The end of the ‘visa run’ Kazakhstan is changing its immigration rules, complicating life for Russians who fled mobilization
In September 2022, after Vladimir Putin announced mobilization in Russia, 406,000 Russians crossed into Kazakhstan. So far, it’s been easy for those who have stayed to avoid trouble with immigration authorities: under Kazakh law, Russian citizens have effectively been allowed to reside in the country visa-free indefinitely by crossing the state border, even if only for a few minutes, at least once every 90 days. On December 31, however, the Kazakh government tightened its visa rules, outlawing these “visa runs” beginning on January 27, 2023. Meduza explains how this change is likely to affect Russians who fled mobilization.
What’s changing?
From the time of Vladimir Putin’s mobilization announcement to the end of last year, 36,000 Russians received temporary residence permits in Kazakhstan, more than 3,500 applied for long-term residency there, and almost 1,000 applied for Kazakh citizenship. Citizens of EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) member states are not required to have visas to enter Kazakhstan, and while they can only stay for up to 90 days at a time, they’ve been able to reset the timer by briefly exiting the country and re-entering. Thousands of Russians who settled in Kazakhstan after fleeing mobilization took advantage of this system: data from the Russian FSB’s Border Service shows that in the third quarter of 2022, more than 1.3 million Russians crossed the Kazakh border, more than twice as many as in the same period the previous year.
On December 31, however, the Kazakh government passed a resolution that tightened visa rules: beginning on January 27, 2023, it will no longer be possible to reset the length of one’s visa-free stay simply by crossing the border (visaless foreigners will now be limited to 90 days in Kazakhstan per 180-day period). The change will affect numerous Russians who fled mobilization, many of whom have spent the last few weeks making their last “visa run” to buy themselves a final 90 days.
“The first time I did a visa run was in late November, and my 90 days would have ended at the end of February [2023],” said Sasha Kamennoostrovsky, who owns an online clothing store. “But due to the new rules, I decided to do another ‘visa run’ on January 19: I went to Bishkek and then returned to Almaty. Everything on the border went smoothly; they didn’t ask me too many questions, and now my passport is adorned with a fresh Kazakhstan entry stamp.”
From side hustle to (temporary) full-time job
The most common destinations for Russians’ visa runs have been Kazakhstan’s neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Entering Turkmenistan or China requires a visa, and many fear what might happen if they cross back into Russia.
The most affordable way for Russians to leave Kazakhstan is by bus: a ticket from Almaty to Bishkek, for example, only costs the equivalent of about $5, while the most expensive ticket from Almaty to Tashkent is still only about $20. But there are other cheap options, too.
Many Russians have used Telegram chats and word-of-mouth to find people with whom to split the cost of a private car. A ride to the border and back in a private vehicle usually costs between $10 and $25.
Driving Russians on their visa runs has become a popular side gig in Kazakhstan. Vladislav, a Moscow native, came to Kazakhstan in late September and completed his first “visa run” in December. After that, he started using his own car to drive other Russians to the Kyrgyz border for extra money. After the government passed the resolution tightening visa rules, he saw a surge in people seeking rides, he told Meduza:
Before, this was more of a side hustle. I didn’t really earn a lot doing it; I would make the trip maybe once or twice a week. Now, I do it every single day.
When he brings passengers to the border, Vladislav parks near the checkpoint and waits for them to go across the border and back. For him, he said, it’s “a way to both help people and earn some extra money.”
What now?
While “visa runs” were the easiest way for Russians to stay in Kazakhstan legally, they weren’t the only one. Now, if a Russian person wants to stay in the country for more than three months, they’ll need to have a temporary residence permit or apply for long-term residency.
Kazakh temporary residence permits last for one year, and they can be extended once they expire. They allow a person to live in Kazakhstan, but not to register as an individual entrepreneur or buy real estate there. According to the Kazakh Migration Services Committee, 36,000 Russians received temporary residence permits between September 1, 2022, and the end of the year.
Long-term residence permits, meanwhile, last for 10 years, and they grant holders the right to register as individual entrepreneurs, purchase real estate, and leave and re-enter the country as much as they please.
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Denis and his wife moved from St. Petersburg to Kazakhstan in November 2022. “We literally picked Kazakhstan out of the blue, after looking at the places where all the other Russians were going. […] We were touched by the stories about the kindness and generosity of the Kazakh people, and now that we’re here, we can attest that it really is the case: the people are wonderful.”
Denis told Meduza that he’ll likely apply for a temporary residence permit through his work. “I’ve already had a conversation with my bosses about the possibility of getting a temporary residence permit, though I’m currently still working under the table,” he sad.
Sasha Kamennoostrovsky, who owns an online clothing shop, said that he “really wants to go home,” but that he has no plans to return to Russia until there’s a change of government. He plans to register his business as an LLC in order to stay in Kazakhstan, and hopes to open a brick-and-mortar store there in the future.
But the rule change has prompted other Russians to consider finding new countries to settle down in. “If my temporary residence permit doesn’t work out, I might go to Bishkek and try establishing myself there,” Denis told Meduza. “I’ve been a houseplant for more than 30 years, and to my surprise, transforming into a tumbleweed has made me feel happy and inspired. If only I had a bit more money, then things would be really great.”