border with Russia
The Republic of Kazakhstan has completely closed its border with Russia and other countries. From today, Russians and foreigners will not be able to enter the territory of Kazakhstan. This is due to the state of emergency that was introduced in Kazakhstan.
Citizens of Kazakhstan, persons with a residence permit in the Republic of Poland, foreigners who are family members of citizens of the Republic of Poland and some other categories of citizens will be able to enter Kazakhstan.
As the spread of COVID-2019 infection subsides, normal border crossing procedures will be restored.
Changes to Kazakh migration legislation came into force in January. They touched upon the rules for registering foreigners and the permitted period of residence in Kazakhstan. The concept of temporary residence (stay) permit is also introduced.
Under the new rules, Russians and other foreigners entering Kazakhstan without visas will not be able to indefinitely extend their stay in the country. From 2021, the period of stay of Russian citizens in Kazakhstan is limited to 90 days per six months. The limit can be used for one trip or several. A similar rule applies to citizens of Kazakhstan in the Russian Federation.
Those who have entered into an agreement with a Kazakh employer, are studying, undergoing long-term treatment or have other reasons will be allowed to stay longer than 90 days. The receiving party must take care of obtaining the appropriate permit.
Changes in legislation have eliminated the need for a foreigner to visit the migration service. Registration of Russians in Kazakhstan in 2020 became the responsibility of the host country. Now family members, medical institutions, employers, hotel and hostel owners, educational institutions, private landlords must notify the migration service about this within 3 days after the foreigner’s arrival. This can be done online through the e-government website, visa and migration portal. In the absence of a registered electronic signature, registration of Russian citizens in Kazakhstan in 2021 is carried out by the receiving party by submitting an application for the arrival of a foreigner directly to the migration service.
To travel to Kazakhstan for up to 30 days, a Russian citizen does not need to do anything. The receiving party bears responsibility for failure to notify the migration service of his arrival.
If the host party is responsible for registration, then the foreigner himself is responsible for observing the period of stay in Kazakhstan. A Russian who stays 3 days longer than the permitted time will receive a warning. A delay of up to 5 days will result in a fine of 10 MCI (from January 1, 2021, the monthly calculation indicator is equal to 2,651 tenge). Having overstayed for up to 10 days, a foreigner will pay a fine of 15 MCI. A residence permit expired by 15 days or more will lead the violator to court, which will decide to fine him 25 MCI or expel him from the country. A foreigner will not be released from the country without a court decision.
