Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Foreigners' Registration with Migration Police/Ministry of Internal Affairs: A MUST TO DO in Kazakhstan

The rules for registration in Kazakhstan for immigrants and visitors are pretty clear. If you are going to stay in Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK) for more than five (5) days, you must register with local Migration Police/Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Formerly Known as the Office of the Visa and Registration or "OVIR") .

The day of your arrival, irrespective of the time of arrival, will be the first day of your arrival in Kazakhstan. So, the date of Arrival Stamp on your Passport/Visa will be the first day of stay in Kazakhstan. So, calculate yourself if you are going to stay for more than 5 days in Kazakhstan. If such stay in Kazakhstan is going to be more than 5 days, you MUST register with Local Migration Police. Also, note that the registration with Migration Police must be done within 5 days of arrival into Kazakhstan. If there is a public holiday within 5 days, they will be included inside 5 days. That means if you reached Kazakhstan at 11.30 PM on Friday Night, and if you go to register on Monday, it will be your 4th day of stay. Failure to register within 5 days will attract penalty.

In which Migration Police should you get registered?

If you have come to Kazakhstan under Private Visa (G1, G2, G3, G4), you have to register with the same migration police from where your friend/spouse had obtained Letter of Invitation (LOI) to you. So, it does not matter from which border point you make your entry. You must go to the place from where your LOI was obtained.

If you are under Tourist Visa (F1), in that case too, you must register with a migration police having jurisdiction over the tour or travel agents who had sent you the LOI for touristic purposes.

Address of Migration Police in Astana

The Address of Migration Police in Astana is:

29 Seyfullin Street (улица Сакена Сейфулина 29)

(Between Beibetshilik Avenue and Auezov Street)

Tel: 717 2716 179, 717 2716 181

You can see the screenshot of the address taken from www.kazakhstandiscovery.com

The image of the place where Migration Police in Astana is located:



The Building on the left (Building No. 27) houses Kazkommertsbank. If you have to pay any kind of fees in relation to Migration Police, you can pay the fees in this bank branch. Remember that you do not have to pay any fees for Registration as a foreigner in Kazakhstan and it is given free of cost to you.

The same building in which Migration Police Astana is located houses a book shop (дом книги: Book House, дом книги written in yellow background board, in Kazakh: ACTAHA KITAP), and a photocopy shop.


Normally, when you come by flight (for example: in Air Astana in New Delhi - Almaty Route), you will get a piece of paper free of cost (This piece of Paper is called Kazakhstan Migration Card which I got to know later from other websites) which you need to fill and present it at the immigration point/passport control at the airport. Only the foreigners need to fill Kazakhstan Migration Card either in English, or in Russian or in Kazakh and submit it to the Passport Control Officer at the Airport. 

At the time of arrival/entry into Kazakhstan, when you present Kazakhstan Migration Card along with your Passport to Passport Control Officer, he will put a stamp on your passport/Visa and on Kazakhstan Migration Card and gives you back.

SAMPLE OF KAZAKHSTAN MIGRATION CARD (Front Side which you need to fill)


Photo Courtesy: http://www.kazakhstandiscovery.com/

SAMPLE OF KAZAKHSTAN MIGRATION CARD (Back side of the form which will be filled and stamped by Migration Police)



If you see above Kazakhstan Migration Card, you will see that it has been already stamped by Migration Police. There you will see a clear instruction which says that Foreigners need to register within 5 days from the date of arrival in Kazakhstan. Whosoever breaks the rule regarding registration within five days will face penalty. The Card also clearly states that it must be returned at the time of leaving Kazakhstan. Please take this Law of Kazakhstan very seriously as it will save you from trouble while staying in Kazakhstan or while leaving this country.

(PLEASE BEAR IN MIND THAT THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF PAPER AND YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT YOU POSSESS IT TILL THE TIME YOU LEAVE KAZAKHSTAN AS Kazakhstan Migration Card NEEDS TO BE GIVEN BACK TO THE PASSPORT CONTROL OFFICER AT THE TIME OF LEAVING KAZAKHSTAN.FAILURE IN GIVING THIS PAPER BACK AT THE TIME OF LEAVING KAZAKHSTAN ATTRACTS PENALTY/FINES.)

While going to migration Police where you need to get registered, you should carry your Passport and Kazakhstan Migration Card which you have received after stamping from the Passport Control. In Migration Police Office, you need to fill a Form which will be in Kazakh/Russian only. Therefore, you should be reasonably well versed in either of these languages.

In Migration Police, you should not face any issues ordinarily. They will take your passport, the filled Form, Kazakhstan Migration Card and can tell you to collect it in the same day evening between 5PM to 7PM (In Astana). They will not give you any proof of receipt of your Passport. When you go to Collect it, they will give your Passport,Kazakhstan Migration Card on which you got stamp from passport control and an additional computer typed paper. The Migration Police will put a stamp on the back side of Kazakhstan Migration Card. It ensures that you have got temporarily registered with Migration Police in Kazakhstan.

If you want to go to Migration Police Astana by Bus, the following buses pass through it. Look at the map below and find out from your Area in Astana which bus goes to Migration Police. Unfortunately, some people have placed their advertisement poster and some part of the route of the buses is unseen and torn but from the bottom of the image, you can say which bus goes there.

The Bus Stop to go to Migration Police Astana is "BTA BANK". (It is pronounced in Russian as "Astanobhka beteaa bank or in Kazakh Ayaldamasha betaaaa Bank.)



Tell us if you have a different experiences or ask any questions if you have.

Regarding Registration in Kazakhstan by Foreigners, US Embassy provides the information HERE. I think US Embassy information is old and outdated. For the people who are not under VISA FREE REGIME and who have come under PRIVATE VISA, the information given by me is complete and accurate. For the rest, the information above will act as a guidelines.

4 comments:

  1. Dear Sir/Madam,

    First of all thank you so much for all this information. I really appreciate it. I am Indian, will be visiting Kazakhstan on 14th April to 27th April. My flight will land in Astana, from there I need to change the flight and go to Astana. Then I will stay for four days in Astana and then I will go to Almaty and my return flight is from Almaty.

    I have few questions.

    1. Since, I will first land in Almaty and then from Almaty catch another flight to reach Astana (on same day), the issue of Kazakhstan Migration Card to me will be in Almaty Airport or Astana Airport?
    2. As you said, for tourist, registration with migration police must be done with those police which have authority and jurisdiction over the travel agency who issued me an LOI. I got LOI and visa through an agency and I don't have the copy of LOI. All I know is the name of the Agency who issued me an LOI. How do I check that which migration police have jurisdiction over that agency.?
    3. Me not possessing a copy of LOI, will it be a problem for me at any stage during trip?
    4. Apart from my Passport with Visa stamp and Kazakhstan Migration card, will I need any other documents for registering with Migration police.?

    Kindly do reply me on johnhimani88@gmail.com

    Thank you in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi JohnHimani, It's good to hear that you found the blog post helpful. Before, I answer your queries, I would like to say something. First of all, I think you have made a little mistake in your comment. Are you coming/returning by Air Astana Flight? This is what I understand. So, your first point of entry into Kazakhstan will be Almaty Airport where you have to clear your immigration formalities (also called passport Control in Kazakhstan) and change to domestic section there and take a domestic flight to Astana from Almaty. Almaty Airport is a very very small International Airport. It is with ease you go to domestic section. Now, let's look at your question:

    1. Answer to your first question is Almaty Airport. They will give a migration card when you are inside Flight. Fill that properly and in Passport Control, they would put a stamp on it in addition to your Visa. This Paper is the most important. If you lose it, you have to pay heavy fine. Keep it safely.

    2. Before answering this question, few things those I need to understand. Are you coming to meet your friend? relative? GF/BF? Business?Tourism? Study Purpose? and where are you staying? Do you already have booked flats/Hotels/resorts? Location of your stay decides the place of Migration Police. In Astana, you can easily find the migration police office but finding the right window and filling up the form IS a REAL Problem if you don't understand Russian. We advise this registration Service for a fees. Look at my email.

    3. Did not you make a photocopy of LOI? Anyway, original LOI will have to be submitted to the Kazakh Embassy, you can at the maximum, can only hold photocopy. I will not say that it is mandatory to have but it is helpful. If you do not have a photocopy, try to get in touch with your travel agency if they can send you scan copy. Sometimes, Passport Control does not understand the nature of VISA and they do not know English At all. So, having the photocopy of LOI is really helpful.

    4. If you are staying at hotel/flat, they may ask you the proof. This is a place which is very crowded and officers are erratic. Sometimes, they have whole lot of questions but sometimes, they keep quite. It depends on if you have someone who speaks Russian/Kazakh. Filling up the forms confidently is a good start and that can make them keep quiet. I provide this service for a fees. Minimum 2 visits are required for this. You MUST be there in both the times. Regards, Raj

    ReplyDelete
  3. I realise that I made a slight mistake there. Did your travel agency get the LOI from Almaty? If that is so, the situation is difficult and tricky. Contact your Travel agent ASAP and find out. If you have a photocopy of it, send me the image/or scan copy so that I can check it. If LOI is from Almaty, you have to register there. So, you have to postpone your visit to Astana.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks a Ton Raj.
    Yes. I know It is my big mistake that I did not get a copy of LOI, I really regret that, and I am trying to contact the agent constantly to get the same. All I have is name of inviting organization in my passport that is -"TOURMALIN". I am coming there on tourism purpose, My agent charged me 12k for LOI, visa fees and everything. For stay all I have done is I have done bookings through Air BNB and I can show them confirmation emails as a proof if they ask for the same. I have done the bookings in Astana and Almaty. But for initial days it is in Astana and later part of my stay , rooms are booked in Almaty. I am traveling by Air Astana while coming and returning. and returning flight is from Almaty.

    I am trying to know it asap that whether LOI is from Almaty or Astana and will let you know as soon as I know it.

    As you suggested you may help me for fees, kindly let me know how much it would be? as I have no option but to tell you this is my first international trip, I have no past experience of going abroad and my budget for this trip is already out of control. If my LOI is from almaty then I think it will shoot up further as I will have to then cancel the bookings of astana and need to book new rooms in almaty. I am a person of a limited means and doing this trip after four years of savings. I am not saying to provide your services to me for free, but kindly charge me reasonably. I got your whatsapp number, we can discuss further in that.

    ReplyDelete