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international student guide
In this guide we have gathered information that we hope is useful for you as an international student who intend to study at Nazarbayev University and for you who have already begun your studies.
explore kazakhstan
The Republic of Kazakhstan is a unitary state with the presidential system of government. Under the Constitution, Kazakhstan is a democratic, secular, legal and social state which recognizes the man, his life, rights and freedoms as the supreme values of the country.
Quick facts:
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Population: more than 18 mln (as of 2017)
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Territory: 2,724,900 sq. km (1,052,089 sq. miles)
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Geographical location: Central Asia, borders with Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan
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Climate: sharply continental
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Official languages: Kazakh is the state language, Russian is widely used as the language of intercultural communication
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Ethnic diversity: Kazakhs – 63,07%, Russians – 23,7%, Uzbeks – 2,85%, Ukrainians – 2,08%, Uighurs – 1,4%, Tatars – 1,28%, German – 1,11%, other – 4,51%
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Currency: Tenge (KZT)
General information:
The country is divided into 14 administrative areas and has 2 cities of national significance:
Nur-Sultan
Almaty
Kazakhstan exports mining products, fuel, energy, the products of metallurgical and chemical industries, along with grain. As a leader in Central Asia, the country is making a significant contribution to stability in the region and the world. The strides of the country are proved by the chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the OSCE Summit held in Astana in December 2010. Another significant initiative was the launch of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, the Asian analogue of the OSCE. Kazakhstan’s activities as the chairman of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the leading organization of the Islamic world got positive feedback from the international community.
Kazakhstan on the global stage:
The country is a well-established leader in the global anti-nuclear movement. Non-permanent membership of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council in 2017-2018 is a worldwide recognition of Kazakhstan’s active role in tackling global peace and security issues.
The basis of Kazakhstan’s prosperity is the stable growth in all sectors of its economy, international recognition and political stability. Kazakhstan is a country looking into the future, which retains its culture, traditions and successfully realizes its huge creative potential in the nowadays dynamic world.
experience NUR-SULTAN
The idea of creating a new capital belongs to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. The new capital was unveiled internationally on June 10, 1998. In 1999, Astana (now Nur-Sultan city) was awarded the title of the City of Peace by UNESCO. Since 2000, the capital city of Kazakhstan has been a member of the International Assembly of Capitals and Major Cities.
Quick facts:
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Population: more than 1010000
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Territory: more than 810 square kilometers
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Districts: Almaty, Saryarka, and Yessil
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Time zone: UTC+6:00
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Climate: Summer temperatures occasionally reach +35 °C while −35 to −40 °C is not unusual between mid-December and early March
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Public transport: buses and share taxis
General information:
Nur-Sultan city is located in the center of Kazakhstan in the dry steppe zone and in the grass steppe subzone. The area of the city stands above the flood plain. The Ishim river is a major waterway of the capital. The city has an extreme continental climate with cold winter and hot dry summer. The architectural concept of Astana is based on a peculiar Eurasian style reflecting the cultural traditions of both the East and the West. Kisho Kurokawa, a well-known Japanese architect, became the author of the capital’s general layout. The city consists of three districts – Almaty, Saryarka and Yessil.
Today, Nur-Sultan is a city of new opportunities and the center of attraction of active and goal-oriented people. The capital of Kazakhstan is the main educational and scientific platform of the country and aspires to become a regional hub of knowledge, science, and innovations.
The cultural life of a young, in a historical context, the city is interesting and eventful. National and modern arts are harmoniously synthesized in its museums, theatres and concert halls.
your arrival at nu
Immigration procedures
Immigration regulations may be liable to change on short notice; prospective visitors are advised to check on the current situation before departure here.
General Requirements
All visitors to Kazakhstan are required to have passports which validity should not expire earlier than 3 months from the visa expiration date and must contain at least 2 blank pages intended for visa and stamps.
Nationals of Kazakhstan who live abroad need passports that are valid at least 6 months beyond the date of entry.
If you are replacing an expired passport, please kindly provide the School HR manager with the newly issued passport along with the old expired passport for registration with the Migration Service. Keep in mind that it is in your best interest to provide us with the necessary documents as soon as possible to prevent any problems with registration.
Passport
International students who are citizens of the countries indicated below can enter the Republic of Kazakhstan on the visa-free basis:
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Russian Federation
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Kyrgyz Republic
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Republic of Armenia
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Republic of Tajikistan
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Republic of Uzbekistan
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Republic of Belarus
Visa-Free Entry
Step 1
The Department of International Cooperation (DIC) will submit the documents to the Migration Service as soon as the contract with Nazarbayev University is signed. Once the Letter of Invitation (LOI) is ready, its copy will be emailed to you. The LOI will be a decent evidence for the Embassy of Kazakhstan to provide you with a multiple entry visa.
To obtain LOI the following documents should be submitted by the international students to the school manager:
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NU Visa Support Application Form;
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Copy of passport;
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Study agreement with Nazarbayev University;
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Decision of the School Dean to cover the state duty payment that is 0.5 of the minimum calculation index (provided by the school manager).
*Apostilled residence permit required if citizenship and residency are different*;
Step 2
Upon receipt of the invitation letter, the applicant submits all the documentation to the Kazakhstan’s Embassy/Consulate abroad where he/she plans to obtain a visa. It is the personal responsibility of the applicant to double-check the list of the required documents (application form, photocopy, fee receipt etc.) on the web-site of the Embassy/Consulate. Also, you will need to pay a visa fee.
The following documents are usually required:
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Visa invitation letter;
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Passport valid for at least 6 months longer than the validity of the requested visa and have at least 2 blank pages to stamp the visa;
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Completed visa application form (available on the web-site of the Embassy/Consulate);
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Photo 3,5х4,5;
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Visa fee (please note that the consular desk at the airports accept cash ONLY (USD/KZT).
*Additional documents might be requested at the discretion of the council.
Visa can be issued:
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In the country of your citizenship (by the foreign establishments of the Republic of Kazakhstan: consular, diplomatic, and equivalent representation offices).
Visa issuance processing time: 5 business days
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At the international airports of the Republic of Kazakhstan upon arrival (if there are no consular, diplomatic, or equivalent representation offices in the country of the visa recipient’s citizenship).
C9 Visa Obtainment
International students with a country of citizenship that is not listed in “Visa-Free Entry” section need a student visa (C9) to come to Kazakhstan. This type of visa is given for the period of one year and allows you to make multiple entries to Kazakhstan. Visa shall be renewed each year.
Visa Renewal
In order to renew your visa in the Republic of Kazakhstan before its expiration date, please provide the following documents to the DIC at least 10 working days in advance:
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Passport;
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Photo 3,5 x 4,5 cm;
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Visa Application Form;
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Spravka from NU, confirming that you are a student of Nazarbayev University (can be ordered online from the Registrar Office);
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Visa renewal fee, paid in KZT.
Working opportunities
International students are not allowed to work in Kazakhstan, except for:
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students who have residence permit in Kazakhstan;
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students who are citizens of the countries that are official signatories of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union effective from 1 January, 2015: The Republic of Belarus, Russian Federation, The Kyrgyz Republic, and The Republic of Armenia.
Please note that non-compliance with the conditions of your visa is a serious offence and you can face penalties, including (but not limited to):
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You can be fined up to 70 000 KZT;
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You can be banned from returning to the Kazakhstan for up to 5 years, which automatically prohibits to continue working in Kazakhstan;
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You could face short term imprisonment.
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Extra fees for advocate and interpreter will apply.
*If you are a citizen of a country which is not a member of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Documents, then you will need to do a consular legalization of required documents. Please follow the link to find your country in the list of the Hague Convention member countries
Notification / registration at the migration service
All foreign citizens who entered Kazakhstan with a valid Kazakhstani visa of any category issued after July 1, 2018 are considered automatically registered for the duration of their visas.
All foreigners who entered Kazakhstan with a valid Kazakhstani visa of any category do not need to fill in migration (landing) cards upon their arrival in Kazakhstan.
Foreign citizens who arrived in Kazakhstan under visa-free regime should submit their passports within 3 business days to the responsible School HR manager for the Department of International Cooperation to:
• send notification on their arrival (applies to the citizens of the 45 countries indicated in the ‘C3 category visa’ section)
• for passport registration procedures (applies to the citizens of countries-members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and other countries eligible for visa-free stay and entry) at the Migration Service of the Department of Internal Affairs of Astana (hereinafter – Migration Service). The same registration rules apply for each and every re-entry to Kazakhstan, as registration card is issued for a single entry only.
Registration processing time: 1-3 business days
In case of any changes in the residential addresses in Astana of the foreign staff, please promptly notify on these changes the Department’s personnel.
All newly hired faculty, their family members, and visitors (relatives, friends, business visitors, etc.), who are planning to stay on the University premises (on/off campus) for the period longer than 3 business days, should be reported to the Department immediately upon their arrival along with their current residential addresses in Astana for the purposes of submitting notification to the
Migration Service.
Minors/dependents under 16 years of age are not required to register at the Migration Service. If your child is turning 16, please be kind to notify the Department of International Cooperation and provide us with a newly-issued passport of your dependent.
Please note that those foreign citizens, whose valid visas were issued before July 1, 2018 should report on their arrival to Astana within 3 business days for notification School managers of Department of International Cooperation.
Nazarbayev University
Kazakhstan, Astana, Kabanbay batyr av., 53.
(c) Association of International Students