RK MIA in cooperation with RoK competent bodies elaborated new Regulations for issuing RoK visas, as well as extension and reduction of their effective periods. The Regulations were registered with the Register of state registration of normative legal acts # 8407 dated April 10, 2013. This is reported on the official site of RoK MIA.

The main objective of adopting the Regulations is to bring its provisions in compliance with RoK Law ”Concerning Migration of Population” dated July 22, 2011, improvement of the existing procedure for issuing visas, regulating the process of arrival, departure, and stay of foreign citizens in RoK territory.

The Regulations were elaborated taking into account various countries’ experience in the field of visa policy.

The Regulations first introduce such visa types as “non-immigration” and “immigration”. The non-immigration visas comprise the following visa types: diplomatic, official, investor, business, missioner, tourist, private and transit, and immigration ones – for permanent residence, family reunion, education, performing labour activity, humanitarian reasons.

Moreover, the new Regulations established visa categories. For instance, diplomatic visas are divided into the following categories: А1, А2 and А3, official visas – В1, В2 and В3, investor visas – С1 and С2, business visas – D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7 and D8, and so on.

It should be noted that the new edition of the Regulations in the first place are aimed at creating favorable conditions for visiting Kazakhstan by foreign tourists, private persons and businessmen.

The Regulations provide for issuing single, double and triple tourists visas with a maximum validity period up to 90 days and the right to stay in Kazakhstan for up to 30 days per each visit.

Also, under the Regulations, immigrants arriving in RoK for doing business, will be able to receive visas of business-immigrant category valid for up to 1 year.

Foreigners engaged in investing activities in RoK will be granted single-use investor visas valid for up to 90 days or multiple investor visas valid for up to 3 years, based on a petition filed by an RoK authorized body on investments.

The new Regulations kept a simplified procedure for receiving Kazakhstan visas by citizens of 48 developed countries of the world, who may receive short-term RoK visas without invitations (visa support).

Furthermore, the Regulations introduce the norms allowing to set a different regime for visa issuing on the basis of an international principle of reciprocity (parity) – mutual provision of equal conditions when issuing visas to citizens of two states.

However, in order to reduce the flow of foreigners engaged in illegal business, labour and other paid activities in RoK territory, the new Regulations imply some limitations on stay of the mentioned category of citizens.

Thus, in particular, foreigners who are going to visit RoK to participate in conferences, forums, exhibitions, cultural, scientific and other events, will be issued with short-term business visas of D1 category. The validity term of single, double and triple visas of D1 category comprises 90 days with a right to stay in RoK no longer than 30 days per each visit.

At the same time, business visas of D2 category are issued to persons who are visiting RoK for the purpose of short-term business trip, assembly, repair and technical maintenance of equipment, as well as participation in the programs of youth, student and school exchanges. Such visas will be issued for a period of up to 1 year with a right to stay in RoK territory no longer than 60 days throughout 180 days.

D3 category visas are issued to foreigners who are visiting RoK for accompanying humanitarian aid, conducting negotiations, concluding contracts, providing consulting and auditing services, for a period of up to three years and the right to stay no longer than 30 days per each visit. However, the total period of foreigners’ stay in RoK should not exceed 60 days within 180 days.

According to the Regulations, the validity periods of business visas opened by invitation of legal entities, as well as private, tourist and transit visas are not subject to extension.

When making a decision on preparing a visa support and visa issuing, competent bodies will take into account political and migration situation in the country of citizenship or permanent residence of a foreigner.

The new Regulations provide for such type of visas as “family reunification”.

This type of visa will be issued to foreigners who are going to visit RoK for family reunification, with validity period up to 1 year. The inviters in this case could be RoK citizens, ethnic Kazakhs and former compatriots, temporarily residing in RoK, immigrants permanently residing in RoK, as well as business immigrants.

The Regulations set the norm for issuing private visas to foreigners who are going to RoK for adoption of RoK citizens with validity term up to 180 days and the right to stay in RoK territory for up to 120 days.

Under the new Regulations, missioner visas are divided in 2 categories: “missioner”, which is issued to foreigners going to RoK for carrying out missioner activity, and “religion” which is issued to foreigners going to RoK for carrying out religion activity. These visas are issued with validity term up to 180 days with a right of being extended by the same period in migration bodies of RoK (previously, the maximum validity term of a missioner visa comprised 180 days, without a right of being extended in RoK). The missioner visa is also issued to family members of a foreigner who carries out missioner activity in RoK.

The Regulations provide for issuing visas to foreigners who are going to RoK for humanitarian reasons.

Such visas are issued to volunteers arriving at RoK for providing services in the sphere of education and healthcare on charge-free basis, as well as providing charitable and humanitarian assistance.

The new Regulations established a visa-free stay in RoK for employees of diplomatic representations, consular institutions of foreign countries, international organizations and their family members on the basis of accreditation cards issued by RoK MIA. This document will replace RoK visas for the entire period of their accreditation.

The Regulations are put into effect upon expiry of ten calendar days after their official publication.

Source: ZAKON.KZ Information service