Arrival notification for foreigners in Kazakhstan: who must file, the three-day deadline and the penalties

The arrival notification is the most common — and most underestimated — duty in Kazakhstan's migration law. The fine goes not to the foreigner but to whoever received them: a company, a hotel, a flat owner or a relative. Here is how the rule reads in the law and how to comply without mistakes.

What the law says

Registration of immigrants is kept by the internal affairs bodies on the basis of information from hosts. Article 6 of the Migration Law and paragraph 9 of Decree No. 148 set a single deadline: the host informs the internal affairs bodies about immigrants staying with them within three working days of their arrival.

Three details of the wording matter:

• the deadline is counted in working days — weekends and public holidays do not count;
• it runs from the day of arrival at the host, not from the day of crossing the border;
• the duty lies with the host, not the foreigner.

Who is the host

Any individual or legal entity with whom the immigrant actually stays:

• an employer, if the employee lives in company housing or the company is named as host in the invitation;
• a hotel, hostel or sanatorium — they file through the e-Qonaq system;
• the owner or tenant of housing who lets a foreigner stay;
• an educational institution providing a dormitory;
• a relative or friend — a citizen or a permanently residing foreigner.

If a foreigner rents a flat directly from a private landlord, the landlord is the host. Many owners are unaware of this duty — say so when signing the lease.

Four ways to file

Paragraph 4 of the Rules on migration control (the same Decree No. 148) allows:

1. The visa and migration portal vmp.gov.kz — with the host's digital signature. The main and fastest channel.
2. The egov.kz portal — the same service, also by digital signature.
3. In person at the migration service office at the foreigner's place of stay.
4. By post — allowed, but proving timeliness is harder.

Hotels and other users of e-Qonaq submit through that system. You will need the foreigner's passport data, date of entry, purpose and expected duration of stay, the address and the host's details.

When notification is not required — and when it still is

Foreigners who entered on a Kazakhstan visa are registered automatically via the Berkut system at the address stated by the inviting party in the invitation. No separate notification is filed — provided the foreigner actually lives at that address.

The rule holds only while the address matches. On a change of temporary residence the host notifies the internal affairs bodies within three working days (paragraph 10 of Decree No. 148), and the immigrant re-registers at the new address within five working days (Article 6 of the Law).

EAEU citizens are a separate question. The EAEU Treaty exempts them from registration for 30 days after entry. However, the host's duty to inform the police is established by Kazakhstan law and does not depend on that exemption. Inspection practice varies by region, so we advise filing within the standard three working days.

Liability: Article 518 of the Administrative Code

Late notification of the internal affairs bodies about immigrants staying with the host entails:

Part 2 of the same article is stricter: providing housing to a foreigner who is in the country in breach of migration law is fined from 25 MCI for individuals to 75 MCI for large business. If your guest has overstayed and you keep housing them, the liability is now yours. In 2026 one MCI is 4,325 tenge.

For the foreigner, a missing notification is dangerous indirectly: at an inspection or the next entry they cannot prove lawful stay, which complicates obtaining an RVP and visas later.

Checklist for companies hosting foreign staff

• Appoint a person responsible for migration records and issue them the company digital signature.
• Keep a register: date of arrival, address, filing date, system reference number.
• Record changes of an employee's address — three working days apply there too.
• Synchronise the notification with the RVP and work permit — they are separate procedures with separate deadlines.
• Check the guest's remaining permitted stay before extending accommodation.

Visa Navigator handles arrival notifications, registration and deadline control for companies and individuals in Almaty. Filing is done on behalf of the host with its digital signature — you receive the system confirmation and peace of mind at inspections.

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Rules and practice change — verify the current requirements as of the date you apply.