Kazakhstan has secured 54th place among 199 countries, offering its citizens visa-free access to 41 destinations.
With a mobility score of 94, Kazakh citizens can now explore a growing list of visa-free or visa-on-arrival countries, significantly expanding their global travel opportunities.
Over the past decade, Kazakhstan’s efforts have opened doors to over 30 new visa-free destinations. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports identified 81 countries, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival options, with six more agreements awaiting implementation.
Kazakhstan enjoys favorable visa-free agreements with several nations. Georgia leads the list, granting Kazakh citizens up to one year of visa-free residency. Armenia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines offer stays of up to 180 days, while countries like Russia, Türkiye, and Mongolia allow up to 90-day visits. Meanwhile, Hong Kong, Iran, and Oman offer shorter stays of up to 14 days without requiring a visa.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains committed to enhancing the mobility of its citizens. Kuanysh Zhaikov, an economist and head of the DESHT Institutional Transformation Group, emphasized that building more visa-free agreements is a long-term strategy. He highlighted that increasing such agreements could help Kazakhstan secure similar deals with larger, more economically developed countries.
In 2023, Kazakhstan further expanded its visa-free list with agreements involving Bangladesh, Seychelles, San Marino, China, and Vietnam. Notably, talks are ongoing to ease the European Union’s visa requirements for Kazakhstan, potentially reducing fees, speeding up processing, and extending the validity of multiple-entry visas.
Kazakhstan has seen a sharp increase in inbound tourism, welcoming 9.2 million foreign tourists in 2023. Nearly nine million of these visitors hailed from visa-free countries. A notable impact came from the mutual visa-free regime with China, which boosted Chinese tourist numbers from 18,000 in 2022 to 367,000 in 2023. Similarly, the number of Indian tourists tripled, rising from 28,000 to 78,000 over the same period.
Kazakhstan’s enhanced visa-free access continues to open new avenues for both outbound and inbound travelers, reinforcing its growing role on the global tourism map.
