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Kazajistán: qué saber antes del viaje

Lo esencial

  • Visa-free visitors from the West may stay 30 days per visit and max 90 days in any 180 days; overstays bring fines and possible deportation.
  • Your hotel or host must register you within 3 working days of arrival — confirm it's done if you stay in a private flat.
  • Declare cash over USD 10,000 on arrival; undeclared money can be confiscated.
  • Russian Mir cards work only at some VTB Kazakhstan ATMs — bring cash or a non-Russian card.
  • In spring and summer ticks in the Tian Shan foothills (Almaty region) carry encephalitis — use repellent, check yourself after hikes.

Entrada y visados

CIS citizens enter without a visa (Russians may use the internal passport). US, UK and most EU citizens get 30 days visa-free per visit (max 90 in 180). China has mutual visa-free travel; Indian citizens get 14 days visa-free. Other nationalities can apply for an e-visa (arrival via Astana or Almaty airports).

Formularios y permisos en línea

  • Kazakhstan e-Visa ↗ opcional
    Before travel, for nationalities that need a visa · Nationalities not visa-free; entry via Astana or Almaty airport

Validez del pasaporte: At least 30 days beyond arrival with one blank page (3 months beyond visa expiry if a visa is needed).

En la frontera pueden pedir

  • Hotels register you automatically; private hosts must do it via eGov within 3 working days.
  • Keep your boarding passes/entry stamps to track the 90/180 limit.

Aduana

  • Declare cash above USD 10,000 equivalent on entry.
  • You can't take out more than USD 10,000 in foreign cash; larger declared sums can only be exported in tenge.
  • Carry prescriptions for medicines; some strong painkillers and sedatives are controlled.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: gov.uk ↗, gov.kz ↗, vmp.gov.kz ↗

Dinero

Se paga con tarjeta casi en todas partes. Las tarjetas se aceptan casi en todas partes.

Redes de pago: Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay

Apple Pay — funciona · Google Pay — funciona

Dónde cambiar dinero

  • Licensed exchange offices (обменник) in cities and malls — very competitive rates
  • Clean USD, EUR or RUB notes

Dónde no cambiar

  • Airport and hotel exchange
  • Dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and terminals

Cajeros: Halyk, Kaspi, Forte and other ATMs everywhere; foreign cards may be charged a fee by the local bank — check the screen.

Propinas: Many restaurants add a 10–15% service charge; otherwise around 10% is fine. Taxis via apps — no tip needed.

  • Cards and QR payments (Kaspi) dominate in cities; cash still useful in villages and markets.
  • Mir: very limited (some VTB Kazakhstan ATMs/terminals only).

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: nationalbank.kz ↗, avo.cards ↗

Normas y prohibiciones

Prohibido

  • Any drugs; long prison terms
  • Photographing military and border installations and some government buildings
  • Drones without permission in cities and near sensitive sites
  • Importing, selling, distributing or producing e-cigarettes, vapes or e-liquids.

Leyes que los viajeros incumplen sin saberlo

  • Carry your passport for police checks.
  • Smoking and vaping banned in most public places; sale of vapes is banned.
  • Respect the 90/180 visa-free limit.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: gov.uk ↗

Cultura y ropa

Religión: Mostly Sunni Muslim with a large Orthodox Christian minority; secular state.

Ropa: Modern, European-style dress in cities. Cover shoulders/knees and women cover hair in mosques.

Etiqueta

  • Respect elders; stand when they enter.
  • Accepting tea and food is polite; bread should not be wasted.
  • Remove shoes in homes.
  • Russian is widely spoken alongside Kazakh.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: gov.uk ↗

Clima

Extreme continental: Astana has very cold winters (-15 to -30°C) and hot summers; Almaty is milder with mountain snow; the south (Shymkent, Turkestan) is hot and dry in summer.

Mes a mes
  • enero: Jan: very cold; Astana -15°C, Almaty -5°C; ski Shymbulak
  • febrero: Feb: very cold, snowy
  • marzo: Mar: thaw begins; Nauryz (22 Mar)
  • abril: Apr: mild in south, cool in north
  • mayo: May: warm, green steppe
  • junio: Jun: warm to hot; mountain trekking
  • julio: Jul: hot, 30°C+; best for mountains
  • agosto: Aug: hot; good for Charyn, Kolsai lakes
  • septiembre: Sep: pleasant, golden autumn
  • octubre: Oct: cool, first snow in the north
  • noviembre: Nov: cold
  • diciembre: Dec: very cold; ski season

Mejor temporada: May–June and September for cities and nature; December–March for skiing near Almaty.

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: en.wikipedia.org ↗

Qué llevar

  • Serious winter gear (Nov–Mar), especially for Astana
  • Tick repellent for mountain hikes (Apr–Jul)
  • Sun protection for high altitude
  • Passport at all times
  • Some USD/EUR cash

Qué no llevar / prohibido importar

  • Vapes for sale or in large quantities
  • Drones without permits
  • Relying on Russian bank cards
  • Vapes and e-liquids

Práctico

Enchufes: Type C/F, 220 V, 50 Hz

Agua: Tap water is treated in big cities but most people drink bottled or boiled water.

Circulación: por la derecha

Móvil y eSIM: Beeline, Kcell/Activ and Tele2/Altel SIMs with a passport; eSIMs available.

Apps: Yandex Go, 2GIS, Kaspi.kz, Wolt, Aviata, Google Maps

Internet: Some websites are blocked; VPNs work but restrictions occur.

Salud: No compulsory vaccinations. Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine advised for spring/summer hiking; hepatitis A recommended.

Seguro: Not required for visa-free entry; travel medical insurance recommended.

Emergencias: 112 — unified; 102 police, 103 ambulance, 101 fire

Revisado el 29 de octubre de 2026 · Fuentes: gov.uk ↗, travelhealthpro.org.uk ↗

Las normas de entrada cambian. Antes del viaje, consulta la web de la embajada o del servicio de inmigración del país.