Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan visa guide

8 visa types
checked 25 October 2026

How visas for Kazakhstan work

Citizens of 48 economically developed and migration-stable states, among them the EU states, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea, may enter and leave Kazakhstan without a visa if their stay does not exceed 30 calendar days from the moment they cross the state border. The Visa and Migration Portal (vmp.gov.kz) publishes the list and shows, for each nationality, which visas and e-visas are available.

Visas are issued by Kazakh missions abroad and, for single-entry tourist, business and treatment visas, as e-visas through the Visa and Migration Portal (vmp.gov.kz). Most visas rest on an invitation registered by a Kazakh individual or organisation, which the National Security Committee approves within three working days; citizens of the 48 listed states do not need an invitation for several visa categories.

Since the Law of 27 December 2019 No. 292-VI, foreigners entering for up to 30 days from the border crossing no longer have to register, and the registration service has been closed on the Visa and Migration Portal. Instead, hosts who are residents of Kazakhstan submit a notification of the foreigner's stay through the portal with an electronic digital signature; children under 16 are exempt from notification. A foreigner who plans to stay longer than 30 days must apply for a temporary residence permit at the migration service at the place of stay; the permit is issued at the request of the receiving party.

Which visa do I need?

Up to 30 days as a citizen of one of the 48 listed states: no visa.

Longer tourism: tourist visa from a Kazakh mission, single entry USD 60 or multiple USD 90.

Business trips: business visa, single entry USD 80, or a single-entry e-visa with an invitation number.

Medical treatment: treatment visa or single-entry treatment e-visa.

Staying longer than 30 days: temporary residence permit through the migration service.

Working for a Kazakh employer: employer permit or self-employment certificate, then a C3 work visa.

Investing at least USD 300,000: A6 investor visa through an electronic petition.

Settling permanently: permanent residence permit and residence card, for groups allowed to apply.

Fearing persecution: refugee status application within five days of arrival.

Visa types for Kazakhstan

Visits and short stays

Tourist visa Visa-free stay and tourist visa
Citizens of the 48 states on Kazakhstan's list can visit without a visa for up to 30 calendar days from crossing the border, and do not need to register.
Maximum stay: Visa-free: up to 30 calendar days from the border crossing.

Business and self-employment

Business visa Business visa (single and multiple entry)
Business visitors who need a visa, or who stay beyond 30 days, obtain a Kazakh business visa from a mission or, for one entry, as an e-visa.
Maximum stay: As stated in the visa.
Investor visa Investor visa (A5, A6) and the investor "golden visa"
Kazakhstan issues investor visas in two categories: A5 for heads of companies carrying out investment activity and for participants of the Astana International Financial Centre investment tax residency programme, and A6 for foreign businesspeople who have invested more than USD 300,000.
Validity: A5: single entry up to 90 days, multiple entry up to 5 years. A6: multiple entry up to 10 years

Work

Work visa Work visa (C3) with an employer permit or self-employment certificate
Foreign workers are employed in Kazakhstan on a permit issued to the employer by the local executive body within the national foreign labour quota, on a self-employment certificate for professions in demand, or through an intra-company transfer.
Validity: Single-entry C3 up to 90 days; multiple-entry up to 3 years or the term of the permit

Residence

Residence permit Temporary residence permit (razreshenie na vremennoe prozhivanie, RVP)
Foreigners may stay in Kazakhstan for up to 30 days without a temporary residence permit; staying longer for work, study, treatment, business, family reunification or missionary work requires one.
Maximum stay: Depends on the purpose: for example up to three years for family members of Kazakh citizens, one year renewable for business immigrants and families of permanent residents, the permit term for workers
Permanent residence Permanent residence permit and foreigner's residence permit card (vid na zhitelstvo)
Permanent residence in Kazakhstan is a two-step process: the police first issue a permanent residence permit within 45 calendar days, and the foreigner then registers at the address and obtains a residence permit card valid for up to ten years.
Maximum stay: Permanent, as long as you live in Kazakhstan at least 183 days in any 12 months

Online travel permits

e-Visa Kazakhstan e-visa (single-entry tourist, business and treatment)
Kazakhstan's Visa and Migration Portal issues three e-visas: single-entry business, tourist and treatment visas.
Maximum stay: As stated in the visa.

Asylum and international protection

Asylum and international protection Refugee status under the Law on Refugees
Kazakhstan grants refugee status under the Law on Refugees of 4 December 2009.
Maximum stay: One year, renewed for one year at a time while the circumstances persist