Kazakhstan entry requirements, by passport

Vaccinations

• Yellow fever: an international vaccination certificate is required from travellers arriving from a country with risk of transmission.
• Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends vaccination against hepatitis A and B and tetanus.

Customs limits

Cash

Amounts equal to or below the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars do not have to be declared. Above that, when entering or leaving for a country outside the Customs Union, the amount is declared on the passenger form; undeclared money may be confiscated and fined. According to the UK Government, no more than 10,000 dollars in foreign currency cash may be taken out: any declared excess can only leave in tenge. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that these rules are enforced strictly and breaking them can mean having your passport held for more than a week.

Alcohol

Allowance published by the State Revenue Committee for the Eurasian Economic Union customs border: up to 3 litres of alcoholic drinks and beer.

Tobacco

From the same source: 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or cigarillos, or 250 grams of tobacco, or a combination not exceeding 250 grams. When entering Kazakhstan this allowance only applies to those aged 21 or over (18 elsewhere in the Union), under Annex 1 to Eurasian Economic Commission Council Decision No. 107.

Overstay penalties

Illegal entry or stay opens penalty proceedings that, until resolved, can prevent you from leaving the country; with an expired visa they can last up to a month. The penalty can reach ten days in prison, a fine and a five-year ban on returning. Since 2016 an overstay of up to 48 hours is punished only with a verbal warning, although the procedure usually costs you your flight. Registration failures, even when beyond the traveller's control, can also block departure and bring heavy fines.

Grounds for refusal

Apply to: Visa-free

• Exceeding 90 days in 180 by chaining visa-free stays.
• Travelling for business or work without the matching visa: the exemption only covers tourism.
• A passport without enough validity or reported lost or stolen.
• Arriving without the QazETA authorisation once it becomes mandatory; until then it runs as a pilot.

Apply to: e-Visa

• Exceeding 90 days in 180 by chaining visa-free stays.
• Travelling for business or work without the matching visa: the exemption only covers tourism.
• A passport without enough validity or reported lost or stolen.

What to do if you are refused entry →