Kazakhstan visa changes (for the better)
 

Sounds good :).
Too bad that we are exactly arriving shortly after the 15th, so we are applying for a visa right now - just to be sure to be able to enter without trouble.

But I do have a question for this: According to this and some other information found in the internet, we dont need a LOI for a double entry tourist visa. However, our visa agency says we do, so we ordered one... Did we miss something? Or is the agency wrong and we get this expensive letter of invitation for nothing?

Hi, I am the author of Caravanistan. To answer your question, your visa agency is wrong, you did not need a loi for a double entry visa as a Dutch national. Just got one recently (Belgian national) - no LOI needed.

It pays to read Caravanistan :smartass:!

Meh, well we read caravanistan and asked the visa agency about the issue, but they told us we really need a LOI in our case. So we trusted them (this is our first trip outside of Europe to organize).

So for next time we learn that simple visa like the Kazakh one we should maybe organize by ourselves. It doesnt seem too difficult.
Its generally a little bit of a shame now, because besides we pay for this LOI, in the end we probably dont even need a visa at all. But well, if they need some time to get the new visa free regime going, then we at least have our visa and can enter without trouble :).

But thank you for the information.

No loi
 

In Kazachstan Embassy in Poland we say "hello", pay for visa and collect next week. No LOI.
I did it 3 times. Unfortunatly I have got my visa 2 weeks ago and will go to Kazachstan in July.

It is not certain yet the new visa-free regime will be operating in July, so I think it is money well spent. Was just commenting about the LOI.

I just had to leave Kazakhstan. They would after 2 days waiting around. Only grant me a total of 9 days. Said I could apply in Almaty for another 5. I'm now back in Russia.

David i will be crossing into Kazakhstan next month from Kyrgyzstan and as it is still in June i have taken into account it is to be visa free still, so you had problems at the border as no visa and stating it is currently visa free until July 15th??