KZ Visas & Immigration

Due to the fact that changes to the RoK territory entering/leaving procedure can be made in a short time, arriving foreign citizens are recommended to check the current situation before traveling.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Frontier Service of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Passport and visa information in this section applies to regular passport holders. For holders of diplomatic, official, special and service passports, special rules may apply.

Visa entitles the visa recipient to stay legally in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for a time and under the conditions stated in the visa.

Visa can be single-entry and multiple-entry:

Single-entry visas entitle the visa recipient to a single entry into the Republic of Kazakhstan, travel through its territory, stay there and leave the Republic of Kazakhstan for a time, for the purposes and on the conditions stated in the visa.

Multiple entry visas entitle the visa recipient to multiple entries into the Republic of Kazakhstan, travel through its territory, stay there and leave the Republic of Kazakhstan for a time, for the purposes and on the conditions stated in the visa.

Attention! Corrections are not allowed in the visa. Corrected visas are invalid.

All persons arriving in Kazakhstan must have a foreign passport. The passport validity must not expire earlier than 3 months from the date of the visa expiry. The passport must contain at least 2 blank pages intended for obtaining visa and stamps.

If you have replaced an expired passport, please provide responsible employee/manager of School/Office/Department with the new passport (along with the old passport, if there is a valid visa in the old passport) for registration with the Migration Service. Please note that it is in your best interest to provide us with the necessary documents as soon as possible in order to avoid problems with registration.

At the same time, in case of a change in the residence address in Nur-Sultan of foreign personnel, you are requested to immediately inform the staff of the Office of International Students and Scholars Services (hereinafter – OISSS).

Arrival of newly hired foreign employees, members of their families, as well as guests (relatives, friends, business partners, etc.) planning to stay on the territory of the housing stock of Nazarbayev University should be immediately reported to the Office of International Students and Scholars Services, indicating current address of stay in Nur-Sultan.

Minor children of foreign employees under the age of 16 are not subject to registration with the Migration Service Office.

If your child is 16 years old, please notify the Office of International Students and Scholars Services (hereinafter – OISSS) and provide your child’s new passport.

REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN ARRIVAL NOTICE

According to Clause 9 of Government Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 21January 2012 No. 148: Host persons shall inform internal affairs bodies about foreign citizens staying with them within three working days from the date of their arrival.

According to Clause 10.1 of Article 1 of the Law on Migration: the host party is a legal entity registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan, applying for inviting foreign citizens to the Republic of Kazakhstan for temporary residence and (or) providing a place for their residence.

Host persons are obliged to INFORM (NOTIFY) Migration Service Department, Police Department under of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Nur-Sultan about foreign citizens staying with them within 3 (three) business days from the day they cross the Republic of Kazakhstan border. This does not depend on the Republic of Kazakhstan Entering and Staying Procedure, nor the purpose of a foreign citizen visit.

The notification shall be submitted by the host party to the Migration Service in writing or through the visa and migration portal of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Egov).

It is important to remember: Late submission of the notification entails administrative liability of the host party in accordance with Article 518 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, up to prohibition of issuing visa invitations for 1 year.

In case of non-compliance with the requirements of legislation, in accordance with Article 518 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan: (make a pop-up window with an arrow down)

• Failure of the host party to take measures for timely registration of foreigners and stateless persons or execution of documents for the right to stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan, or their departure from the Republic of Kazakhstan after a certain period of stay, or late informing the internal affairs bodies about immigrants staying with them shall entail a fine for officials, small businesses or non-profit organizations in the amount of ten monthly calculation indices, for medium-sized businesses – in the amount of fifteen monthly calculation indices, for large businesses – in the amount of twenty monthly calculation indices.

• Provision of housing to a foreigner or stateless person staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan in violation of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of population migration or evasion from leaving the Republic of Kazakhstan on time, or inconsistency of the actual place of residence with the address indicated during registration shall entail a fine on the official, for small businesses or non-profit organizations – in the amount of forty monthly calculation indices, for medium-sized businesses – in the amount of fifty-five monthly calculation indices, for large businesses – in the amount of seventy-five monthly calculation indices.

• Actions provided for in parts one and two of this article, committed repeatedly within a year after imposition of an administrative penalty, shall entail a fine for an official, for small businesses or non-profit organizations – in the amount of forty monthly calculation indices, for medium-sized businesses – in the amount of seventy monthly calculation indices, for large business – in the amount of one hundred monthly calculation indices.

• Making transactions with a foreigner or stateless person staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan in violation of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of population migration in inconsistency of the activities carried out with the goals specified in the visa or when registering in the migration card shall entail a fine for an official, for small businesses or non-profit organizations – in the amount of forty monthly calculation indices, for medium-sized businesses – in the amount of seventy-five monthly calculation indices, for large businesses – in the amount of one hundred and fifty monthly calculation indices.

• The action provided for in part four of this article, committed repeatedly within a year after imposition of an administrative penalty, shall entails a fine for an official, for small businesses or non-profit organizations – in the amount of one hundred monthly calculation indices, for medium-sized businesses – in the amount of one hundred and fifty monthly calculation indices, for large businesses – in the amount of three hundred monthly calculation indices.

Internal affairs bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan issue a temporary residence permit (hereinafter – TRP) to foreigners or stateless persons temporarily staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan.  The temporary residence permit shall be given for a period up to one year, depending on the category of the permit received, with subsequent extension in accordance with the Rules of entry and stay of immigrants in the Republic Kazakhstan, as well as their departure from the Republic of Kazakhstan, approved by Government Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 21 January 2012 No. 148.

Temporary residence permit (TRP) is a document that is issued to foreigners or stateless persons temporarily staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Who needs a TRP?

• citizens of the CIS countries who arrived in Kazakhstan for a period more than 30 calendar days;
• citizens of the EAEU countries (Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan) and citizens of countries with a different order of stay who arrived in Kazakhstan for a period more than 90 calendar days;

A TRP shall be obtained at each entry of a foreigner into the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. When a foreign citizen leaves the country, the temporary residence permit expires.

Holders of Kazakhstani visas, as well as children under 16 years old shall be exempted from obtaining the TRP.

How is the TRP formalized?

For obtaining the TRP, the host party must apply the migration service department at the place of registration.

The application must be accompanied by original of the foreigner’s passport with a copy and a document confirming the purpose of stay.

For example, in case of employment, a copy of the employment contract must be attached for citizens of the EAEU countries.

When accompanied by a marriage partner and children over 16 years old, they also need to obtain the TRP. Their passports, marriage certificate for the marriage partner and birth certificate for the child must be attached.

Time for consideration of the TRP issuance is 1-3 business days.

When should the TRP be issued?

• The inviting party must obtain a permit for a foreigner:

the CIS citizen – within 30 calendar days from the moment of arrival in the Republic of Kazakhstan

• a citizen of the EAEU and a country with a different order of stay within 90 calendar days from the moment of arrival in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

What is the TRP validity period?

TRP is issued for up to one calendar year.

What are the consequences of the TRP untimely registration?
The inviting country and the foreigner shall be brought to administrative responsibility for late registration of the permit under Articles 517 and 518 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

Visa-free entry to the Republic of Kazakhstan for citizens of neighboring countries

Entering and Staying Procedure for citizens of the following countries is determined by bilateral agreements:

After extension of the employment contract with Nazarbayev University, your visa is subject to extension.

Please read the following instructions carefully:

Attention! For extension of your visa in the Republic of Kazakhstan before its expiration, the following documents shall be submitted to the Office of International Students and Scholars Services, at least 30 (thirty) business days, but no later than 14 (fourteen) business days before expiration of the current visa.

For an employee:

• National Passport (the passport validity must exceed the requested visa validity at least three (3) months. The passport must have at least one free page for affixing a Kazakh visa)
• A copy of the passport first page (It is necessary to provide a copy of the passport first page with the applicant’s basic data (full name, photo, and if the passport validity has been extended, then a copy of the page where there is a mark on the passport renewal)
• Photo (One 3.5 x 4.5 cm color photograph on a light background, taken no later than 3 months before the date of documents submission)  
• Filled out visa application form for the applicant (The application form shall contain complete and reliable information. The application form shall be filled in block letters with no corrections in Russian or English. An incorrectly completed application form may serve as a refusal to issue a visa.) (download)
• A copy of the employment contract (HR provided)

For accompanying spouse:

• National Passport (the passport validity must exceed the requested visa validity at least three (3) months. The passport must have at least one free page for affixing a Kazakh visa);
• A copy of the passport first page (It is necessary to provide a copy of the passport first page with the applicant’s basic data (full name, photo, and if the passport validity has been extended, then a copy of the page where there is a mark on the passport renewal);
• Photo (One 3.5 x 4.5 cm color photograph on a light background, taken no later than 3 months before the date of documents submission);
• Filled out visa application form for the applicant (The application form shall contain complete and reliable information. The application form shall be filled in block letters with no corrections in Russian or English. An incorrectly completed application form may serve as a refusal to issue a visa.) (download);

• Apostilled/Legalized marriage certificate*;
• Scan a copy of the employee’s visa (if documents are submitted separately and the employee already has a valid visa);
• Application for consular fee withholding (30 MCI from the employee’s salary for a dependent visa).

For accompanying minor children:

• National Passport (the passport validity must exceed the requested visa validity at least three (3) months. The passport must have at least one free page for affixing a Kazakh visa);
• A copy of the passport first page (It is necessary to provide a copy of the passport first page with the applicant’s basic data (full name, photo, and if the passport validity has been extended, then a copy of the page where there is a mark on the passport renewal);
• Photo (One 3.5 x 4.5 cm color photograph on a light background, taken no later than 3 months before the date of documents submission);
• Filled out visa application form for the applicant (The application form shall contain complete and reliable information. The application form shall be filled in block letters with no corrections in Russian or English. An incorrectly completed application form may serve as a refusal to issue a visa.) (download);

• Apostilled/Legalized birth certificate of children*;
• Scan a copy of the employee’s visa (if documents are submitted separately and the employee already has a valid visa);
• Application for consular fee withholding (30 MCI from the employee’s salary for a dependent visa).

*  If you are a citizen of a country that is not a member of the Hague Convention on Abolition of Requirement for Foreign Documents Legalization, you will need to formalize consular legalization of the required documents. Please follow the link to find your country in the list of member countries of the Hague Convention.

Visa processing time: 5-7 business days

Passport information

All persons arriving in Kazakhstan must have a foreign passport. The passport validity must not expire earlier than 3 months from the date of the visa expiry, and must contain at least 2 blank pages intended for obtaining visa and stamps.

If you have replaced an expired passport, please provide responsible employee/manager of School/Office/Department with the new passport (along with the old passport, if there is a valid visa in the old passport).

Step 1

The Office of International Students and Scholars Services will submit documents to the Migration Service Office of the Police Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan, as soon as the employee signs an employment contract with Nazarbayev University. When invitation with the visa support number is ready, its scanned copy will be sent to you by email.

Following documents must be provided for receiving the visa invitation:

For employee:

• Copy of the employment contract (HR provided);

• Color scanned copy of the passport first page (in good quality);
• Filled out visa support form for letter of invitation (download).

• If the applicant is a permanent resident and plans to apply for a visa outside the country of citizenship, then a copy of the supporting document must be provided. For example: Residence permit, long-term visa (work, study, tourism), work permit of the applicant/dependent with an official translation into Kazakh or Russian. (if applicable).

For accompanying marriage partner:

• Color scanned copy of the passport first page (in good quality);

• Apostilled/Legalized marriage certificate*;
• Scan a copy of the employee’s visa (if documents are submitted separately and the employee already has a valid visa);
• Filled out visa support form for letter of invitation (download).
• If the applicant is a permanent resident and plans to apply for a visa outside the country of citizenship, then a copy of the supporting document must be provided. For example: Residence permit, long-term visa (work, study, tourism), work permit of the applicant/dependent with an official translation into Kazakh or Russian. (if applicable).

For accompanying children:

• Color scanned copy of the passport first page (in good quality);
• Apostilled/Legalized certificate of birth*;
• Filled out visa support form for letter of invitation (download);

• Scan a copy of the employee’s visa (if documents are submitted separately and the employee already has a valid visa).
• If the applicant is a permanent resident and plans to apply for a visa outside the country of citizenship, then a copy of the supporting document must be provided. For example: Residence permit, long-term visa (work, study, tourism), work permit of the applicant/dependent with an official translation into Kazakh or Russian. (if applicable).

*  If you are a citizen of a country that is not a member of the Hague Convention on Abolition of Requirement for Foreign Documents Legalization, you will need to formalize consular legalization of the required documents.

Please follow the link to find your country in the list of member countries of the Hague Convention.

Invitation letter processing time: 5-7 business days.

Step 2

After receiving an invitation with a visa support number, the applicant shall submit all the necessary documentation to the Embassy/Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan abroad, where the applicant plans to receive a visa in person. The applicant is obliged to double-check the list of required documents posted on the official website of the Embassy/Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Visa processing time: 5-7 business days

When deciding to reduce the period of temporary stay of the visa recipient in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Documents to be submitted to the Office of International Students and Scholars Services in order to apply for a B16 exit visa (visa cancellation):

• National passport;
• Signed Decision on employment termination or a decision on foreign student expulsion.
• The cost of issuing an exit visa (visa cancellation) – KZT 1,458.50 (0.5 MCI)

Visa cancellation period: 3 working days.

Attention! Failure to comply with the conditions of stay in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a serious offense, and you may face such sanctions as:

• You may be fined;
• You may be prohibited from returning to Kazakhstan for up to 5 years, which automatically prohibits you from continuing to work in Kazakhstan;
• You may face short term jail time;
• There will be additional fees for lawyer and translator.

AMOUNT OF STATE DUTY

for 2021 issuing Kazakhstan visas and paying administrative fines

• Amount of the state duty is indicated in the monthly calculation index (MCI) and the national currency Tenge (KZT).

• 1 MCI in 2021 is equal to KZT 2,917.

1. Kazakhstan visas

Note:

* Consular fees for inserting a visa in foreign missions of the Republic of Kazakhstan remained unchanged.

** the visa-free regime is suspended until 1 May 2021.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY FOR VIOLATION OF MIGRATION RULES

• imposed on a foreigner (Article 517 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Republic of Kazakhstan)

• imposed on the host party (Article 518 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan)

A foreign citizen arriving in the Republic of Kazakhstan to resolve important business issues needs to acquire an IIN. It is required to receive government services, pay taxes, other payments, and register actions. IIN is also required to get a job or open a bank account.

Individual identification number (IIN) – a unique 12-digit number assigned to an individual once and for life.

When will a foreign citizen need an IIN?

• You are planning to open a current bank account with resident banks of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• You receive income from sources of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• You acquire property in the Republic of Kazakhstan that is taxed
• When appointing foreigners as heads of legal entities that are residents in Kazakhstan
• When appointing foreigners as heads of branches, representative offices of non-resident legal entities

From 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved changes to the rules for public service provision “Formation of an individual identification number to foreigners temporarily staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan”.

We would like to note that earlier documents for registration of an individual identification number (IIN) for a foreign worker had to be submitted to the tax committee at the place of his residence.

In accordance with the new procedure, an application for the IIN registration can be submitted to the NJSC State Corporation “Government for Citizens” (PSC) or through the portal Egov.kz.

Then the document goes for execution to the information system of the migration service. After checking the application for correctness, the migration service generates an IIN and sends information to the PSC for issuing an IIN certificate.

How to get an individual identification number (IIN) for foreign citizens in a government agency or in the NJSC “State Corporation” Government for Citizens” (hereinafter – PSC):

What a foreign citizen needs to obtain an IIN:

• National passport;
• Notarized translation of the passport first page into Kazakh or Russian.

Processing time for foreigners IIN certificate is 3 (three) business days.

How to obtain confirmation of the tax residence of the Republic of Kazakhstan for foreign citizens in a state body or in NJSC “State Corporation” Government for Citizens” (hereinafter – PSC):

 List of required documents:

1. Tax statement (Appendix No. 6 to Order of the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 12 February 2018 No. 160) on confirmation of tax residence in the Republic of Kazakhstan
2. Notarized copies of the foreign passport
3. A document confirming period of stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan (visas or other documents)
4. Residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan (if any)
5. A copy of the individual identification number (hereinafter – IIN) of a foreign citizen.

Time for processing documents 3 (three) business days.

Note:

In accordance with Clause 1 of Article 217 of the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Taxes and Other Mandatory Payments to the Budget” dated 25.12.2017. No. 120 – VI ЗРК (hereinafter – the Tax Code), a resident of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be an individual:

• Permanently staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Occasionally staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan, but whose center of vital interests is in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Clause 2 of the above article provides – an individual is recognized as permanently residing in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the current tax period if he is in the Republic of Kazakhstan for at least 180 (one hundred and eighty three calendar days) including the days of arrival and departure in any consecutive 12 twelve month period ending in the current tax period

In order for an official document of foreign origin to be valid in the Republic of Kazakhstan, it must be apostilled or legalized in advance in the country of issue.

For example: for obtaining a work permit in Kazakhstan, the employer must submit documents (diplomas, certificates, certificates of marriage, birth of children) of a foreign employee and his dependents with an apostille or consular legalization mark.

On the basis of the Hague Convention, to which Kazakhstan has joined, documents issued by state institutions of one of the countries participating in the Convention are valid in another participating country without consular legalization, provided that they are apostilled.

Apostille certifies authenticity of the signature, role in which the person who signed the document performed and, if appropriate, authenticity of the seal or stamp that affixes such document.

Apostille in Kazakhstan is a quadrangular stamp of at least 9×9 cm in the Kazakh language, containing the obligatory heading “Apostille” and a link to the 1961 Hague Convention in French (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961).

Apostille is placed on the following documents:

• Certificate of birth, death, marriage or divorce
• Diplomas, certificates, for any documents on education and training and annexes thereto, issued by educational institutions
• Court decisions
• Notarized copies of documents
• Other notarial documents (wills, powers of attorney, etc.)
• Extracts from commercial register of Kazakhstan, certificates of tax registration.

Attention! passport, driver’s license or other laminated documents are not apostilled.

Institutions entitled to affix an apostille in the Republic of Kazakhstan:

• Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Committee of Information and Archives under the Ministry of Culture, Information and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Committee on Judicial Administration under the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan (as agreed)
• Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Requirements for documents:

Apostille is placed exclusively on the original or on a notarized copy if the original cannot be apostilled (for example, passport, driver’s license). The documents must be in good condition with a well-visible seal and signature. Documents should not have any extraneous inscriptions or marks.

List of required documents:

1. copy of an identity document (passport)
2. original of the document subject to apostille
3. notarized power of attorney (if applicable)
4. if the applicant’s surname has changed, copies of documents confirming the change of surname with translation into Russian or Kazakh

Limitation of legalization requirements:

According to Art. 13 of the Convention on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family and Criminal Matters (also called the Minsk Convention), in force on the territory of the signatory countries, documents of the participating countries do not require legalization.

The countries-parties to the Convention include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

Kazakhstan has been a member state of the Minsk Convention since 1994. For these states, legalization of documents issued in Kazakhstan by affixing an apostille is not required.

For using documents issued in Kazakhstan, on the territory of the above countries, it is necessary to make their notarized translation.

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Border Service of the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Committee of the Migration Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan
• Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, Nur-Sultan
• Almaty International Airport
• Air Astana Airline
• Fly Arystan Airline
• Expat Center AIFC
• DHL Logistic company
• Pack and Move

Office of International Students and Scholars Services remains committed to supporting our international student and academic community during this health emergency. The office is still fully operational – but remotely – in support of the international community. We, as always, are ready to answer your questions and help solve your problems. Please use the contact information below:

Office of International Students and Scholars Services

Office operation schedule:
Monday – Friday: 8.30 am – 5.30 pm * Address: 53, Kabanbai batyr ave., Nur-Sultan.

Phone: +7 (7172) 69 27 01 * Email: oiss@old.nu.edu.kz

The Office of International Students and Scholars Services closed on weekends, state and national holidays of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

If you have questions about visa and migration, or questions, suggestions related to activities and competence of the Office, do not hesitate to send your questions by e-mail.

While it may take us some time to respond to you, we promise that we will do our best to answer your question as quickly as possible.

State and national holidays of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

January 1, 2 – National holiday New Year

January 7 – Christmas holiday

March 8 – Public holiday International Women’s Day

March 21, 22, 23 – National holiday Nauryz meiramy

May 1 – National holiday Day of the unity of the people of Kazakhstan

May 7 – Defender of the Fatherland Day

May 9 – National holiday Victory Day

July 6 – Public holiday Capital Day

August 30 – National holiday Constitution Day

December 1 – Day of the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

December 16-17 – National holiday Independence Day

• Upon my arrival to Nur-Sultan will someone meet me at the airport? – Upon your arrival to Nur-Sultan you will be met at the airport by school representative and then escorted to NU campus.  
• Upon my arrival to Nur-Sultan will accommodation be available? – You will be provided by a furnished apartment on campus. The apartment will be ready by your arrival to Nur-Sultan. The number of bedrooms will depend on the size of your family (family members and children who reside in Nur-Sultan) in accordance with the eligibility criteria for allocation of apartments.
• How can I request a refund for my visa fee? – You have to submit all required documents to your School HR manager.
• How do I ship my personal belongings? – From January 1, 2020, each individual is allowed 31 kg free of charge per month, not exceeding 200 EUR in value. If the cargo exceeds the value of 200 euro then the tax will be 15% of the value difference. If the cargo exceeds 31 kg per month, an individual has to pay 2 euro per additional kg. https://informburo.kz/cards/internet-pokupki-dlya-kazahstancev-stanut-dorozhe-s-1-yanvarya-izmenyatsya-pravila-vvoza-tovarov.html 
• Can you let me know the shipment address that I can send my belongings? – If you wish to arrange shipment of personal belongings in advance, please ask HR-manager of your School/Office to provide the shipment address for personal belongings. Make sure you do not indicate name of the University, in order to avoid customs issues
• I want to book my travel as far in advance as possible. When should I book my travel tickets for? –  We strongly advise do not  book your  travel until you  receive your passport with visa. The best way to avoid the unpleasant circumstance of having bought an airplane ticket only to find out that, the visa was refused, or that you will need to go through the costly process of changing your tickets to another travel date, is to wait until after your visa arrives.
• How long does my passport have to be valid in order to apply for a KZ visa?- You must possess a passport valid for travel to KZ  with a validity date at least three months beyond your intended period of stay in the KZ  and has spare pages for the visa
• I have dual citizenship. Which passport should I use to travel to KZ?- You can apply using whichever nationality you prefer, during your stay in Kazakhstan you have to use only one passport, which has KZ visa or stamp.
• Pets transportation – For the pets relocation please inform your School about the weight of each pet and carriage, so the responsible manager will be aware of this information and inform travel agent at the moment of arranging ticket reservations. If nothing changes in the rules, the following documents will be required for your cats relocation: Pet passport (this is a usual ‘document’ that can be obtained at any private/public veterinary clinic (not Government authority necessarily) and includes stamps on medical check and vaccinations); Rabbia vaccination; Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) vaccination; DHPPL & Rabies vaccine have to be at least 30 days old, but not older than 12 months;  Tick and tapeworm treatments: 5 days before dispatch;  Exit stamp from veterinary service at your departure airport.
• Furnished apartment on campus – is there anything not provided that I will need to bring with me? – All apartments on campus are fully furnished.
• Are there any secondary/high schools in Nur-Sultan that you could recommend? – Department of International Coopeeration provides 1 school visit to 3 pre-selected schools, so you could see the facilities and discuss relevant questions with school management.
• Do the school tuitions have to be paid full at once? Or is it possible to pay by monthly installments? – School tuition fees at all schools are normally paid at 3 installments, but some schools offer extra discounts for early payment or if the full payment was done prior to the start of the classes. Regulations vary from school to school, so it is better to discuss at the moment of the school visits.
• How do I get my visa to KZ? – The Department of International Cooperation will submit the documents to the Migration Service as soon as the employment contract with NU is signed by both parties. Once the invitation letter is ready, its copy will be emailed to you. For more information please visit How to apply for letter of invitation Column
• How do I renew my visa in KZ? – In order to renew your visa in the Republic of Kazakhstan before its current expiration date, please provide the documents to the School HR manager. For more information please visit Visa Renewal Column.
• I am single, and I live with my retired parents and therefore I would like to claim my parents as my only dependents, and we would like to relocate to Kazakhstan together. May I indicate them in section 3 of the pre-employment application form? – Unfortunately your parents do not count as your accompanying dependents. Accompanying Dependents are spouse and/or children under 18 (eighteen) years old who reside with employee in Kazakhstan. However, you may still relocate your parents to Kazakhstan. They will not be applicable to the benefits that accompanying dependents get (i.e. reimbursement of ticket, luggage, etc.) 
• Can my KZ-based relative sponsor me for a work visa? – No. Only your employer can sponsor you.
• How long can I stay in the Kazakhstan on business visa? – A KZ nonimmigrant visa grants you permission to travel to a Port of Entry (airport) in the Republic of Kazakhstan. You may travel to the Port of Entry during the validity of your nonimmigrant visa up to and including the last day the visa is valid.
• My KZ visa will expire in the next month. Do I need to apply for a new visa after my current visa expires or can I apply in advance? – You do not have to wait until your current visa expires. You can apply for a new visa even if your current visa is valid.
• I changed my name. Is my KZ visa with my old name still valid? – If your name has legally changed through marriage, divorce, or a court ordered name change, you will need to obtain a new passport. Once you have a new passport, the Department of State recommends that you apply for a new KZ visa to make it easier for you to travel to and from the Kazakhstan.
• My child is studying in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Can I go live with him/her? – While you can use your travel visa (under the Visa Free Regime to enter Kazakhstan without visa, if eligible) to visit your child.

IMPORTANT!  PLEASE KEEP ALL RECEIPTS/INVOICES for shipment and excess luggage.

In cases where original receipts are not provided within the indicated deadline, the allowance will not be paid. Our International faculty usually use USPS, DHL, and UPS.

• Immigration regulations may be liable to change on short notice; prospective visitors are advised to check on the current situation before departure (http://mfa.kz/en).   
• The passport and visa information listed in this profile applies to the holders of ordinary passports. Holders of diplomatic, official, special, and service passports are advised to note that special regulations may apply.  

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES MIGHT RESULT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND DEPORTATION TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. REPEATED VIOLATION MAY CAUSE SERIOUS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.

The Department of international cooperation would like to remind of the existing requirement for all international visitors to notify the Migration services of Nur-Sultan. Individuals who plan to stay in Nur-Sultan, on University provided living premises for a period longer than 3 business days upon arrival to Nur-Sultan shall report to the Department of international cooperation immediately upon their arrival along with the information on their current residential addresses in Nur-Sultan for the purposes of submitting Notification of arrival to the Migration Police.

• Your passport needs to be registered in the Migration Police after every arrival to Kazakhstan, even if the validity dates of your visa cover the whole period of stay in Kazakhstan.

PLEASE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE AMENDMENTS TO THE MIGRATION LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN DATED JANUARY 09, 2020

• Upon crossing the border migration cards will not be issued, everything is recorded electronically.  
• The rules for registration for those citizens who came to work on the basis of an employment contract remain the same, except for the need to notify the migration police upon arrival within 3 business days.
• At the moment, notification on arrival of foreign citizens must be issued to all foreigners, without exception, including citizens of countries of the Customs Union.

Registration processing time: 1-3 business days

PASSPORT

• All visitors to Kazakhstan are required to have passports which validity should not expire earlier than 3 months from the visa expiration date and must contain at least 2 blank pages intended for visa and stamps.
• If you are replacing an expired passport, please kindly provide the School HR manager with the newly issued passport along with the old expired passport for registration with the Migration Police. Keep in mind that it is in your best interest to provide us with the necessary documents as soon as possible to prevent any problems with registration.

The Department of International Cooperation will submit the documents to the Migration Police. Once the invitation letter is ready, its copy will be emailed to you. As soon as you receive your Letter of invitation, check to make sure all your personal information is correct. If any of the information on your letter of invitation does not match the information in your passport or is otherwise incorrect, please contact Department of international cooperation immediately.

STEP 1

To obtain visa invitation letter the following documents should be submitted to the Department of International Cooperation:

For the applicant:

• Copy of passport (first page);
• NU Visa Support Invitation Form (download).
• Copy of the document confirming the long-term stay (residence/work permit, long-term visitor/dependent visa with an official translation into Kazakh or Russian), if the invited party permanently resides and plans to apply for a visa out of the country of citizenship. 

Visa invitation letter processing time: 5-7 business days.

STEP 2

Upon receipt of the invitation letter, the applicant submits all the documentation to Kazakhstan’s Embassy/Consulate abroad where he/she plans to obtain a visa in person. It is solely personal responsibility of the applicant to double-check the list of the required documents posted on the official web site of the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate.

The following documents are usually required:

• Copy of visa invitation letter;
• Passport (valid for at least 6 months longer than the validity of the requested visa and have at least 2 blank pages to stamp the visa);
• Copy of passport (first page)
• Completed visa application form (available on the official web-site of the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate);
• One (1) (3.5cmx4.5cm) photograph.
• Visa fee

Visa issuance processing time: 5-business days

NOTE! Additional documents might be requested at the discretion of the council.

Supporting Documents

Supporting documents are only one of many factors a consular officer will consider in your interview. Consular officers look at each application individually and consider professional, social, cultural and other factors during adjudication. Consular officers may look at your specific intentions, family situation, and your long-range plans and prospects within your country of residence. Each case is examined individually and is accorded every consideration under the law.

CAUTION: Do not present false documents. Fraud or misrepresentation can result in permanent visa ineligibility. If confidentiality is a concern, you should bring your documents to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate in a sealed envelope. The Kazakh Embassy/Consulate will not make your information available to anyone and will respect the confidentiality of your information.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, the government of Kazakhstan has temporarily suspended its unilateral visa-free regime for citizens of 57 countries, starting from 17 April 2020.

The 72-hour visa-free regime has also been suspended for Chinese and Indian nationals who transit through the international airports of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Karaganda and Taraz.

The said suspension is effective from 17 April to 1 November 2020.

The above means that who are planning to visit Kazakhstan before 1 November 2020 will need to obtain a visa of the appropriate category at their assigned consular section office.

Please pay attention to an important change in the conditions for obtaining a Kazakh visa.

CAUTION! When collecting their passports with Kazakh visa from the consular office, visa applicants must present a medical certificate confirming that they do not have a coronavirus infection issued within 48 hours prior to their visit to the consular office. Failure to present such a certificate will result in cancellation of their Kazakh visa.

For a short stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreign business partners may obtain single-entry business visas following categories:

• B1 – for participation in the conference of forums, exhibitions, concerts and other cultural or scientific events; Validity: up to 90 days/Permitted term: up to 60 days.
• B3 – for negotiations and conclusions of contracts/agreements, as well as for the founders or the Board of Directors; Validity: up to 90 days/Permitted term: up to 30 days.

Visa is issued based on invitation letter arranged by host party.

Citizens of countries that have a visa-free regime with the Republic of Kazakhstan for a set period can stay, with short-term business visit purposes without visa (download).

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Kazakhstan (http://mfa.gov.kz/en/)
2. Expat Centre (expatcentre.aifc.kz)

To contact Department of International Cooperation (DIC), please use contact information below:

Days: Monday – Friday
Time: 8.30am – 5.30pm
Phone: +7 (7172) 69-27-01; 
E-mail: cooperation@old.nu.edu.kz

The Department of International Cooperation closed on weekends and Kazakhstani national holidays. If you have, specific questions on filling out visa application form or visa renewal, withdrawal or other visa issues, if your question is not covered in our FAQs. Please send your questions to the Department of International Cooperation by e-mail at: cooperation@old.nu.edu.kz»

All International students need a Student Visa (C9 category) to come to Kazakhstan. This type of visa is given for the period of one year and allows you to make multiple entries to Kazakhstan. The visa shall be renewed each year.

• Immigration regulations may be liable to change on short notice; prospective visitors are advised to check on the current situation before departure http://mfa.gov.kz/en/

• The passport and visa information listed in this profile applies to the holders of ordinary passports. Holders of diplomatic, official, special, and service passports are advised to note that special regulations may apply.

Graph. 1 Sequence of actions for visa obtaining

IMPORTANT NOTE: Upon arrival, all international students must register with the immigration authorities within 3 business days.

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES MIGHT RESULT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND DEPORTATION TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. REPEATED VIOLATION MAY CAUSE SERIOUS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.

• All visitors to Kazakhstan are required to have passports which validity should not expire earlier than 3 months from the visa expiration date and must contain at least 2 blank pages intended for visa and stamps.
• If you are replacing an expired passport, please kindly provide the School HR manager with the newly issued passport along with the old expired passport for registration with the Migration Police. Keep in mind that it is in your best interest to provide us with the necessary documents as soon as possible to prevent any problems with registration.

The Department of International Cooperation (DIC) will submit the documents to the Migration Police as soon as the Agreement for Educational Services with Nazarbayev University is signed. Once the Letter of Invitation (LOI) is ready, its copy will be emailed to you. As soon as you receive your Letter of invitation, check to make sure all your personal information is correct. If any of the information on your letter of invitation does not match the information in your passport or is otherwise incorrect, please contact Department of international cooperation immediately.

STEP 1

To obtain Letter of Invitation (LOI) the following documents should be submitted by the international students to the school manager:

• NU Visa Support Invitation Form (download);
• Copy of passport (first page);
• Copy of the document confirming the long-term stay (residence/work permit, long-term visitor/dependent visa with an official translation into Kazakh or Russian), if the invited party permanently resides and plans to apply for a visa out of the country of citizenship.

Visa Invitation issuance processing time: 5-7 business days.

STEP 2

Upon receipt of the invitation letter, the applicant submits all the documentation to the Kazakhstan’s Embassy/Consulate abroad where he/she plans to obtain a visa in person. It is solely personal responsibility of the applicant to double-check the list of the required documents posted on the official web site of the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate.

The following documents are usually required:

• Copy of visa invitation letter;
• Passport (valid for at least 6 months longer than the validity of the requested visa and have at least 2 blank pages to stamp the visa);
• Copy of passport (first page)
• Completed visa application form (available on the official web-site of the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate);
• One (1) (3.5cmx4.5cm) photograph.
• Visa fee

Visa issuance processing time: 5-business days

NOTE! Additional documents might be requested at the discretion of the Consulate.

Supporting documents

Supporting documents are only one of many factors a consular officer will consider in your interview. Consular officers look at each application individually and consider professional, social, cultural and other factors during adjudication. Consular officers may look at your specific intentions, family situation, and your long-range plans and prospects within your country of residence. Each case is examined individually and is accorded every consideration under the law.

CAUTION: Do not present false documents. Fraud or misrepresentation can result in permanent visa ineligibility. If confidentiality is a concern, you should bring your documents to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate in a sealed envelope. The Kazakh Embassy/Consulate will not make your information available to anyone and will respect the confidentiality of your information.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, the government of Kazakhstan has temporarily suspended its unilateral visa-free regime for citizens of 57 countries, starting from 17 April 2020.

The 72-hour visa-free regime has also been suspended for Chinese and Indian nationals who transit through the international airports of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Karaganda and Taraz.

The said suspension is effective from 17 April to 1 November 2020.

The above means that who are planning to visit Kazakhstan before 1 November 2020 will need to obtain a visa of the appropriate category at their assigned consular section office.

Please pay attention to an important change in the conditions for obtaining a Kazakh visa.

CAUTION! When collecting their passports with Kazakh visa from the consular office, visa applicants must present a medical certificate confirming that they do not have a coronavirus infection issued within 48 hours prior to their visit to the consular office. Failure to present such a certificate will result in cancellation of their Kazakh visa.

• Passport;
• Copy of passport (first page)
• One (1) (3.5cmx4.5cm) photograph.
• Completed visa application form (download)
• Letter confirming that you are a student of Nazarbayev University
• Visa fee (paid receipt from the Bursars office)

NOTE! It is the responsibility of the applicant to double-check the validity of passport and visa.

A visa can be changed from student visa C9 to work visa C3.

The change of the category is carried out by submitting documents to Department of International Cooperation (DIC) for the work visa С3, indicated in Work/Dependent visa column.

Visa Category Change processing time: 5-7-business days

Documents to be submitted to Department of International Cooperation (DIC) for C9 visa cancellation:

• Passport;
• Signed contract on student withdrawal from Nazarbayev University

Visa Cancellation processing time: 3-5-business days

The Department of International Cooperation would like to remind of the existing requirement for all International students and their family members, as well as their visitors (relatives, friends, business visitors, etc.) to notify the Migration services of Nur-Sultan. Individuals who plan to stay in Nur-Sultan, on University provided living premises for a period longer than 3 business days upon arrival to Nur-Sultan shall report to the Department of international cooperation immediately upon their arrival along with the information on their current residential addresses in Nur-Sultan for the purposes of submitting Notification of arrival to the Migration Police.

• Your passport needs to be registered in the Migration Police after every arrival to Kazakhstan, even if the validity dates of your visa cover the whole period of stay in Kazakhstan.
• In case of any changes in the residential addresses in Nur-Sultan of the foreign staff, please promptly notify your HR manager or the Department’s personnel.
• Minors/dependents under 16 years of age are not required to register at the Migration Police. If your child is turning 16, please notify the Department of International Cooperation and provide us with a newly-issued passport of your dependent. 

PLEASE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE AMENDMENTS TO THE MIGRATION LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN DATED JANUARY 09, 2020

• Upon crossing the border migration cards will not be issued, everything is recorded electronically.  
• The rules for registration for those citizens who came to work on the basis of an employment contract remain the same, except for the need to notify the migration police upon arrival within 3 business days.
• At the moment, notification on arrival of foreign citizens must be issued to all foreigners, without exception, including citizens of countries of the Customs Union.
• Documents for registration will not be accepted without due Notification of arrival.
• Citizens of the Russian Federation, Armenia, Mongolia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Kyrgyz Republic can stay up to 90 days.  

 Registration processing time: 1-3 business days

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Kazakhstan (http://mfa.gov.kz/en/)
2. Expat Centre (expatcentre.aifc.kz)

To contact Department of International Cooperation (DIC), please use contact information below:

Days: Monday – Friday
Time: 8.30am – 5.30pm
Phone: +7 (7172) 69-27-01; 
E-mail: cooperation@old.nu.edu.kz

The Department of International Cooperation is closed on weekends and Kazakhstani national holidays. If you have, specific questions on filling out visa application form or visa renewal, withdrawal or other visa issues, if your question is not covered in our FAQs. Please send your questions to the Department of International Cooperation by e-mail at: cooperation@old.nu.edu.kz

• How early should I apply for my student visa?

  You are encouraged to apply for your student visa as soon as you have your Enrollment Form from NU. However, a student visa may be issued no more than 90 days prior to the start date mentioned on your Letter of Invitation.

   

• Do all nonimmigrant visa applicants have to come to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate for an interview?

  Yes, for all applicants. The applicants generally have to appear in person.

   

• I have a nonimmigrant visa that will expire soon and I would like to renew it. Do I need to go through the whole visa application process again?

  Each nonimmigrant visa application is a separate process. You must apply in the normal manner, even if you had a visa before and even if your current nonimmigrant visa is still valid.

   

• My passport has expired, but the KZ visa in it is still valid. Do I need to apply for a new visa?

  No. If your visa is valid and unmarked or undamaged, you can travel with your two passports together (old and new), if the purpose of your travel matches your current nonimmigrant visa. In addition, the name and other personal data must be the same in both passports (unless the name change was due to marriage), and both passports must be from the same country and of the same type.

   

• If I do not have blank pages in the passport, but the KZ visa in it is still valid. Do I need to apply for a new visa? No. If your visa is valid and unmarked or undamaged, you can travel with your two passports together (old and new), if the purpose of your travel matches your current nonimmigrant visa. In addition, the name and other personal data must be the same in both passports (unless the name change was due to marriage), and both passports must be from the same country and of the same type.

   

• I have dual citizenship. Which passport should I use to travel to the Republic of Kazakhstan?

  You can apply using whichever nationality you prefer, but you must disclose all nationalities to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate on your application form. Dual citizens/nationals must enter and depart the Republic of Kazakhstan using only one passport.

   

• How do I read and understand my visa?

  As soon as you receive your visa, check to make sure all your personal information printed on the visa is correct. If any of the information on your visa does not match the information in your passport or is otherwise incorrect, please contact the issuing authority (i.e. the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate) immediately.

Further information about interpreting your visa can be found at the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate.