Popular country makes visas free for Kazakhstanis
Tengrinews.kz – The Government of India has decided to grant Kazakhstanis free tourist and medical visas, as well as visas for medical attendants.
How long will the visa be issued for?
According to the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citizens will be issued visas for up to 30 days without paying a visa fee.
“In order to further strengthen bilateral ties and develop tourist exchanges between the peoples of the two countries, the Government of the Republic of India has decided to grant citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan free tourist visas, medical visas and medical attendant visas for up to 30 days. This decision takes effect immediately,” the statement says.
It is noted that, in turn, Indian citizens may stay in Kazakhstan without a visa for up to 14 days.
Where to apply for a visa
A visa can be obtained in two ways:
through the online e-Visa system;
in paper form at India’s diplomatic missions in Astana, Almaty, or abroad.
Incidentally, a travel blogger from Almaty previously explained what to watch out for when applying for an Indian online visa. He warned that there are many fake websites mimicking the official visa portal. These fraudulent sites collect payments but do not issue visas, leaving people deceived.
Which other countries are easing visa rules for Kazakhstanis?
Earlier, Kazakhstan and Israel discussed abolishing the visa regime in order to boost tourism. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kosherbayev held talks with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, who arrived in Astana on an official visit.
Following the political consultations, a memorandum of intent was signed to conclude an agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan and Israel on visa exemption for holders of national passports, with the aim of developing tourist exchanges.
Kazakhstan is also negotiating visa facilitation with the European Union. As the Foreign Ministry reported, the procedure to ease the visa regime for citizens of Kazakhstan has already begun. The second round of negotiations will take place next month.