Expansion of visa-free opportunities: What is the strength of the Kazakh passport?
The status of Kazakhstan’s passport is gaining momentum every year. The national passport currently holds the 54th position in the global ranking. The number of visa-free agreements has already exceeded 80 countries. Learn more about the growing strength of the Kazakh passport and its impact on Kazakhstan’s economy in the article by a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
Kazakhstan passport ranks highest among Central Asian countries
According to the global Passport Index ranking, Kazakhstan holds the 54th position worldwide for the strength of its national passport. The mobility score of our passport is 94. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan rank 76th, and Tajikistan’s passport ranks 72nd.
Among neighboring countries, Russia holds a higher position, ranking 40th with a mobility score of 127. China is ranked similarly to Kazakhstan, also at 54th, with the same mobility score of 94.
Financial consultant and economist Rasul Rysmambetov believes that the ranking of the Kazakh passport shows good results.
“We have a good ranking for the Kazakh passport. Over the past 10 years, more than 30 new countries have been added where Kazakh citizens can travel without a visa. Visa-free agreements help remove barriers and increase the flow of tourists. The world should be without borders. In the future, I would like us to reach visa-free agreements with 100-120 countries,” said Rasul Rysmambetov.
Which countries have visa-free agreements with Kazakhstan?
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan the list of visa-free countries for Kazakh citizens includes 81 states (covering both visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries). Furthermore, visa-free agreements with six additional countries are pending implementation.
On the Passport Index website, there is a list of countries where Kazakh citizens do not need a visa: Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Brazil, China, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Gambia, Georgia, Haiti, Hong Kong, Iran, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cuba, Malaysia, the Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Namibia, Oman, Palestine, the Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, South Korea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan.
Even though Kazakhstan does not have officially established visa-free regimes with some countries, visiting these countries is not an issue for Kazakh citizens, as they can obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport.
Countries where Kazakh citizens can receive a visa upon entry: Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, India, Jordan, Indonesia, Jamaica, Laos, Lesotho, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, the Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Syria, South Sudan, East Timor, Tanzania, Togo, Sri Lanka, Tuvalu, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
The longest visa-free stay for Kazakh citizens is offered by Georgia. According to a Georgian government decree from June 5, 2015, Kazakh citizens can stay in the country for up to one year.
Kazakh citizens can stay for up to 180 days (6 months) without a visa in Armenia and the Caribbean island nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
About 15 countries worldwide allow Kazakh citizens to stay within their territories visa-free for a long period—90 days. These countries include Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Mongolia, Albania, Moldova, and others.
Countries with a 30-day visa-free regime include Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua, South Korea (K-ETA system – electronic entry permit), Malaysia, the Maldives, the Philippines, and China (starting November 2023), UAE, Qatar, Serbia, Montenegro (for tourists only and during the summer season), as well as CIS countries—Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Kazakh citizens are allowed short-term stays (up to 14 days – editor’s note) without a visa in Hong Kong, Iran, and Oman.
New agreements – strengthening international positions
Every year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan actively works to enhance the status of Kazakhstan’s passport. Economist and head of the DESHT Institutional Transformation Group analytical center, Kuanysh Zhaikov, notes that the number of visa-free agreements Kazakhstan has with other countries has a cumulative and long-term effect.
“From a logical perspective, for many, the news that Kazakhstan signed a visa-free agreement with a distant island nation may seem skeptical. Perhaps the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a certain strategy. It is explained by the fact that the number of participants in something influences its importance. That is, the more visa-free agreements, the higher the likelihood that Kazakhstan will sign such agreements with more economically developed countries,” emphasizes the expert.
Kuanysh Zhaikov notes that the likelihood of interest in visa-free cooperation with Kazakhstan from major countries will increase if they see a background of numerous similar agreements with other nations.
He also believes that as countries strengthen their relationships in areas such as ideas, trade, and production, more opportunities will arise for both sides, leading to faster economic growth.
“People must be mobile and constantly interact. Visa-free regimes reduce the costs associated with exchanging ideas and information by two steps. It’s not about the money – the time spent and the timeliness of meetings is of enormous importance,” said the expert.
However, according to Kuanysh Zhaikov, this primarily works with large and developed economies. But with such countries, preliminary and possibly lengthy diplomatic work is required.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, after the introduction of visa-free regimes, the number of visitors from China and India to our country has significantly increased.
In 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan expanded the list of visa-free countries for various types of passports, including 29 states for ordinary passports. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mutual agreements were signed with three new countries last year for different categories of passports: Bangladesh (for diplomatic and service passports), Seychelles, and San Marino (for all types of passports).
In 2023, Kazakhstan signed agreements exempting holders of ordinary passports from visa requirements with China and Vietnam.
Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported the start of negotiations to simplify the visa regime with the European Union for Kazakh citizens. The primary steps in easing the European visa regime for Kazakh citizens are expected to include reducing visa fees, shortening application processing times, and extending the validity period of multiple-entry visas. Just recently, representatives of the European Union and Kazakhstan held the 21st official meeting, during which both sides confirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation and reaching an agreement on visa facilitation. According to the Schengen Statistical Portal, in 2023, Kazakh citizens submitted 159,072 applications for Schengen visas, putting Kazakhstan in 20th place by the number of applications submitted. Of this number, 143,970 applicants were granted visas, and 14,285 were denied.
This year, the list of visa-free countries has also grown. On April 18, 2024, according to an official government decree, Kazakhstan and Thailand introduced a visa-free regime for 30 days. In September, Kazakhstan and Morocco signed an agreement on visa-free travel for holders of national and ordinary passports. Now, citizens of Kazakhstan and Morocco will be able to enter, exit, transit, and temporarily stay in each other’s territory for up to 30 calendar days within every 180-day period from the date of entry. Also in September, the African country of Rwanda joined the visa-free agreement.
Growth of inbound tourism and economic development
Government agencies note the annual increase in tourists coming to Kazakhstan.
The number of foreign tourists in Kazakhstan in 2023 reached 9.2 million people. Of these, the number of visitors from visa-free entry countries amounted to 9 million tourists (8.2 million from CIS countries, and 972,000 from non-CIS countries).
After the introduction of the 14-day visa-free regime for Chinese citizens in July 2022 and the mutual visa-free regime starting in November 2023, the number of visitors from China increased 20-fold, from 18,000 to 367,000 tourists, according to the Border Service of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan
In 2019, there were 77,000 visitors from China, which decreased to 15,000 in 2020 and further to 11,000 in 2021. By 2022, the number of arrivals had risen to 18,000, and in 2023 it surged to 367,000.
According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, after the introduction of the 14-day visa-free regime, the number of visitors from India tripled in 2023: from 28,000 in 2022 to 78,000 in 2023. Notably, Kazakhstan’s international openness has positively contributed to the growth of foreign tourism, reinforcing the country’s commitment to fostering an open and welcoming global community.