- Currency
- Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
The National Bank of Kazakhstan publishes a daily KZT/USD reference rate fixed on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) at 15:30 Astana time. As of 14 May 2026 the official rate is 1 USD = 474.04 KZT, which translates to roughly 1 AED ≈ 129 KZT via the UAE Dirham’s 3.6725 USD peg. UAE-issued Visa and Mastercard cards work at most Almaty and Astana hotels, malls and larger restaurants, but carry KZT cash for taxis, bazaars and rural travel — card acceptance drops sharply outside the two main cities.
- eSIM available?
- Yes
Airalo eSIMs for Kazakhstan connect via the KCELL network and start at USD 4.00 for 1 GB / 3 days; the 5 GB / 7-day plan is USD 10.00 and the 10 GB / 30-day plan USD 18.00 (Airalo, May 2026). Physical prepaid SIMs from KCELL, Beeline Kazakhstan, Tele2 and Activ are sold at Almaty (ALA) and Astana (NQZ) airports — Kazakh law requires biometric ID registration, so a UAE passport plus an in-store fingerprint capture is the standard route for foreign residents.
- UAE Embassy — general contact
- Embassy of the UAE in Astana — Tauelsizdik Avenue 46, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan (the mofa.gov.ae mission page renders the street as "Taulesizdik avenue", an apparent transliteration variant). Tel: +7 7172 572122 / +7 7172 572133. Email: astanaEmb@mofa.gov.ae. Working hours 09:00–16:00, Monday–Friday (Saturday and Sunday are the local weekend, per the mofa.gov.ae mission page). The mission remains in Astana following the city’s 2022 reversion from Nur-Sultan.
- UAE Embassy — repatriation
- For UAE-citizen consular emergencies and repatriation, call the UAE MOFA 24/7 inquiry hotline on 800-44444 from inside the UAE or +971 800 44444 from Kazakhstan — after-hours calls are routed to the Astana mission duty officer. The embassy’s direct lines (+7 7172 572122 / 572133) also handle Citizens Affairs requests during working hours.
For UAE residents on non-Emirati passports
Kazakhstan visa requirements for UAE residents on non-Emirati passports depend on passport nationality, not on UAE residency. (Emirati passport holders enter Kazakhstan visa-free for 30 days under the bilateral arrangement — see the main briefing above for details.) For non-Emirati UAE residents, Kazakhstan operates two entry routes: visa-free entry at the Kazakhstan border for selected nationalities, and pre-arrival eVisa via the Visa and Migration Portal at https://www.vmp.gov.kz/ for all other listed nationalities. The Electronic Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (egov.kz) publishes the authoritative per-nationality visa regime list; passport nationalities not covered below should verify their category at https://egov.kz/cms/en/articles/for_foreigners/visa_regime_for_foreigners before travel.
Visa-free entry at the Kazakhstan border: Holders of Indian, Filipino, British (United Kingdom), American (United States), Canadian and Australian passports may enter Kazakhstan visa-free, with the duration set per nationality under the egov.kz visa-regime table. Important asymmetry to note: Indian passport holders receive a SHORTER 14-day visa-free window, while Filipino and Western expat passport holders (British, American, Canadian, Australian) receive the standard 30-day visa-free window. This is a Kazakhstan-specific allocation — Indian travellers planning a longer stay must either depart and re-enter, or apply for a pre-arrival eVisa via vmp.gov.kz before travel. Conditions at the border: passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry, a confirmed return or onward ticket, and a hotel booking or host address in Kazakhstan.
Pre-arrival eVisa required — apply via the Visa and Migration Portal before travel: Holders of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Egyptian, Jordanian and Nepalese passports apply for a Kazakhstan eVisa online before travel via https://www.vmp.gov.kz/. The consular fee is USD 60 (approximately AED 220) for a single-entry tourist eVisa, and USD 80 (approximately AED 294) for a single-entry business or medical eVisa, payable by bank card only. Electronic processing is typically completed within around 30 minutes. The vmp.gov.kz portal is JavaScript-rendered and may require a desktop browser to load; if access difficulties arise, the Kazakhstan Embassy in Abu Dhabi is the alternative consular route for visa applications. Standard supporting documents include a passport valid at least 6 months beyond intended entry, a recent passport-style photograph, proof of UAE residency (Emirates ID + residence visa), confirmed return or onward ticket and hotel booking or local host details. The issued eVisa is delivered by email as a PDF and must be carried (printed or on a mobile device) to present at the Kazakhstan immigration counter on arrival.
Other passport nationalities not listed above should consult the egov.kz visa-regime page at https://egov.kz/cms/en/articles/for_foreigners/visa_regime_for_foreigners and the Visa and Migration Portal at https://www.vmp.gov.kz/ before booking travel. The egov.kz table is the authoritative reference for visa-free duration assignment; vmp.gov.kz is the authoritative channel for eVisa application and current fee schedules.