Foreign Ministry addresses Kazakhstanis planning to travel to Europe

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstanis are advised to submit their documents for visas to European countries in advance. According to Yerlan Zhetybayev, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this gives citizens a better chance of approval.
Context
At a briefing at the Foreign Ministry, journalists asked Zhetybayev about progress in simplifying the visa regime for Kazakhstanis wishing to travel to Europe.
“Has there been any progress on this issue recently? Because many Kazakhstanis who want to go on summer vacation are now complaining that the process has become very long, that many people are being refused, the visa fee is taken and not refunded, but for some reason Kazakhstanis are still being denied visas. What is the reason for this?” the question was asked.
Yerlan Zhetybayev replied that the day before, the third round of negotiations on simplifying the visa regime between Kazakhstan and the European Union had taken place in Brussels.

“I can say that, overall, this process is moving forward very well. I think we will be able to share more detailed information in the near future. As for the increase in applications from Kazakhstanis: it is the summer season, the tourist season, so there is an influx, including to the consular sections of foreign embassies. We see this and are passing all the necessary information on to our colleagues,” the official representative said.

The Foreign Ministry representative gave simple advice to Kazakhstanis planning a trip to Europe.

“Issuing visas is the sovereign right of each state. At the moment, I can only advise our citizens to submit documents in advance and ensure that they meet all the requirements set for the relevant category,” Zhetybayev added.

Earlier, the Foreign Ministry reported that the Entry/Exit System, or EES, had begun fully operating in Schengen Area countries. Now, data on foreign tourists will be recorded in a unified digital database, while the familiar passport stamps will gradually become a thing of the past.
As a reminder, in April, Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev said that negotiations with the European side on simplifying the visa regime were planned to be completed in the second half of 2026.