In accordance with the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated October 10, 2026, «On the Rules for the Entry and Stay of Immigrants in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as their Departure from the Republic of Kazakhstan» an electronic entry permit «QazETA» will become mandatory starting July 1, 2027. Failure to possess such a permit will constitute grounds for denying an immigrant entry into the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the period from November 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, the absence of a permit shall not constitute grounds for denial of entry. The foreign national will be informed of the requirement to obtain such a permit.
REFERENCE INFORMATION
on the procedure for obtaining an electronic entry permit to the Republic of Kazakhstan
- Persons subject to the requirement
The electronic prior entry permit to the Republic of Kazakhstan applies to foreign nationals from countries with a visa-free entry regime to Kazakhstan (85 countries, including Slovenia).
- Implementation stages
- From 1 November 2026 — Aktau International Airport, road border crossing points «Urlyutobe» (Pavlodar Region), «Aukhatty» (Zhambyl Region), «Atameken» (Turkestan Region) and «Nurly Zhol» (Zhetisu Region).
- From 1 January 2027 — international airports of Astana and Almaty.
- From 1 March 2027 — all other checkpoints across the State Border of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- From 1 July 2027 — mandatory possession of an electronic permit; its absence will be grounds for refusal of entry.
Important.During the stages from 1 November 2026 to 30 June 2027, the absence of a permit does not result in refusal of entry on this ground; the foreign national is informed of the need to obtain it.
- Procedure for obtaining the permit and border control
Application submission. In electronic form via the QazETA digital platform, no later than 72 hours before the planned date of entry. Identification and/or authentication of the applicant is provided for.
Validity period of the permit. 180 calendar days. The permissible periods of stay in Kazakhstan are determined separately in accordance with paragraphs 14 and 24 of the Rules.
Cost of obtaining the permit — free of charge.
Document at the border. When crossing the border, a valid passport or other identity document used when submitting the application must be presented.
Check at the border. Possession of a permit does not preclude refusal of entry on the grounds provided for in Article 48 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Population Migration”.
- Categories of persons exempt from obtaining the permit
29 categories of exemption are provided for, subject to the availability of supporting documents.
1) heads of foreign states, governments, international organizations and members of their families;
2) members of parliaments, governments of foreign states, international organizations and members of their families;
3) honorary consuls of the Republic of Kazakhstan and members of their families;
4) holders of diplomatic passports, service passports, as well as passports of international organizations with a status equivalent to that of diplomatic agents traveling to the Republic of Kazakhstan to work in diplomatic and equivalent missions of foreign states, international organizations and/or their representations, as well as employees of consular institutions of foreign states accredited in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
5) holders of an accreditation certificate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
6) diplomatic couriers carrying diplomatic mail, upon presentation of a courier letter;
7) foreign nationals arriving in the Republic of Kazakhstan at the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kurultai of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Office of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, law enforcement and special state bodies, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
8) persons under the age of sixteen;
9) persons aged sixty-five and over;
10) transit passengers remaining in the transit zone of international airports without crossing the State Border of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
11) foreign nationals and stateless persons holding a valid visa of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
12) foreign nationals holding a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
13) foreign nationals holding a residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
14) persons recognized as refugees in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
15) asylum seekers;
16) members of aircrew, subject to an entry in the general declaration (flight assignment);
17) members of crews of sea and river vessels, subject to an entry in the crew list or an extract therefrom;
18) members of train, refrigerator and locomotive crews according to formation sheets approved for each trip;
19) employees of intergovernmental courier service, subject to service or travel certificates (orders) issued by the competent authorities of the Parties’ states;
20) law enforcement officers escorting suspects, accused persons and convicts, subject to service or travel certificates (orders), unless otherwise provided for in international treaties ratified by the Republic of Kazakhstan;
21) members of official state and government delegations of states and persons accompanying them;
22) employees servicing cross-border facilities located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, subject to service certificates (name lists certified by the management of organizations / local executive body);
23) passengers of aircraft that made an emergency (forced) landing at international airports of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
24) passengers of sea vessels that made an emergency (forced) call at international ports of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
25) persons crossing the State Border of the Republic of Kazakhstan in connection with search and rescue operations, if provided for by international agreements ratified by the Republic of Kazakhstan;
26) persons arriving to participate in humanitarian missions or the elimination of the consequences of emergency situations at the invitation of state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
27) employees of medical organizations as part of a medical assistance team arriving in the Republic of Kazakhstan for the purpose of providing emergency medical care;
28) drivers of goods vehicles (whose maximum permissible mass, including trailer, exceeds 6 tonnes, or whose maximum useful load, including trailer, exceeds 3.5 tonnes) engaged in the international carriage of goods; drivers of buses with more than 12 seating places excluding the driver’s seat engaged in the international carriage of passengers; as well as when transiting through the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
29) persons accompanying the bodies of deceased persons for burial, including those in transit.
- Refusal to issue and cancellation of the permit
Refusal to issue a permit is carried out on the grounds provided for in Article 48 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan «On Population Migration».
Cancellation of an electronic permit is provided for in the following cases:
- existence of grounds established by Article 48 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan «On Population Migration»;
- adoption of a decision to reduce the period of temporary stay;
- adoption of a decision on administrative expulsion from Kazakhstan;
- issuance of a permit in violation of the procedure established by the Rules.
Notification of refusal to issue or of cancellation is sent to the foreign national via the digital platform.
