Kazakhstan Travel Forum

I study Russian in my school and would like to do a few weeks this winter in a Russian speaking country. I have been to Russia and was thinking to go to Kazakhstan. Some of the questions I have is about registering once you get there. I will be going on my own and renting an apartment or a room and would be really annoyed having to figure out how to register. I am not worried about getting the invitation and the visa, just about if I have to register like they require in Russia. Also, I am coming from the US and would like to know whats the cheapest place to fly into.

Thank, Jenn

Yes you do have to register, within 3 days of arrival, see http://www.buyusa.gov/kazakhstan/en/visa_registration.html

My imput is this: I work in KZ, invited by a KZ company. I don't register with the police. I've been in and out over 7 months so far this year. No one has ever mentioned registering. Entry has been without a fuss avery time, so long as you have that visa. Just don't overstay the expiration date. Russian is more common in northern KZ. Rudniy and Kostanay, for instance, still have their Soviet statues of Lenin, etc. The rumbles I hear, tell of an official urge to promote all things Kazak. Russians I talk to are not too happy about it. They'd rather their children learned English. My experience has been that everyone speaks Russian, no one speaks English, and Kazak becomes more fluent as you move south. I fly through Frankfurt to Astana. It's been the cheapest for us, but then we work in the north. Astana is a mind blowing example of massive new construction. But be aware that this is the steppes, forever. None of the mighty mountains you can see from Almaty.