The comfortable old capital of Almaty (Alma-Ata), built with the latest technology Astana, the ancient Taraz and Shimkent, standing on the Great Silk Road - all this is Kazakhstan. And in the republic there are many natural beauties: endless steppes in the north, the snowy mountains of Köngay and Zailiysky Alatau in the south, beautiful blue lakes (Balkhash, Burbay), the canyon of the Charyn river, the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan has no shortage of historical monuments either: tourists can see the burial mound Beshatyr Saka, and in the south of the country there are many graves of Saka rulers.
But not only for tourism purposes do Russian citizens go to Kazakhstan. They often go on a visit to friends, they want to visit relatives. After all, citizens of the CIS are linked by long-standing ties. But the question arises as to whether a passport to Kazakhstan is needed . Indeed, some Russians simply do not have it, and the procedure for its execution is long.
When is the best time to visit Kazakhstan
Daily from Moscow planes fly to Astana and Almaty. You can get there by train, but it will take much more time. For example, the passenger train moves from Moscow to Astana for 60 hours, and to Alma-Ata - more than three days! Before we consider the question of whether a passport to Kazakhstan is needed, let's decide when it is best to go there. The long and harsh winters in the north, the slush from December to March in the south and the very, very hot summers leave tourists for visiting the country only off-season.
The biggest holiday of the country is Nauryz, which translates as “New Day”.
It is celebrated at the
vernal equinox and is accompanied by traditional folk games: horse racing (“alaman-baiga”), chasing a girl “kuz-kuu” (how not to remember the film “Borat” here), national wrestling “kazaksha-kurez”. Also in the spring there are various festivals, music concerts, exhibitions of street artists and fairs. And in August, in the high-mountain Medeo, an annual contest “Voices of Asia” is held.
So do Russians need a passport to Kazakhstan?
The Government of the Republic allowed visa-free visits to citizens of the entire CIS, as well as Turkey and Mongolia. This, of course, simplifies the matter: there is no need to submit a package of documents to the Kazakh Embassy and justify the reason for entering the country. And paying the consular fee, by the way, is also not required.
But do citizens of the CIS need a passport to Kazakhstan? This question cannot be answered unequivocally. But the citizens of the Russian Federation can be pleased: they can go to Kazakhstan, taking with them only the internal passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. By the way, with this document you can also go to Abkhazia, Belarus and, if you dare, to Ukraine.
But what about the inhabitants of other CIS countries?
Unfortunately, for Ukrainians and citizens of those republics that have not joined the Customs Union, a passport is required to enter Kazakhstan. This is strange and somewhat illogical. After all, citizens of Ukraine can come to Russia according to an internal document, as well as residents of the Russian Federation to Kiev. But further eastward movement is difficult for subjects from the two banks of the Dnieper. Maybe this is a fee for alleged membership in the European Union?
But even Russians entering Kazakhstan should not relax. This is all the same, though near, but still abroad. Therefore, responsibly treat those documents that will have to be filled out at the border or at the airport.
What is a migration card
We have already figured out whether it is necessary to carry a passport to Kazakhstan with us. Now it's time to talk about the documents that you will need to present to the border guard. Shortly before landing, all adult passengers are issued with stewardess forms of migration cards. This document must be very carefully filled with a ballpoint pen. All personal data must be recorded in Russian, in English or in Kazakh.
If you are visiting, please indicate the name and address of the receiving party. If on a ticket - the name of the tour operator and its coordinates. In the case of independent tourism, you can write the title and address of the first hotel booked. The border guard sets the date of entry, and you have ninety days to visit Kazakhstan. When leaving, the second half of the migration card is taken from you.
Innovations
Previously, all tourists had problems with registration for a three-day period in the Migration Service of Kazakhstan. After all, people often came to rest and actively move around the country. Walking at the authorities and sitting in lines somewhat overshadowed the stay in Kazakhstan. And the lack of registration entailed troubles when leaving and the collection of a fine. Moreover, there were even cases of extortion of bribes for allegedly untimely registration.
But now, since June 2012, the rules have changed. If you plan to stay in the country up to 30 days, you do not need to register anywhere. But there is sad news: it may very well be that soon Russian citizens will still need a passport: Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation agree to change the rules for crossing their common borders.