Kazakhstan is preparing to change entry rules for citizens of countries that enjoy visa-free travel: before their trip, they may be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The system remains voluntary for now, but legislation already suggests that authorities are preparing for their phased mandatory introduction. The new rules will also affect Russians and citizens of other Eurasian Economic Union countries.
An ETA is a form of pre-travel authorization used by a number of countries to screen visa-exempt travelers before arrival. QazETA is the digital platform through which Kazakhstan issues the authorization. It does not replace a visa or extend the permitted period of stay.
Kazakhstan launched the platform in pilot mode earlier in 2026, with a new phase of implementation beginning on August 25. Citizens of visa-exempt countries are currently advised to apply through the mobile app no later than 72 hours before traveling. The authorization is valid for 180 days. For now, the absence of an ETA is not grounds for border authorities to deny entry.
Kazakhstan’s Law on Migration already contains a separate article governing electronic travel authorization. It provides for a fee for obtaining an ETA, with the proceeds to be divided equally between financing the digital system and supporting tourism development. The government has not yet publicly set the amount of the fee.
A detailed timetable reported from an earlier version of Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel advisory indicated that the ETA could become mandatory for air travelers from November 1, then be extended to road crossings with China, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, followed later by the borders with Russia and Kyrgyzstan, and by mid-December to rail and maritime travel. However, the ministry’s current advisory no longer lists those dates. It says Kazakhstan will announce the dates for each stage, as well as the fee, separately.
The same reports have also cited an indicative fee of around 3,900 tenge – approximately $9 – for a standard application and twice that amount for an application submitted directly at the border.
In practical terms, the new system means that visa-free travel will remain in place, but travel itself will no longer be entirely free of advance formalities. Foreign nationals will still be able to enter without a visa, but they will likely have to register through QazETA and obtain an ETA before crossing the border.
For Kazakhstan, the mechanism provides a way to obtain information about incoming travelers in advance and monitor migration flows more closely.
Attracting Skilled Professionals
At the same time, the government is seeking to make the country more attractive to skilled professionals and investors. In May, authorities presented a new migration model with separate arrangements for entrepreneurs, highly qualified workers, and other categories of foreign nationals.
The new rules have attracted particular attention because of Russia. The two countries share a long land border, are members of the Eurasian Economic Union, and maintain visa-free travel. After Russia announced partial mobilization for the war in Ukraine in September 2022, Kazakhstan became one of the main destinations for Russians leaving the country.
Hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens entered Kazakhstan over a short period, although most subsequently traveled onward or returned to Russia. In 2023, Kazakhstan ended the practice of so-called visa runs – leaving the country and quickly returning in order to reset the permitted period of stay. Under the revised rules, citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries, including Russia, may remain in Kazakhstan for no more than 90 days within any 180-day period unless they have separate legal grounds for a longer stay.
Russia has also been steadily digitizing and tightening its entry rules for foreign nationals, including citizens of Kazakhstan, over the past two years.
Since July 1, 2026, Kazakhstanis traveling to Russia for work or study have been required to use the RuID app. Before traveling, they must create a profile and submit an application no later than 72 hours before crossing the border. Once the application is processed, a QR code valid for 90 days is generated.
Russia’s experiment with collecting biometric data began on December 1, 2024, at four Moscow airports and one road border crossing. On June 30, 2025, it was expanded to include a system of digital profiles for foreign nationals.
Tighter Russian migration rules have already become one of the factors reshaping traditional labor migration flows from Central Asia. Russia remains the main labor market for millions of people from the region, but workers are increasingly considering South Korea, the Gulf states, and European destinations.
