How to register your visa in Kazakhstan (With map for registration in Semey)

When you enter Kazakhstan you are meant to register your visa within 5 days....this isn't the easiest thing to do, although it depends where and how you enter the country. You are looking to get 2 stamps on the Migration card that you have to complete before going through immigration control. Do not lose this card!

1. Aeroplane - it should be done at immigration. Unless it's a small airport it will probably be automatic.
2. Train - can get it done but difficult and involves nagging and begging
   
3. Road - no one knows how to do it or seems to want to try. We kept asking but 'Nyet, Nyet, Nyet!'

If it doesn't get registered on entry then your best option is to go to a hotel who will register it for you for a fee. This can range between $10 and $20. If your hotel (like ours) won't do it then you will have to find the OVIR office or Immigration office yourself. We started with the police station and eventually got to the right place. In Semey all the instructions for the registration form were in Russian and no-one was prepared to help us in the office. We were just a problem rather than people who needed help. Eventually a really nice security guard came and started filling it in for us in Cyrillic with our passports etc. and we then wrote an explanation sheet which we gave to the registration people to stick on the wall. They looked mildly pleased so it might still be there and of some use.

kazakhstanvisa