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About Us

Student/Dependent VISA

Work/Dependent VISA
  • Work/Dependent VISA
  • Business VISA
  • Student/Dependent VISA

General Information

NU (NU) welcomes foreign citizens who come to Kazakhstan for study. Before applying for a visa, all applicants must be accepted to a study program. Once the acceptance letter is sent to the student, NU will provide the applicant with necessary approval documentation to be submitted when applying for a student visa.

All International students need a Student Visa (C9 category) 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. The visa shall be renewed each year.

  • Immigration regulations may be liable to change on short notice; prospective visitors are advised to check on the current situation before departure http://mfa.gov.kz/en/
  • The passport and visa information listed in this profile applies to the holders of ordinary passports. Holders of diplomatic, official, special, and service passports are advised to note that special regulations may apply.

Graph. 1 Sequence of actions for visa obtaining

IMPORTANT NOTE: Upon arrival, all international students must register with the immigration authorities within 3 business days.

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES MIGHT RESULT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINES AND DEPORTATION TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. REPEATED VIOLATIONS MAY CAUSE SERIOUS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.

How to apply for a Letter of Invitation

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.
  • 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 Migration Police. 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.  

The Department of International Cooperation (DIC) will submit the documents to the Migration Police as soon as the Agreement for Educational Services with NU is signed. Once the Letter of Invitation (LOI) is ready, its copy will be emailed to you. As soon as you receive your Letter of invitation, check to make sure all your personal information is correct. If any of the information on your letter of invitation does not match the information in your passport or is otherwise incorrect, please contact the Department of international cooperation immediately.

Step 1

To obtain a Letter of Invitation (LOI) the following documents should be submitted by the international students to the school manager:

  • NU Visa Support Invitation Form (download);
  • Copy of passport (first page);
  • Copy of the document confirming the long-term stay (residence/work permit, long-term visitor/dependent visa with an official translation into Kazakh or Russian), if the invited party permanently resides and plans to apply for a visa out of the country of citizenship.

Visa Invitation issuance processing time: 5-7 business days.

Step 2

Upon receipt of the invitation letter, the applicant submits all the documentation to Kazakhstan’s Embassy/Consulate abroad where he/she plans to obtain a visa in person. It is solely the personal responsibility of the applicant to double-check the list of the required documents posted on the official website of the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate.

The following documents are usually required:

  • Copy of visa invitation letter;
  • 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);
  • Copy of passport (first page)
  • Completed visa application form (available on the official website of the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate);
  • One (1) (3.5cmx4.5cm) photograph.
  • Visa fee

Visa issuance processing time: 5-business days

NOTE! Additional documents might be requested at the discretion of the Consulate.

Supporting documents

Supporting documents are only one of many factors a consular officer will consider in your interview. Consular officers look at each application individually and consider professional, social, cultural, and other factors during adjudication. Consular officers may look at your specific intentions, family situation, and your long-range plans and prospects within your country of residence. Each case is examined individually and is accorded every consideration under the law.

CAUTION: Do not present false documents. Fraud or misrepresentation can result in permanent visa ineligibility. If confidentiality is a concern, you should bring your documents to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate in a sealed envelope. The Kazakh Embassy/Consulate will not make your information available to anyone and will respect the confidentiality of your information.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan, the government of Kazakhstan has temporarily suspended its unilateral visa-free regime for citizens of 57 countries, starting from 17 April 2020.

The 72-hour visa-free regime has also been suspended for Chinese and Indian nationals who transit through the international airports of Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Karaganda, and Taraz.

The said suspension is effective from 17 April to 1 November 2020.

The above means that those who are planning to visit Kazakhstan before 1 November 2020 will need to obtain a visa of the appropriate category at their assigned consular section office.

Please pay attention to an important change in the conditions for obtaining a Kazakh visa.

CAUTION! When collecting their passports with Kazakh visas from the consular office, visa applicants must present a medical certificate confirming that they do not have a coronavirus infection issued within 48 hours prior to their visit to the consular office. Failure to present such a certificate will result in the cancellation of their Kazakh visa.

Student visa renewal (for continuing students)

CAUTION: In order to renew your visa in the Republic of Kazakhstan before its expiration date, please provide the following documents to the Department of International Cooperation (DIC)  at least 30 (thirty) working days but not later than 14 (fourteen) working days before the expiry of the valid visa:

  • Passport;
  • Copy of passport (first page)
  • One (1) (3.5cmx4.5cm) photograph.
  • Completed visa application form (download)
  • Letter confirming that you are a student of NU
  • Visa fee (paid receipt from the Bursars office)

NOTE! It is the responsibility of the applicant to double-check the validity of the passport and visa.

Visa Category Change

A visa can be changed from student visa C9 to work visa C3.

The change of the category is carried out by submitting documents to the Department of International Cooperation (DIC) for the work visa С3, indicated in the Work/Dependent visa column.

Visa Category Change processing time: 5-7-business days

Visa Cancellation

Documents to be submitted to the Department of International Cooperation (DIC) for C9 visa cancellation:

  • Passport;
  • Signed contract on student withdrawal from NU

Visa Cancellation processing time: 3-5-business days

Notification/Registration at the Migration Police

The Department of International Cooperation would like to remind you of the existing requirement for all international students and their family members, as well as their visitors (relatives, friends, business visitors, etc.) to notify the Migration services of Astana. Individuals who plan to stay in Astana, on University provided living premises for a period longer than 3 business days upon arrival to Astana shall report to the Department of international cooperation immediately upon their arrival along with the information on their current residential addresses in Astana for the purposes of submitting Notification of arrival to the Migration Police.

  • Your passport needs to be registered with the Migration Police after every arrival to Kazakhstan, even if the validity dates of your visa cover the whole period of your stay in Kazakhstan.
  • In case of any changes in the residential addresses in Astana of the foreign staff, please promptly notify your HR manager or the Department’s personnel.
  • Minors/dependents under 16 years of age are not required to register at the Migration Police. If your child is turning 16, please notify the Department of International Cooperation and provide us with a newly-issued passport of your dependent. 

PLEASE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE AMENDMENTS TO THE MIGRATION LEGISLATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN DATED JANUARY 09, 2020

  • Upon crossing the border migration cards will not be issued, everything is recorded electronically.  
  • The rules for registration for those citizens who came to work on the basis of an employment contract remain the same, except for the need to notify the migration police upon arrival within 3 business days.
  • At the moment, notification on arrival of foreign citizens must be issued to all foreigners, without exception, including citizens of countries of the Customs Union.
  • Documents for registration will not be accepted without due Notification of arrival.
  • Citizens of the Russian Federation, Armenia, Mongolia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and the Kyrgyz Republic can stay up to 90 days.  

 Registration processing time: 1-3 business days

Useful links

Contact us

Office of International Students and Scholars Services remains committed to supporting our international student and academic community during this health emergency. The office is still fully operational – but remotely – in support of the international community. We, as always, are ready to answer your questions and help solve your problems. Please use the contact information below:

Office of International Students and Scholars Services

Office operation schedule:
Monday – Friday: 8.30 am – 5.30 pm * Address: 53, Kabanbai batyr ave., Astana.

Phone: +7 (7172) 69 27 01 * Email: oiss@nu.edu.kz

The Office of International Students and Scholars Services is closed on weekends, state and national holidays of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

If you have questions about visas and migration, or questions, suggestions related to activities and competence of the Office, do not hesitate to send your questions by e-mail.

While it may take us some time to respond to you, we promise that we will do our best to answer your question as quickly as possible.

State and national holidays of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

January 1, 2 – National holiday New Year

January 7 – Christmas holiday

March 8 – Public holiday International Women’s Day

March 21, 22, 23 – National holiday Nauryz meiramy

May 1 – National holiday Day of the unity of the people of Kazakhstan

May 7 – Defender of the Fatherland Day

May 9 – National holiday Victory Day

July 6 – Public holiday Capital Day

August 30 – National holiday Constitution Day

October 25 – Republic day

December 16-17 – National holiday Independence Day

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • How early should I apply for my student visa?
    You are encouraged to apply for your student visa as soon as you have your Enrollment Form from NU. However, a student visa may be issued no more than 90 days prior to the start date mentioned in your Letter of Invitation.
  • Do all visa applicants have to come to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate for an interview?
    Yes, the applicants generally have to appear in person.
  • I have a visa that will expire soon and I would like to renew it. Do I need to go through the whole visa application process again?
    Each visa application is a separate process. You must apply in the normal manner, even if you had a visa before and even if your current visa is still valid.
  • My passport has expired, but the KZ visa in it is still valid. Do I need to apply for a new visa?
    No. If your visa is valid and unmarked or undamaged, you can travel with your two passports together (old and new), if the purpose of your travel matches your current visa. In addition, the name and other personal data must be the same in both passports (unless the name change was due to marriage), and both passports must be from the same country and of the same type.
  • If I do not have blank pages in the passport, the KZ visa is still valid. Do I need to apply for a new visa?
    No. If your visa is valid and unmarked or undamaged, you can travel with your two passports together (old and new), if the purpose of your travel matches your current visa. In addition, the name and other personal data must be the same in both passports (unless the name change was due to marriage), and both passports must be from the same country and of the same type.
  • I have dual citizenship. Which passport should I use to travel to the Republic of Kazakhstan?
    You can apply using whichever nationality you prefer, but you must disclose all nationalities to the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate on your application form. Dual citizens/nationals must enter and depart the Republic of Kazakhstan using only one passport.
  • How do I read and understand my visa?
    As soon as you receive your visa, check to make sure all your personal information printed on the visa is correct. If any of the information on your visa does not match the information in your passport or is otherwise incorrect, please contact the issuing authority (i.e. the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate) immediately.

Further information about interpreting your visa can be found at the Kazakh Embassy/Consulate.