Kazakistan: cosa sapere prima di partire
L’essenziale
- 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.
Ingresso e visti
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).
Moduli e autorizzazioni online
- Kazakhstan e-Visa ↗ facoltativo
Before travel, for nationalities that need a visa · Nationalities not visa-free; entry via Astana or Almaty airport
Validità del passaporto: At least 30 days beyond arrival with one blank page (3 months beyond visa expiry if a visa is needed).
Alla frontiera possono chiedere
- 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.
Dogana
- 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.
Verificato il 29 ottobre 2026 · Fonti: gov.uk ↗, gov.kz ↗, vmp.gov.kz ↗
Denaro
Si paga con carta quasi ovunque. Carte accettate quasi ovunque.
Circuiti di pagamento: Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay
Apple Pay — funziona · Google Pay — funziona
Dove cambiare
- Licensed exchange offices (обменник) in cities and malls — very competitive rates
- Clean USD, EUR or RUB notes
Dove evitare di cambiare
- Airport and hotel exchange
- Dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and terminals
Bancomat: Halyk, Kaspi, Forte and other ATMs everywhere; foreign cards may be charged a fee by the local bank — check the screen.
Mance: 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).
Verificato il 29 ottobre 2026 · Fonti: nationalbank.kz ↗, avo.cards ↗
Regole e divieti
Vietato
- 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.
Leggi che i turisti violano senza saperlo
- 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.
Verificato il 29 ottobre 2026 · Fonti: gov.uk ↗
Cultura e abbigliamento
Religione: Mostly Sunni Muslim with a large Orthodox Christian minority; secular state.
Abbigliamento: Modern, European-style dress in cities. Cover shoulders/knees and women cover hair in mosques.
Galateo
- 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.
Verificato il 29 ottobre 2026 · Fonti: 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.
Mese per mese
- gennaio: Jan: very cold; Astana -15°C, Almaty -5°C; ski Shymbulak
- febbraio: Feb: very cold, snowy
- marzo: Mar: thaw begins; Nauryz (22 Mar)
- aprile: Apr: mild in south, cool in north
- maggio: May: warm, green steppe
- giugno: Jun: warm to hot; mountain trekking
- luglio: Jul: hot, 30°C+; best for mountains
- agosto: Aug: hot; good for Charyn, Kolsai lakes
- settembre: Sep: pleasant, golden autumn
- ottobre: Oct: cool, first snow in the north
- novembre: Nov: cold
- dicembre: Dec: very cold; ski season
Stagione migliore: May–June and September for cities and nature; December–March for skiing near Almaty.
Verificato il 29 ottobre 2026 · Fonti: en.wikipedia.org ↗
Cosa portare
- 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
Cosa non portare / vietato importare
- Vapes for sale or in large quantities
- Drones without permits
- Relying on Russian bank cards
- Vapes and e-liquids
Pratico
Prese: Type C/F, 220 V, 50 Hz
Acqua: Tap water is treated in big cities but most people drink bottled or boiled water.
Circolazione: a destra
Rete mobile ed eSIM: Beeline, Kcell/Activ and Tele2/Altel SIMs with a passport; eSIMs available.
App: Yandex Go, 2GIS, Kaspi.kz, Wolt, Aviata, Google Maps
Internet: Some websites are blocked; VPNs work but restrictions occur.
Salute: No compulsory vaccinations. Tick-borne encephalitis vaccine advised for spring/summer hiking; hepatitis A recommended.
Assicurazione: Not required for visa-free entry; travel medical insurance recommended.
Emergenze: 112 — unified; 102 police, 103 ambulance, 101 fire
Verificato il 29 ottobre 2026 · Fonti: gov.uk ↗, travelhealthpro.org.uk ↗
Le regole d’ingresso cambiano. Prima del viaggio consulta il sito dell’ambasciata o dell’ufficio immigrazione del paese.