Kazakhstan visa dilemma

[branners]

I ride from Vladivostok to London starting May. Intend visiting Kaz in June.
I'm in Aus now but can't do Kaz visa here.... Either Singapore, Korea. or Mongolia. Singapore usually looks after Australia. Don't want to wait for days in either place. I'm advised to send passport to Singapore. UGH! Hate that idea. Also unsure how long in advance I can apply. If I apply now it is over 3 months in advance. Have heard bad stories about getting visa in Singapore...Is they right or wrong?
Has anybody experience of where best to get Kaz visa? Is Singapore OK or not?
How long in advance can one apply? What do you feel about sending passport overseas? Is it just paranoia?
Appreciate comments! Getting stressed!

[danielsprague]

Using a reliable international courier should be hassle free. But I would check with the Singapore Embassy to see if they can issue a visa that far in advance. You realise that the visa will have a fixed 30 day window during which you can be in the country, right?

I would just wait until you are in Mongolia and get a visa there. If it's a standard 30 day single entry tourist visa, there should be no issues. Might want to double check with someone who has recently been there (try the Lonely Planet ThornTree Forum) to check that the embassy in Mongolia follows standard procedures. By an large, Kazakhstan is a very easy country to get a tourist visa for.

[branners]

Appreciate your comments. Trouble about applying for visa in Mongolia is that I'll be stuck in UB for, as I have been told... maybe 10 days or more. Is that unlikely?

Makes sense to contact Embassy about early application, but I've tried that and they don't answer phone or emails! So hopeless! So I just can't find out if I can apply or not 3+ months in advance.

[branners]

Sorry... Can you clarify.... If I were to get a visa today.... Do you mean I have to enter the country within 30 days?

[Jervig]

You can apply maximum 3 months in advance for your visum, the stay is maximum 30 days.

Single entry no invitation needed, Valid 30 days, with first en last day validation fixed, nothing to do with your actual date of entry/exit as long as it is within the validation period.

If its easier for you, apply for double entry
Also (changed last year) no invitation needed.
Valid 3 months, maximum stay 30 days per entry. If you apply for it 3 months in advance there is more than time enough, 6 months in total.

GRTZ,

JP

[Oo-SEB-oO]

Yes and no.

I got a double entry visa last year for KZ that was valid for 60 days but I was only allowed to be in the country for a max of 30 days out of the 60. So not 30 days per entry!

I got the visa 18.03 and it was valid from 20.06 till 20.08.
So 3 months in advance shouldn't be a problem.

I would personally not apply in UB. When I was there last year I heard a few guys who were stuck there as the consul was sick for two weeks so no visa issuance for two weeks. Add there the time the process itself takes and you could be stuck in UB for 4 weeks or so...

I think it would de better for you to send it over via courier to Singapore or any place of your likings.

[Jervig]

As i wrote above, the rules for double entry KZ visa changed recently.

issued 2 weeks ago as you see:

[globatrol]

Hi there, we are in WA and just sent our passports to Singapore for the Kazak visa, we are applying for double entry 60 day visa's. The 30 day or 60 day visa is date specific so it starts counting down from visa issue date. Obviously you can't enter before the specified date and should you enter after the date your eating into you visa validity duration..

As far as I could find out there is not a limiit to the time in advance that you can apply although you would expect there is one, anyway it seems applying now for June entry is ok. I will let you know how we go..

I know of 2 other groups who have organised it this way and its been fairly trouble free.

By the way the embassy states you can only collect your passport at odd times but if you use an international courier they can collect it once stamped at any time ( phoned them yesterday to find out)

Hope this helps - see ya there..

[branners]

Well I sent passport to Singapore via DHL from Melbourne. within 24 hours the Consulate emailed me with ref number and told me to arrange pick up on following Monday (6 days)
Passport picked up and was home by the Thursday
All very easy and efficient. DHL tracking is superb and the Kaz Embassy efficient
Not sure what I was worrying about!

[kentbiker]

An update to this thread. From mid July this year to mid July next, citizens of the following countries can get a 15 day visa at their point of entry. Full details on the Kaz visa website. If you're going to be in the country for more than 5 days you must register. A hotel should be able to do it for you, otherwise follow the advice on the migration form. I didn't and got a load of grief when I left the country. They had the right to send me back to the nearest town to register but didn't. They just kept me waiting for 1.5 hours before letting me leave.
And talking about officialdom, watch out for Kaz speed traps. They just want youre money.

United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, Malaysia, the Netherlands , United Arab Emirates, South Korea and Japan.

Real Russia in London did a great, tho' not cheap, job for me in getting me a Russian and Kaz visa. I got my Mongolian visa in Moscow at their embassy's visa offices. I have heard that you can get a Mongolian visa now at the border but their website does not say this applies to UK citizens although it does to many others.
Geoff

[WesleyDRZ400]

LIST OF COUNTRIES WITHOUT VISA FEE PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator
Friday, 30 October 2009 22:14
1. India - All type of passports need visa, but no fee is required
2. USA- No visa for all type of passport holders, including A, H, J visas within 90 days.
Visit more than 90 days need visa


The Government of Mongolia has made a decision on exempting passport holders of 42 countries, travelling to Mongolia, from visa requirements.
According to the Government decision, passport holders of the below listed countries may travel to Mongolia for tourist and/or business purposes without visa and stay up to 30 days, from 25 June 2014 to 31 December 2015.
Please note that visa fee is non-refundable. The Embassy will not reimburse the fee paid before this date.
Austria
Andorra
Argentina
Bahamas
Belgium
Bulgaria
Brazil
Greece
Gibraltar
Grenada
Denmark
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Iceland
Spain
Italy
Ireland
Cyprus
Costa-Rica
Latvia
Lithuania
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Panama
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Hungary
Uruguay
Finland
France
Croatia
Czech
Chile
Sweden
Switzerland
Estonia