Russia says Kazakhstan gave no notice on paid entry permits for Russians

October 4, 2026 at 03:04 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on October 4 that Kazakhstan had not notified it about plans to charge Russians for electronic entry permits. Director of the ministry's Third CIS Department Alexander Sternik said no official statements had been received. The statement came as Kazakhstan prepares to make the QazETA permit mandatory for air passengers from November 1.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's QazETA electronic entry permit becomes mandatory for international air passengers on November 1, 2026.
The permit will be required for car travelers from non-EAEU countries from November 15 and from EAEU countries from November 30.
Train passengers and sea port arrivals must present the permit from December 15.
The permit will be valid for 180 days and allow multiple entries, with a uniform fee for all nationalities.
Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexander Sternik said Moscow received no notification from Kazakhstan about charging Russians for the permit.

Russian Reaction

Alexander Sternik, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third CIS Department, said on October 4 that no notifications had been received from Kazakhstani partners regarding fees for Russians. He added that Moscow had not seen any official statements on the matter. Sternik made the remarks to RIA Novosti, the Russian state news agency.

QazETA Rollout

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed amendments to Kazakhstan's migration law on June 24, which took effect on August 25. The QazETA system is currently operating in pilot mode. From November 1, the permit becomes mandatory for passengers on international flights. Car travelers entering from non-EAEU countries will need it from November 15, and those from EAEU countries from November 30. Train passengers and arrivals through seaports must present the permit from December 15.