VISA SUPPORT & INVITATIONS
This page gives information and links on how to obtain visa, invitations, letters of support, letter of invitation for visa for Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
The links to Governments and Online Visa Services give you the opportunity to make a comparison between travel agencies and their prices for visa support.
Kazakhstan Visa
Kazakh embassies in the world
Application of Visa for Kazakhstan : what you need
- the usual stuff : 1 nice picture of yourself, your passport must be valid for at least 60 days longer than the validity of the requested Kazakh visa.
- Kazakhstan Visa Application form : you can find a online Word version of the Kazakhstan Visa Application form here.
- Maximum duration of stay : you can stay up to 3 months in Kazakhstan, normal visa is valid for 1 month stay
- Price of visum for Kazakhstan : price depends on the speed of processing, if you have time you sometimes must insist that you want to wait 10 days, because they otherwise charge you lots more to give you the visa on the same day.
- Letter of Invitation for Kazakhstan : Since february 15, 2004, single entry business, tourist and private (up to one month) visas are issued to citizens of 27 developed nations (see list below), without invitations from Kazakhstan. The consulates at Kazakh airports only issue visa against an invitation, visa for a longer duration or multiple entry also require an invitation.
- Kazakhstan Tourist visa : Since you need an invitation, which is a piece of paper you buy by email at a travel agency (see below). Some consulates don’t accept faxed invitations (give them a call in advance to check). Because the agency also prepares pro forma reservations of accommodation (which you don’t have to use), you have to provide them the cities where you will spend the night.
- Kazakhstan Transit visa : you need a visa for the next country and a onward ticket; you can get a 72 hours transit visa in Almaty airport for 60$
- Kazakhstan Business Visa : If you apply for a multiple visa up to one year, a copy of invitation letter from a host organization in Kazakhstan is needed. This letter must be submitted by host organization in Kazakhstan to the Department of Consular Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In addition, a cover letter from the applicant's company, briefly summarizing the purpose of the visit and including some information about the company or organization should be attached.
- Indicative Consular Fee : Cost of the Kazakhstan Visa (depends on the embassy) :
- Kazakhstan Single entry visa (business, home stay) up to three months : 125 US dollars
- Kazakhstan Double entry visa up to three months : 155 US dollars
- Kazakhstan Triple entry visa up to three months : 170 US dollars
- Kazakhstan Multiple entry visa up to one year : 265 US dollars
- Kazakhstan Single entry tourist visa up to three months : 105 US dollars
- Kazakhstan Double entry tourist visa up to three months : 125 US dollars
- Transit visa : 95 US dollars
Kazakhstan Letter of invitation - Kazakhstan Visa support
As always with invitations, the most important thing for an independent traveler is to find an agency which does not requires you to take any extra services (hotel bookings, transport, tours…) which limit your freedom and cost you lots more. Also the way of payment is important, as bank wire or Western Union payments are not as practical as VISA or payment on arrival. The following selection is what I have found; feel free to send me details of other agencies that offer cheap invitations without further obligations. This selection is purely based on these criteria; it does not take in account the quality of their service. It takes 10-15 days to arrange a letter of invitation.
- For a single entry Kazakhstan official, private, tourist, business visa nationals of the following countries do not need letter of visa invitation (visa support) : Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Greece, Denmark, Italy, Ireland, Iceland, Germany, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Monako, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Singapore, USA, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, France.
- To obtain a visa for the Republic of Kazakhstan a copy of invitation letter with a notification of a number of visa support of the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan (or original of an individual invitation registered by the internal affairs bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan),
- For invitation of the citizens of Australia, Austria, Andorra, Argentine, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Vatican, the Great Britain, Hungary, Greece, Denmark, Israel, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Cyprus, the Republic of Korea, Costa-Rika, Cube, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Nauru, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San-Marine, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, the USA, Turkey, Uruguay, Czechia, Chili, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, France, BRD, Estonia, SAR, Jamaica, Japan with business or tourist purposes a permit from the internal affairs bodies, is not required, it means that invitations of host organizations should be submitted directly to the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana, Almaty).
Travel agencies that offer Visa Support and Invitation Letters to Kazakhstan
Registration of Kazakh Visum
- Update 29 july 2005 : From 29th July 2005 on registration
of all arriving persons to Kazakhstan will be done at the airport. The immigration
form, that has to be completed and stamped, serves as registration for a
duration of 90 days. In the first months officials at the airport may not
yet be aware of the new regulation. The form
will in future be given with the visa, distributed in the aircraft or issued
at the airport. Persons who have been registered do not have to complete
the form. The form must have 2 stamps by immigration. A stamped form is
attached as a sample, names and personal information have been deleted.
Persons arriving overland must still register.
- Registration of the visa is required within 3 working days after arrival in Kazakhstan at the OVIR. This must be done with the company witch invites you. Agencies charge 10-25$ for that. All foreign citizens must register at the local Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan or at the hotel within 72 hours upon arrival to Kazakhstan. Otherwise they will be fined by the Immigration Service on departure.
- You need to reregister if you stay longer than 72 hours in one place, keep your hotel receipts.
Extension of a Kazakh visum
-
30$ : 7 days, 50$ : 2 weeks, 70$ : 1 month , has to be done by the agency which supplies the invitation
- A Kazakh tourist visa can not be extended inside Kazakhstan.
More information on Kazakhstan Visa