Central Asia · UN member
Kazakhstan: Travel Guide & Requirements
Republic of Kazakhstan · Қазақстан Республикасы · Республика Казахстан
Kazakhstan is a country in Central Asia with its capital in Astana. It has a population of 20.8 million (#64 in the world) and covers 2,724,900 km². The official languages are Kazakh and Russian. The currency is the Kazakhstani tenge (KZT, ₸).
Where is Kazakhstan? Map of Kazakhstan
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe.
- Region
- Central Asia
- Coordinates
- 48° N, 68° E
- Neighbours
- 5 — see list
- Coastline
- Landlocked
- Kazakhstan
- Neighbours
- Capital
- Largest cities
Map of Kazakhstan showing Astana (capital) and the largest cities: Almaty, Shymkent, Aktobe, Karagandy, Taraz, Kyzylorda, Oral and Pavlodar.
Travel requirements
What you need to travel to Kazakhstan
- Passport
The UK government says your passport must be valid for at least 30 days from the date you arrive in Kazakhstan and have at least one blank page, and that if you have a visa for Kazakhstan your passport must have an expi…
- Visa or eTA
Depends on your passport: of 198 passports, 87 need no visa, 94 need an eVisa, 1 gets a visa on arrival, 16 need a visa from an embassy. Check yours or see Kazakhstan entry requirements for every passport.
- Return or onward ticket
No official requirement.
- Proof of funds
No official requirement.
- Travel insurance
No official requirement. The UK Foreign Office says the medical facilities in Kazakhstan are not as advanced as in the UK and tells travellers to make sure they have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of med…
- Vaccinations
WHO lists Kazakhstan as requiring proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, including travellers who transited through the airport of such a countr…
- Arrival card
The UK government says your hotel or the person hosting you must register your arrival with the Kazakh authorities within 3 working days of your arrival.
- Customs allowance
The UK government says you must declare to customs if you arrive in Kazakhstan with cash worth more than 10,000 US dollars, and that foreign currency in cash worth more than 10,000 US dollars may not be exported; if suc…
- Travel advice
Safe to visit — US and UK advice.
Entry rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset (CC BY 4.0), each rule cited to an official government source. Always confirm with the airline and the official source before you travel.
Before you go
10 things to know before you travel to Kazakhstan
- Safety: Yes — Kazakhstan is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Kazakhstan Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
- Best time to go: June to August — when daytime highs in Astana are around 26–27°C.
- Money: the Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) — 1 US dollar is about 453.2936 KZT.
- Plugs: type C and F, 230 V, 50 Hz — standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
- Emergency numbers: Police 112, Ambulance 112, Fire 112.
- Language: Kazakh and Russian are official; English is also spoken.
- Driving: on the right — speed limits are 60 km/h in built-up areas, 110 km/h outside built-up areas and 140 km/h on motorways.
- Time zone: UTC+5 in Astana.
- Capital: Astana; the largest city is Almaty. About 20.8 million people live in Kazakhstan.
- Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world by area.
Key facts
Kazakhstan at a glance
Languages spoken: Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 80.1%, Russian 83.7%, English 35.1% (2021 est.)
Geography & history
About Kazakhstan
Ethnic Kazakhs derive from a mix of Turkic nomadic tribes that migrated to the region in the 15th century. The Russian Empire conquered the Kazakh steppe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1925. Forced agricultural collectivization led to repression and starvation, resulting in more than a million deaths in the early 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s, the agricultural "Virgin Lands" program generated an influx of settlers -- mostly ethnic Russians, but also other nationalities -- and by the time of Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, ethnic Kazakhs were a minority. However, non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-…
Read the full history
Ethnic Kazakhs derive from a mix of Turkic nomadic tribes that migrated to the region in the 15th century. The Russian Empire conquered the Kazakh steppe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1925. Forced agricultural collectivization led to repression and starvation, resulting in more than a million deaths in the early 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s, the agricultural "Virgin Lands" program generated an influx of settlers -- mostly ethnic Russians, but also other nationalities -- and by the time of Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, ethnic Kazakhs were a minority. However, non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs (from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and the Xinjiang region of China) to Kazakhstan. As a result of this shift, the ethnic Kazakh share of the population now exceeds two-thirds. Kazakhstan's economy is the largest in Central Asia, mainly due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include diversifying the economy, attracting foreign direct investment, enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness, and strengthening economic relations with neighboring states and foreign powers.
Location
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe
Climate
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Terrain
vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south
Highest point
Pik Khan-Tengri 7,010 m note - the northern most 7,000 meter peak in the World
Natural resources
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
Natural hazards
earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty
National symbols
golden eagle
Driving
Speed limits & road rules in Kazakhstan
The default speed limits in Kazakhstan are 60 km/h in built-up areas, 110 km/h outside built-up areas and 140 km/h on motorways. The legal alcohol limit for drivers is 0.5‰. Posted signs always take priority over these defaults.
- 2020 km/hResidential zonesLiving streets & residential areas
- 6060 km/hBuilt-up areasTowns and cities
- 110110 km/hOutside built-up areasCountry roadsWith a trailer: 70 km/h
- 140140 km/hMotorwaysMotorways / freewaysWith a trailer: 90 km/h
- International Driving PermitRecognised: 1968 ViennaCarry the IDP together with your national licence
- Driving sideDrive on the rightOvertake on the left
- Alcohol limit0.5‰ blood alcohol (0.05% BAC)
- Seat beltsRequired by law
- Child seatsRequired by law
- Motorcycle helmetsRequired for riders
- Road deaths (2021)12.2 per 100,000 peopleClose to the world median (12.4)
Speed limits: OpenStreetMap wiki — Default speed limits (CC BY-SA 2.0). Road-safety laws: WHO Global Health Observatory. Compare speed limits and alcohol limits by country. Defaults for cars; local signs, weather and vehicle type can lower them.
Safety
Is Kazakhstan safe to visit?
Yes — Kazakhstan is generally safe to visit: the US State Department rates Kazakhstan Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”), and the UK Foreign Office has no warnings against travel there.
US State Department
UK Foreign Office (FCDO)Latest update: Addition of information about Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) (‘Entry requirements’ page).
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Full travel advice
Sources: US Department of State travel advisories (public domain) and UK FCDO foreign travel advice (contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0). Checked daily. Advice can change quickly — always read the official page before you travel.
Weather
Best time to visit Kazakhstan
The best time to visit Kazakhstan is June to August, when daytime highs in Astana are around 26–27°C. May is also a good time to go. July is the warmest month (27°C by day), January the coldest (-21°C at night).
- Jan-13°C-21°C
- Feb-10°C-19°C
- Mar-1°C-10°C
- Apr12°C-1°C
- May21°C7°C
- Jun26°C13°C
- Jul27°C15°C
- Aug26°C13°C
- Sep18°C6°C
- Oct9°C-1°C
- Nov-2°C-9°C
- Dec-11°C-18°C
Best time Good Less ideal
Before you go
Plugs, voltage & emergency numbers in Kazakhstan
Plugs & sockets
230 V, 50 Hz · Standard 220–240 V: devices from the US or Japan (110–120 V) need a converter unless they are dual voltage (100–240 V).
Emergency numbers
112 works from any mobile phone, even without a SIM card in most networks. All countries →
Sources: Wikipedia — Mains electricity by country and List of emergency telephone numbers (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ski resorts
7 ski resorts in Kazakhstan
- 37 km of slopes
- 32 lifts
- up to 3,205 m
Biggest: Шымбұлақ · Altayskiye Alpy · AK Bulak
National parks
14 national parks in Kazakhstan
- 23,618 km² protected
- oldest from 1985
Largest: Katon-Karagay National Park · Altyn-Emel National Park · Ile-Alatau National Park
Currency · 26 October 2026
Kazakhstani tenge exchange rates today
Kazakhstan uses the Kazakhstani tenge (KZT, ₸). One US dollar buys 453.2936 KZT; over the last 30 days the KZT has lost 2.3% against the dollar.
What other currencies cost in KZT
Currency converter
Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0), 26 Oct 2026. Banks and exchange offices add a margin.
World rankings
Where Kazakhstan ranks
How Kazakhstan compares with the rest of the world — open any card for the full ranking.
Airports
Airports in Kazakhstan
168 airports and airfields — 19 large, 9 medium and 82 small, plus 58 heliports. 24 have scheduled passenger flights.
Borders
Neighbouring countries
Kazakhstan borders 5 countries along 13,364 km of land borders. It is landlocked.
Military
Kazakhstani armed forces
Kazakhstan ranks #63 of 145 in the Global Firepower military strength ranking, with a defence budget of $1.3 billion (2025).
People
Population & society
Religion
Largest cities: Almaty (2.0 million), Nur-Sultan (1.3 million), Shimkent (1.2 million)
Economy
Economy
Main industries
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materi…
Export partners
China 16%, UK 15%, Russia 10%, Turkey 6%, Italy 5% (2023)
Top exports
crude petroleum, gold, radioactive chemicals, refined copper, copper ore (2023)
Travel tools
Handy before every trip to Kazakhstan
Next public holiday
Independence Day — Wednesday, 16 December 2026. Then New Year's Day (1 Jan).
Kazakhstani passport
Ranked #122: 41 countries visa-free, 37 with visa on arrival, 4 with an eTA and 29 with an eVisa.
Kazakhstani passport photo
Exact size, head position and background for Kazakhstan's passport and visa photos — make one free with AI checks.
Calling Kazakhstan
Dial +7 before the local number. Internet domain .kz.
Climate footprint
287.0 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 — 13.94 t per person.
Entry requirements
Visa rules for every passport visiting Kazakhstan: visa-free stays, eVisas, visas on arrival and documents to bring.
News
Latest travel news about Kazakhstan
Travellers to New York Face Wait as Astana Nonstop Hinges on U.S. Review
Kazakhstan hopes to start direct flights between Astana and New York in 2027, pending a U.S. aviation safety report and the arrival of Air Astana's f…
Egypt Cuts Extra Entry Checks for Kazakh Visitors; Launch Date Unannounced
Egypt agreed to drop Kazakhstan from the list of Central Asian countries whose citizens face extra entry requirements for tourism. The deal was reach…
Sao Tome and Principe travellers: 59 countries visa-free, joint 81st in index
Kyrgyzstan has fallen six places since the start of 2026 to 81st in the Henley Passport Index, sharing the position with Sao Tome and Principe. Kyrgy…
Frequently asked questions about Kazakhstan
What do I need to travel to Kazakhstan?
How long must my passport be valid for Kazakhstan?
Where is Kazakhstan?
What is Kazakhstan known for?
What is the capital of Kazakhstan?
What language is spoken in Kazakhstan?
What currency does Kazakhstan use?
What is the calling code of Kazakhstan?
Which countries border Kazakhstan?
How strong is the Kazakhstani passport?
What is the speed limit in Kazakhstan?
Is Kazakhstan safe to visit?
When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan?
What plug type does Kazakhstan use?
How many airports does Kazakhstan have?
Sources: CIA World Factbook (public domain); World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0); names, languages and currencies: mledoze/countries (ODbL); flag: flag-icons (MIT); coat of arms: Wikimedia Commons (file page); exchange rates: Daily reference rates from the open-source currency-api (CC0); airports: OurAirports.