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Note!
Regulations and requirements may be subject to change at short notice!
passports & visas
Passports valid required
by all
Visa required, except for: Nationals of CIS holding passports, and holders of valid passports issued by the
former Soviet Union and registered in the CIS (except nationals of Turkmenistan
who do need visas);
Nationals of Mongolia for stays of up to 3 months;
Nationals of Iran and Turkey for a stay of up to 1 month
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k a z a k h s t a n
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Note! Visas are only valid for the cities indicated in the visa.
Non CIS nationals staying longer than 72 hours must register with an OVIR
office and pay a registration charge. Failure to do so will result in penalties
on departure. CIS nationals staying longer than 72 hours should register at a
'House Administration' office. Foreign visitors entering Kazakhstan from
territories of the former USSR illegally (ie without proper Entry visas) will be
fined US$250 and deported.
getting in
Almaty airport is located 15km (9.5 miles)
northeast of the city. Bus no. 101 connects the airport with the city
centre (travel time - 20 minutes). Taxis are also available at the
airport for transport into the city centre. Airport facilities include
car rental, duty-free shops, restaurant and post office
vaccinations
No vaccinations are required.
duty free
The following goods may be imported into
Kazakhstan by persons of 18 years of age or older without incurring customs duty: 1000 cigarettes or 1000g of tobacco products;
1.5 litres of spirits and 2 litres of wine; a reasonable quantity of
perfume for personal use; gifts up to the value of US$500 for personal
use only.
Note! On entering the country, tourists
must complete a customs declaration form which must be retained until
departure. This allows the import of articles intended for personal use,
including currency and valuables which must be registered on the
declaration form. They must be exported at the end of the stay. Customs
inspection can be long and detailed. It is advisable to keep receipts
for items bought in Kazakhstan in order to avoid difficulties at customs
on departure.
Prohibited imports: Military weapons and ammunition, narcotics,
pornography, loose pearls and anything owned by a third party that is to be
carried in for that third party.
Prohibited exports: As prohibited imports, as well as annulled
securities, state loan certificates, lottery tickets, works of art and
antiques (unless permission has been granted by the Ministry of Culture),
saiga horns, Siberian stag, punctuate and red deer antlers (unless on
organised hunting trip), and punctuate deer skins.
Currency restrictions: The import and export of local
currency and import of foreign currency is unlimited provided declared on
arrival. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported.
Special bank permission is required for all amounts exceeding this.
exit duty
None
time
Kazakhstan is divided into three time zones:
Eastern/Main Zone: GMT + 6 (GMT + 7 from 28 March to 26 October)
Central Zone: GMT + 5 (GMT + 6 from 28 March to 26 October)
Western Zone: GMT + 4 (GMT + 5 from 28 March to 26 October)
money
Tenge (T) = 100 tiyin. Notes are in denominations of
T2000, 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1, and 20, 10, 5, 3 and 1 tiyin.
No coins have been minted.
Note! Visitors using the national
currency are advised to carry plenty of small change as some shops and,
particularly markets, may be unable to accept large denominations.
Currency exchange: The national currency, the Tenge, may only be
obtained within Kazakhstan. Conversion of the Tenge back into hard currency may
prove difficult, if not impossible. Foreign currency should only be exchanged at
official bureaux and all transactions must be recorded on the currency
declaration form which is issued on arrival.
Rate (per $US): 151.14 (January 2002)
Credit & debit cards: Major European and international credit cards, including Visa and Diners Club,
are accepted in the larger hotels in Almaty and in major shops and restaurants.
There are no facilities for credit-card cash withdrawals in Kazakhstan.
Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take
travellers cheques in US Dollars.
telephony
Country code: 8. Area code for Almaty: 3272; For Astana: 3172.
International calls can be made at a reduced rate from 2000-0800 local time.
Mobile telephone: Dual band 1800 and 900 networks in use. Coverage is good
around the main cities.
transport
Public buses and taxies. Public buses in Almaty are going to "Medeo"
sport complex which was one of the most famous and developed in Soviet Union
ones and still is. Cable car in Almaty takes to the top of the city where a
spectacular view of the city can be enjoyed. There are a lot of restaurants and
entertaining areas.
dining
Kazakh dishes include kazi, chuzhuk, suret and
besbarmak (made from horse meat or mutton). Shashlyk (skewered chunks
of mutton barbecued over charcoal) and lepeshka (round unleavened bread)
are often sold on street corners and make an appetising meal. Plov is
made up of scraps of mutton, shredded yellow turnip and rice and is a staple
dish in all the Central Asian republics. Other mutton dishes such as laghman
and beshbermak include long thick noodles garnished with a spicy meat
sauce. Manty (boiled noodle sacks of meat and vegetables), samsa (samosas)
and chiburekki (deep-fried dough cakes) are all popular as snacks. Almaty
is renowned for its apples - indeed the city was named after them. See
Kazakh tea or chai is very popular and there are national cafés called
Chai-Khana (tea-rooms) where visitors may sip this Kazakh speciality. It is
drunk very strong with cream. Beer, vodka, brandy and sparkling wine are
available in many restaurants. The national speciality is kumis,
fermented mare's milk. Cafés where this can be ordered are called Kumis-Khana.
Refusing it when offered may cause offence. In the steppe and desert regions
where camels are bred, the camel's milk, called shubat, is offered to
guests.
shopping &
souvenirs
Located north of Panfilov Park, Almaty has a bazaar,
where a diverse range of items can be bought. Shopping
hours: Mon-Sat 09:00-17:00
working hours & days
State organizations are closed on Saturdays and Sundays and mainly work from
09:00 - 17:30 (18:00). Banks are open weekdays usually Monday-Friday 09:30-17:30
public holidays
December 31, January, 1: New Year
March 8: Women’s day
Mar 22: Nauryz Meyrami (Traditional Spring Holiday)
May 1: Kazakhstan People's Unity Day
May 9: Victory Day
Aug 30: Constitution Day
Oct 25: Republic Day
Dec 16: Independence Day
power
supply
The electrical current is 220 V,
50 Hz alternating current; wall outlets take continental-type plugs, with
two round prongs. To use US-purchased electric-powered equipment, bring a
converter and an adapter
weights & measures
Metric: Metric conversions
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