According to usaers, Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan) is located on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, thus forming a transcontinental state (a country that lies on two continents). Kazakhstan borders Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan has been independent from the former Soviet Union since 1991. The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana (Nursultan). A number of major cities in Kazakhstan are: Alma-Ata, Şımkent, Taraz and Semey. The territory of Kazakhstan also includes the Tyuleni Islands, consisting of the following islands: Kulaly, Morskoy, Rybayshi, Podgorny and Novy.
According to travelationary, Kazakhstan is best known for the comedian Borat and the Russian space base “Baikonur Cosmodrome”. From here, tourism launches to space are carried out by Russia, among other things. Most of the country consists of desert. You will also find 7 National Parks in Kazakhstan, several fishing lakes and many mountain areas, including some with snow-capped peaks. The country is also known for its long cold winters in which the entire landscape is covered with snow. You can then ski excellently.
Where is Kazakhstan?
Travel information of Kazakhstan
Official name: Republic of Kazakhstan
Continent: Europe and Asia
Area: 2,724,900 km²
Capital: Astana (Nursultan)
Country code: KZ, KAZ
Population: 19,091,949 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 7,010 m (Khan Tengri)
Distance (Amsterdam – Astana): 4,428 km
Flight time: approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: Attention, safety risks.
Current color code: Yellow.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Kazakhstan that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Kazakhstan, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Kazakhstan. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, hiking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Kazakhstan?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Kazakhstan at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Kazakhstan has a desert climate. In the winter months the temperatures are around -5 to -15 degrees and in the summer months the temperatures are around 20 to 40 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Kazakhstan can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Kazakhstan can be found at Climate info.
Best time
May, June, September and October are the best months to travel to Kazakhstan. This avoids the freezing winter period and the hot summer period.
Language
Kazakh is the official language in Kazakhstan. The most spoken language is Russian.
Would you like to translate from or into Kazakh and/or Russian for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Kazakhstan.
A visa is not required for a stay of up to 30 days. For a longer period of time, you can personally apply for a visa at the consulate of Kazakhstan in The Hague.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Kazakhstan: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy and Consulate of Kazakhstan in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
It is advisable to get one or more vaccinations before visiting Kazakhstan.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Money and Currency
In Kazakhstan, payments are made with the Kazakhstani tenge (KZT).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Kazakhstan can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Kazakhstan are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -54% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (56% cheaper), food (53% cheaper), imported beer in catering (66% cheaper), cigarettes (85% cheaper) and public transport (91% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Kazakhstan it is not customary to tip. Service costs are already automatically added to the bill.
Time difference
Kazakhstan falls in two different time zones:
– Western Kazakhstan: 4 hours later (winter time), 3 hours later (summer time).
– East Kazakhstan: 5 hours later (winter time), 4 hours later (summer time).
Above we talk about the time difference during our winter and summer time, because Kazakhstan does not use summer time.
Find the local times, dates and time zones for Kazakhstan on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Kazakhstan you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Kazakhstan.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Kazakhstan.
Electricity
In Kazakhstan the same plugs and sockets are used as in the Netherlands.
More information about electricity in Kazakhstan can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 102
– Fire brigade: 101
– Ambulance: 103
With a mobile phone you can also use the international number 112.
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Kazakhstan can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Kazakhstan can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Kazakhstan end in.kz.
Kazakhstan official website: en.government.kz.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Kazakhstan is 007 or +7.
If you want to call the Netherlands from Kazakhstan, dial: 8 – Wait for dial tone – 1031.
(If you use a country code, you must omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Telephone Directory of Kazakhstan.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Kazakhstan.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Kazakhstan.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Kazakhstan can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Kazakhstan, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Kazakhstan?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Kazakhstan. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and World Heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Kazakhstan can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Kazakhstan can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Kazakhstan? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported from Kazakhstan.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or with Kazakhstan, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Kazakhstan, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Kazakhstan.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 21.
– Alcohol and traffic: Maximum allowed blood alcohol content is 0.
– Tobacco: Buying from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia?
…There is a Russian space base in Kazakhstan?
…Kazakhstan has only been independent from Russia since 1991?
… Kazakhstan is the largest country that does not border on any sea?
…More than 120 nationalities live in Kazakhstan?
…Kazakhstan was the first country where horses were ridden?
