Kazakhstan visa dilemma
 

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!

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.

Thanks Danielsprague
 

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.

30 day window?
 

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

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

kazak visa
 

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..

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.

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

issued 2 weeks ago as you see:

Thanks everyone. Seems Double entry via Singapore is best way

One more question... Did you specify all places and hotel bookings in printed form as they ask in app form?? Very hard to do if one doesn't know exactly where or when one is staying. What did you specify?

You need to provide some form of hotel reservation to get the Kazakh visa, but the dates don't need to be exact and the reservations can be cancelled after the visa is issued.

I booked a week in one hotel/city for my first entry and a week in a second hotel/city for my second entry, using a calendar week within the periods that I expect to be in the country. I got a double-entry visa with periods longer than the duration of hotel bookings.

Look at sites like booking.com and ensure that you select hotels that offer 'pay-later' and 'free cancellation' options. Make your reservations and provide copies of the booking reservations with your visa application form.

Its one of the things that changed recently, you don't have to book anything anymore for a double entry, only for triple and multy entry. For a double the only thing to do is to write a letter as an attachement to your application form in which you ask for a visum because you want to make a touristic trip in Kazakstan by your own mean of transport, best to mention your licence plate number but not compulsery. Put some cities as a route you plan and sign personally. The letter may be signed by your partner as well in case you travel together.

GRTZ,

JP

Maybe the changes didn't make it to my agency as I was asked to provide the hotel reservations and the letter outlining the route and points of entry. This was within the last month.

Double entry visas have been available without invitation / booking since at least 2010, 30 days per entry. Maybe that changed in the mean time, and changed back?

I'm using some guys in London called Real Russia. They seem to be doing a good job of Russia, Kazakh and Mongolia.
Had the last of the jabs and now the visas are happening.
8 weeks to go!

O dear......................

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...y-beware-71975