Germany’s embassy in Astana refreshed its travel and safety guidance for Kazakhstan late on 19 July, with changes now displayed on the Federal Foreign Office website. Key mobility-related updates include a reminder that even visa-exempt visitors must register their address with the migration police within three working days of arrival – a requirement Kazakh authorities have begun enforcing more strictly at hotels and airports. Failure to comply can result in fines or exit bans. Business travellers should also note tougher rules on dual-SIM mobile phones and satellite devices: importing encrypted communications equipment now requires pre-approval from the Kazakh digital-development ministry, and customs officials may inspect handsets for unlicensed software. The advisory emphasises that travellers transiting Russia by land en route to Kazakhstan still need a Russian transit visa unless they remain airside. With many German project teams using the new Helsinki–St. Petersburg–Astana rail-air corridor, mobility managers must build lead time for dual-visa processing. While Kazakhstan continues to waive visas for German nationals for stays of up to 30 days, the Foreign Office warns that multi-entry business trips require a ‘multivisa’ issued in advance. HR departments arranging rotational assignments should budget an extra 10-15 days for consular approval.
