Kazakhstan road borders with Russia

[danielsprague]

There seem to be dozens of road crossing points between Kazakhstan and Russia according to the map, but are these all fully equipped, multilateral borders? Does anyone know a list of official crossing points that may be used by third-country nationals (i.e. non Russians / Kazakhstanis)?

Specifically, I want to know if I can cross the following border crossings:

-The road between Astrakhan and Aktau
-The road between Saratov and Oral, which crosses near the Russian town of Ozinki
-The road from Pavlodar east into the Altai Kray, towards the Russian town of Kulunda
-The road from Ridder (Leninogorsk, KZ) into the Altai Republic

Thanks for any info,

Daniel

[Lisa Thomas]

IN Sept 09 we used the border between Russia and Kaz at GPS ref:N51 12.577 E81 06.907 the nearest town in Russia is Veselyy Yar - we stayed in a hotel (typicl soviet style) at GPS ref: N51 31.672 E81 13.093

The town on the Kazak side is Krasnyy Aul- but went into Semy and stayed at Semy hotel - very easy to find and good rates at GPS ref: N50 24.880 E80 15.600

all border guards are well versed in tourists and big dealing with paperwork for bikes etc.

this route is great and takes you through the Altai mountains.

if you want to find out a bit about the route we took through Russia - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan - Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Iran - Pak and India (we are now in Nepal) have a look at the diary section of our website. 2ridetheworld.com : diary where you will jsut need to select the continent and country you wish to read about. we also have a fully downloadbale GPS ref file at the bottom of our index page.

hope this helps
cheers

[danielsprague]

Hi Lisa

Thanks for the post. I used that exact border in June 2007, so I'm looking to use a different one this time.

Thanks

Daniel

[colebatch]

I will put the URL of the list below.

I have crossed about 10 of them over the years and can save you some time as I know most of the ones you mentioned.

-The road between Astrakhan and Aktau ... Its OK ... international
-The road between Saratov and Oral/Uralsk, which crosses near the Russian town of Ozinki ... Its OK, International
-The road from Pavlodar east into the Altai Kray, towards the Russian town of Kulunda. Dont Know ...check the document below .... the word you are looking for is "многосторонний" to mean multi-lateral
-The road from Ridder (Leninogorsk, KZ) into the Altai Republic - NO Chance. Its not even a normal border crossing for locals. You can get to within 20km from the border and thats it. Its for local Altai people to cross between the Russian Altai and Kazakh Altai. The nearest international border is between Shemonaikha and Zmeinogorsk.

I would add that the border between Shemonaikha and Zmeinogorsk is about 2-3 times quicker than the Main Highway crossing Lisa has mentioned, and having done both, the roads are far more scenic and interesting on the more easterly crossing. You can avoid the main highways COMPLETELY until Ongudai on the Chuisky Trakt (M52). I highly recommend this route over the highway route.

The official Russian border list is here ... and the word you need to seek is "многосторонний" meaning multi-lateral
[url=http://www.rosgranitsa.ru/about/docs/pp/1724-r]

[colebatch]

Just took a quick peek at the third border you mentioned ... Kulunda ... there are two borders at or near Kulunda mentioned in the Russian borders document. One is Bilateral and one is Multilateral.

You therefore need the one named Кулунда (Шарбакты) ... Kulunda Sharbakty.

[danielsprague]

Great website...

Yeah, I found the two Kulunda borders, I'm not sure which one is which as they are both road borders, but I guess it will be more apparant on the ground.. I hope!

Thanks!

Daniel

[danielsprague]

What a great website... but it is totally accurate? It says both the Georgian Military Highway and the Baku - Makhachkala borders are multilateral... but I'm pretty sure they're both closed to foreigners?

Perhaps they are multilateral in theory, but in practice bilateral (or closed) due to political 'problems'.

Thanks again

Daniel

[colebatch]

My personal view, use it as a guide only.

You will note that the Karagai border crossing to Altai Republic looks like it has recently been closed full stop. In any case, tho the website doesnt say it, it was never really just open to normal Russians and Kazakhs either.

Originally Posted by danielsprague

What a great website... but it is totally accurate? It says both the Georgian Military Highway and the Baku - Makhachkala borders are multilateral... but I'm pretty sure they're both closed to foreigners?

Perhaps they are multilateral in theory, but in practice bilateral (or closed) due to political 'problems'.

Thanks again

Daniel

[danielsprague]

Cool

I think I'll be aiming to cross through that Shamanaikha / Zmeinogorsk border.

You say you can get to Onduday?

According to my map, there is a road: Zmeinogorsk - Kur'ya - Ozerki - Sentelek, then a 'track' between Sentelek and Ust' Kan in the Altai Republic from where, according to the map the road forks - one straight to the M52 close to Onguday, and the other looping round close to Belukha to Inya on the M52.

I've driven the M52 as far as Kosh Agach, then the Tuva track and remember the 'tracks' off the main road being pretty savage (2x broken springs in the middle of Western Tuva was not fun!) Which route exactly did you take, and how bad are the roads?

Also, AFAIK you have to be registered in Gorno Altaisk to go any further than said city into Altai along the M52... what happens if I get caught on this track without registration?

Can I proceed up the M52 from Inya to Tashanta without registration? Will the border guards make a fuss?

Did you notify any local authorities to get permission to cross the Tashanta border with your bikes?

Finally, the back roads from Zmeinogorsk into the Altai Republic all look pretty close to an international border, so would technically require a border permit... did you need one?

Were these back road full of dangerous local drunks like Tuva?

Sorry for so many questions, but this looks like a very interesting back door into Altai. Anything else I'll need or should know?

Oh, and can I take jerries full of diesel into Mongolia or will their customs sieze it? Diesel seems much cheaper in KZ than MN. How are the border guys on that border?

Thanks a lot

Daniel

[colebatch]

Altai is NOTHING like Tuva in terms of tough roads or hostile locals. It is much more tame / civil.

The route closest to the border I have taken from Kazakhstan is:

Zmeinogorsk - Kurya - Kharlovo - Ogni - Petropavlovskoye - Soloneshnoye - Ust Kan - Ongudai.

For that you dont need a border permit. But you can not get closer to the Kazakh border than Ust Kan without a border permit.

I think the route you are looking at will (a) require a border permit and (b) require a very good winch. I looked into that route and decided i was not satisfied that there actually is a viable route through there. Especially the bit near the border between the Altai Krai and Altai Republic.

If you try it, make sure you let me know the results, as I would be interested in trying it.

Ust Kan to Inya, via the southerly road technically requires a border permit. There is a border service (Pogranichnaya Slyuzhba) office in Aktash that can issue border permits, but not sure where one is coming from Kazakhstan. Maybe Zmeinogorsk?

[colebatch]

Originally Posted by danielsprague

Also, AFAIK you have to be registered in Gorno Altaisk to go any further than said city into Altai along the M52... what happens if I get caught on this track without registration?

Can I proceed up the M52 from Inya to Tashanta without registration? Will the border guards make a fuss?

Did you notify any local authorities to get permission to cross the Tashanta border with your bikes?


Oh, and can I take jerries full of diesel into Mongolia or will their customs sieze it? Diesel seems much cheaper in KZ than MN. How are the border guys on that border?

You can freely travel up the M52 all the way to Kosh Agach without a border permit. The Border zone kicks in just outside of Kosh Agach. You can ride beyond there without a border permit (a) if you at travelling on a federal road to an international border (b) you have the appropriate documents to cross that border.

i.e. if you dont have a Mongolian visa, you cant get beyond Kosh Agach without a border permit. If you have a Mongolian visa, you can go to Tashanta and the border without a permit, if you stick to the M52 road.

No idea what customs will say about your jerry cans.

General rule for the border zones is 50km from a border is a border zone ... and Federal Roads to International Border Crossings are exempt.

[danielsprague]

Hi Colebatch

Thanks for all that info. I'll have to find a map that shows your route, I'm very interested in this.

I'd love to go to Ust-Kan and then swing round past Belukha, but I'm pretty sure there's a permit check-point for all the trekkers / climbers going to that region. Will have to explore possibilities for this. I don't have a winch, and I'm alone so I'm not going to do anything too extreme. Altai - Tuva was at times a little out of my comfort zone (i.e. when locals started hurling big rocks at me), and I don't want any repeats. But good to hear that conditions aren't as savage as in Tuva. Actually, I had nothing but good experiences in Altai last time.

I was aware that I didn't need a permit to drive to Tashanta, but I thought I had to be registered in Gorno Altaisk... I remember they checked this when I got my border permit in Aktash... but I don't want to backtrack to Gorno-Altaisk. I'll have to see what the reality is of going past Ust Kan without a permit.

So, thanks again

Daniel

[davel1001]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for the info in the thread! Me and a mate are planning a European ride from May - Nov 2011. As far east as we plan to go is Kazakhstan basically just for a look for a week around the Caspian Sea then back west into Russia to Sochi to get the ferry to Turkey.

My questions are has anyone done the road from Astrakhan to Aktau recently/at all? What's the quality of the roads like? Is 7 days enough to get to Aktau and back? Any where recommended along the road to stay? How's the border situation?

Thanks and regards, appreciate any info you have!

Dave

[shu...]

Originally Posted by davel1001

My questions are has anyone done the road from Astrakhan to Aktau recently/at all? What's the quality of the roads like? Is 7 days enough to get to Aktau and back? Any where recommended along the road to stay? How's the border situation?

Hi Dave-

I was through part of that last July, coming from Urgench in UZ. From Beyneu, KAZ through Aterau to Astrakhan the road was in pretty good shape as I recall. (I usually remember the bad roads and this one doesn't stick in my head). I think we were making about 300 miles/ day through there.

The KAZ-RUS border crossing (into Russia) was not great. Not crooked, no bribes, just totally unorganized and uncaring. We spoke a little Russian and could read some signs but it was very unclear which hut or trailer to go to, and what order to do them in.

No crowd control there either. At one point we found ourselves in scrum of 20 or 30 truck drivers and travelers all trying to get their papers into a little 8" x 12" window in the wall of a small building. The official behind the window would open it up every ten or fifteen minutes and he didn't care whose papers he took. Tempers flared and it nearly turned into a brawl at one point. It took nearly 5 hours to get across the border into RUS.

The KAZ side was fine. Bribes were requested, but the American on the motorcycle was pretty dumb. He just kept saying, "I don't understand" and eventually they got tired of him and stamped his papers just to get rid of him.

.............shu

[gs1200mike]

Hi Dave,

I have done the whole route, a few times from Astrakhan to Atyrau and the year before last from Aktau to Atyrau. They are doing road works which I believe are finished now so the road from Aktau to Shetpa is fine after that there is a stretch from Shetpa to Beyneu (around 250 to 300km) where there is a route but no actual road, some gravel some rock etc. I did it on my honeymoon so was 2 up on a gs1200 all perfectly manageable. After Beyneu it is almost new road all the way to Atyrau. It took us 14 hours from AKtau to Atyrau, but depending on what you are riding and tyres you can cut that down as there are good sand tracks next to the bad bit of road, but as I had road tyres and 2 up I stayed off them. Also would recommend a camelback, depending what time of year, we did it in July and was up to 40 degrees.
If you are passing through Atyrau give me a shout, I work here a month at a time.
Cheers,
Mike