How to Get a Kazakhstan e-Visa

Ben Johnson

Aug. 1, 2026

Kazakhstan has made getting a visa a lot easier over the last decade. Citizens of around 54 countries can already enter visa-free for up to 30 days, but if your passport isn't on that list, the e-visa is usually your best option. It's quick, it's online, and for most nationalities it beats queuing at an embassy. There's one catch that trips a lot of travellers up, though: the e-visa only works if you're flying in and out of Kazakhstan. If any part of your route involves a land border, you'll need a different kind of visa entirely — more on that below.

Who Needs an E-Visa?

If you hold a passport from one of Kazakhstan's visa-free countries (which includes most of the EU, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and a number of others), you don't need a visa at all for stays of up to 30 days, as long as you're not planning to overstay the 90-days-in-any-180-days limit that applies across the board.

If you're not on that list, Kazakhstan's e-visa is currently open to citizens of 109 countries — a mix of African, Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean nations that don't otherwise have visa-free access. It covers tourist, business, and medical travel.

The Most Important Thing to Know Before You Apply

This is the part that catches people out, so we're putting it up front rather than burying it in the fine print: a Kazakhstan e-visa only allows entry and exit through the international airports in Almaty and Astana. That's it. It cannot be used at any land border crossing, whether you're arriving from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China, or Russia.

This isn't a grey area or something that's loosely enforced — it's stated plainly by Kazakhstan's own government portal: e-visa holders can “enter/leave the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan using a valid electronic visa only through the checkpoints of international airports.” (source: egov.kz)

If your Central Asia itinerary involves crossing overland at any point — say, arriving from Bishkek or Tashkent, or finishing your trip by heading into Kyrgyzstan or Uzbekistan by road — the e-visa won't work for you. You'll need to apply for a standard visa in your passport at a Kazakhstan embassy or consulate before you travel. There's no way to get a physical land-border visa on arrival, so this has to be sorted in advance.

How to Apply for the E-Visa

The whole process happens on Kazakhstan's official Visa and Migration Portal, not through any third-party agency. Here's the process:

1. Get an invitation. Kazakhstan's e-visa is issued on the basis of an official invitation from a party inside Kazakhstan — for tourists, this is normally arranged by whoever you're travelling with (a tour operator, hotel, or host).

2. Register and apply online at vmp.gov.kz . Create an account, enter your invitation number and passport details, and fill out the application form.

3. Pay the consular fee. This is generally quoted at around $60 USD for a single-entry tourist e-visa, though fees do shift from time to time, so it's worth checking the current amount on the portal itself before you pay.

4. Wait for approval. Kazakhstan's official guidance allows up to 5 working days for processing, occasionally longer, so don't leave this until the last minute.

5. Print it out. This is the step people most often skip. You need a physical printed copy of the e-visa to show at passport control — a photo of it on your phone isn't accepted.

What You'll Need

A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip with at least one blank page, your invitation number, passport-style photo, and a card to pay the consular fee online. Keep in mind the e-visa is single-entry and tied to the person it's issued to — it can't be used by anyone else, and it doesn't cover accompanying family members automatically.

Crossing a Land Border Instead? Here's What to Do

If your trip includes an overland crossing into or out of Kazakhstan, skip the e-visa altogether and apply for a standard Kazakhstan visa at an embassy or consulate before you leave home (or in a neighbouring country if that suits your route better). It follows the same basic invitation-plus-application process as the e-visa, just handled in person or by mail through a diplomatic post rather than online, and it isn't restricted to airport entry.

This is the option most of our own Central Asia travellers end up using, since land border crossings — particularly the ones between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan — are such a common (and scenic) part of a wider 5 Stans trip. Kazakhstan's e-government portal has more detail on the standard visa route if you want to read further.

Do We Offer Kazakhstan Tours?

Yes — Kazakhstan features on several of our Central Asia itineraries, including standalone Kazakhstan trips and combined tours across the wider 5 Stans region. Most of these involve at least one land border crossing, so we'll always let you know in advance which type of visa you'll need for your specific route.

How Can I Book a Tour?

Get in touch at [email protected] and we'll help you figure out the right visa for your route, along with dates and availability for Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asia region.