Kazakhstan visa for US citizens: 30 days free, then the ETA

US citizens do not need a Kazakhstan visa for stays of up to 30 days per entry and 90 days in any 180, as of 05.11.2026 (5 November 2026), under Decree No 148 as amended by Decree No 890 of 10.10.2026. What is new is the ETA, an online permission that you should file now and that becomes mandatory on 1 July 2027. Rules change, so verify with a Kazakh embassy and qazeta.kz. We do not issue visas, Kazakh or otherwise, and this site is not a visa centre. Dates on this page spell out the month to avoid US and day-first mix-ups; Kazakh documents use day-first.

Kazakhstan visa for US citizens: does the 30-day rule cover you?

The ETA timeline for American travelers

Any Kazakhstan visa USA guide written before October 2026 predates this change, so here are the dates set by Decree No 890.

If you fly into Almaty or Astana, the check starts on 1 January 2027. File anyway: it is free, valid for 180 days and allows multiple entries, and a trip booked now could run into the deadline.

Kazakhstan visa requirements for US citizens: what to prepare

1. Passport. Sources disagree, as shown below. Hold at least 6 months.
2. ETA on qazeta.kz or the QazETA app, 72 hours or more before entry. Identification is part of it. The fee is zero.
3. Exit plan inside 30 days.
4. Funds. Border officers may refuse entry if funds for the stay and departure are not confirmed. We could not find a set amount or method.
5. Fingerprints. Refusing the procedure at the border is itself grounds for an entry ban.

Your hotel or host handles registration within 3 working days of arrival.

Passport validity: State Department versus QazETA

The State Department says 3 months after your departure date (page dated 18 August 2026). QazETA asks for 6 months. GOV.UK tells British travelers 30 days from arrival. Decree No 148 names no term for visa-free visitors. With no single rule to rely on, we suggest 6 months as the working minimum.

What differs for American citizens

Little in the Kazakh visa for US citizens rule itself: the US is on the same 56-country list as Canada, Australia, the UK and Germany, so those travelers’ advice is valid for you. The difference lies in your likely source. The State Department page mentions the 3-month term, and if you follow it alone you may still meet the QazETA 6-month requirement when you file.

What older sites still say

• Visa free means nothing to file. Pages written before Decree No 890 miss the ETA. You should file one now, even though refusal only starts on 1 July 2027.
• ETA has a fee. Some social posts name sums. Decree No 890 sets it at zero, and the law only lets the Government set one.
• ETA starts 1 February. An August 2026 briefing used 1 September, 1 February and 1 July. The Decree’s dates are the ones above.

An overstay starts with a warning for up to 3 days, then 10, 15 and 25 MCI, with removal possible past 10 days and a 5-year ban after removal. Read the full table and the MCI page, which explains the unit.