IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
General Requirements
Immigration regulations may be liable to change on short notice; prospective visitors are advised to check on the current situation before departure (http://mfa.kz/en).
The passport and visa information listed in this profile applies to the holders of normal passports. Holders of diplomatic, official, special, and service passports are advised to note that special regulations may apply.
NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES MIGHT RESULT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND DEPORTATION TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. REPEATED VIOLATION MAY CAUSE SERIOUS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.
Passport
All visitors to Kazakhstan are required to have passports which validity should not expire earlier than 3 months from the visa expiration date and must contain at least 2 blank pages intended for visa and stamps.
Nationals of Kazakhstan who live abroad need passports which are valid at least six months beyond the date of entry.
If you are replacing an expired passport, please kindly provide the School HR manager with the newly issued passport along with the old expired passport for registration with the Immigration Service. Keep in mind that it is in your best interest to provide us with the necessary documents as soon as possible to prevent any problems with registration.
Visa-Free Entry
International students who are citizens of the countries indicated below can enter the Republic of Kazakhstan on the visa-free basis:
1. Russian Federation
2. The Kyrgyz Republic
3. The Republic of Armenia
4. The Republic of Tajikistan
5. The Republic of Uzbekistan
6. The Republic of Belarus
C9 Visa Obtainment
International students with a country of citizenship that is not listed in “Visa-Free Entry” section need a student visa (C9) to come to Kazakhstan. This type of visa is given for the period of one year and allows you to make multiple entries to Kazakhstan. Visa shall be renewed each year.
Step 1
The Department of International Cooperation (DIC) will submit the documents to the Migration Service as soon as the contract with Eurasian National University is signed. Once the Letter of Invitation (LOI) is ready, its copy will be emailed to you. The LOI will be a decent evidence for the Embassy of Kazakhstan to provide you with a multiple entry visa.
To obtain LOI the following documents should be submitted by the international students to the manager:
— NU Visa Support Application Form;
— Copy of passport;
— Study agreement with Eurasian National University;
— The state duty payment that is 0.5 of the minimum calculation index = 1134,5 tenge (provided by the manager).
*Apostilled residence permit required if citizenship and residency are different*;
Step 2
Upon receipt of the invitation letter, the applicant submits all the documentation to the Kazakhstan’s Embassy/Consulate abroad where he/she plans to obtain a visa. It is the personal responsibility of the applicant to double-check the list of the required documents (application form, photocopy, fee receipt etc.) on the web-site of the Embassy/Consulate. Also, you will need to pay a visa fee.
The following documents are usually required:
1. Visa invitation letter;
2. Passport valid for at least 6 months longer than the validity of the requested visa and have at least 2 blank pages to stamp the visa;
3. Completed visa application form (available on the web-site of the Embassy/Consulate);
4. Photo 3,5х4,5;
5. Visa fee (please note that the consular desk at the airports accept cash ONLY (USD/KZT).
*Additional documents might be requested at the discretion of the council.
Visa can be issued:
— In the country of your citizenship (by the foreign establishments of the Republic of Kazakhstan: consular, diplomatic, and equivalent representation offices).
Visa issuance processing time: 5 business days
— At the international airports of the Republic of Kazakhstan upon arrival (if there are no consular, diplomatic, or equivalent representation offices in the country of the visa recipient’s citizenship).
Visa Renewal
In order to renew your visa in the Republic of Kazakhstan before its expiration date, please provide the following documents to the DIC at least 10 working days in advance:
1. Passport;
2. Photo 3,5 x 4,5 cm;
3. Visa Application Form;
4. Letter from ENU, confirming that you are a student of University;
5. Visa renewal cost
Work in Kazakhstan
International students are not allowed to work in Kazakhstan, except for:
— students who have residence permit in Kazakhstan;
— students who are citizens of the countries that are official signatories of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union effective from 1 January, 2015: The Republic of Belarus, Russian Federation, The Kyrgyz Republic, and The Republic of Armenia.
Please note that non-compliance with the conditions of your visa is a serious offence and you can face penalties, including (but not limited to):
— You can be fined up to 70 000 KZT;
— You can be banned from returning to the Kazakhstan for up to 5 years, which automatically prohibits to continue working in Kazakhstan;
— You could face short term imprisonment.
— Extra fees for advocate and interpreter will apply.
*If you are a citizen of a country which is not a member of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Documents, then you will need to do a consular legalization of required documents. Please follow the link to find your country in the list of the Hague Convention member countries: https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/authorities1/?cid=41