India to Offer Free 30-Day Visas to Kazakhstan Citizens

January 27, 2026|Joshua

India has announced it will offer free 30-day short-term visas for Kazakh citizens for tourism, medical treatment, and accompanying travelers, marking a significant step to enhance India-Kazakhstan travel and cooperation.

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India has announced plans to introduce free short-term visas for citizens of Kazakhstan, allowing stays in India of up to 30 days for tourism and certain other purposes. The move was unveiled by India’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan during a Republic Day reception in Astana in late January 2026 and has been widely described in the region as a new visa-free travel regime for Kazakh visitors.

What exactly has India announced?

Speaking at an official reception marking India’s 77th Republic Day in Astana, Ambassador Sailas Thangal stated that the Government of India has decided to grant free visas of up to 30 days to Kazakh nationals. According to reports based on his speech, the facility will cover:

Short tourist visits
Short-term medical treatment in India
Accompanying persons travelling with patients or tourists

Media outlets have referred to this as a visa-free entry regime, but the wording of the announcement makes clear that Kazakh citizens will still obtain an Indian visa – the difference is that the visa itself will be issued free of charge (a so-called gratis visa).

Until formal regulations are published by the Indian authorities, travellers should assume that a visa application will still be required before departure.

Who will benefit?

Based on the announcement so far, the new policy is expected to apply to:

Holders of ordinary passports issued by the Republic of Kazakhstan
Travellers visiting India for tourism, medical treatment or to accompany such travellers
Short-stay visits of up to 30 days at a time

There has been no indication that the facility will cover work, study or long-term stays, and it is not expected to apply to diplomatic or service passport holders unless later specified by official guidance.

Length of stay and permitted purposes

The key parameters reported so far are:

Maximum stay: up to 30 days in India per visit
Primary purposes: leisure tourism, short medical treatment, and accompanying close relatives or companions
No right to work: the facility is for non-remunerated activities only and does not authorise employment or business operations in India
Multiple trips: official sources have not yet clarified whether multiple free-visa entries will be permitted in a calendar year

Until implementing rules are released, Kazakh travellers should plan around a single 30-day visit under the new scheme and expect that existing eVisa limits on repeat use may continue to apply.

How Kazakhstan citizens will apply

India already offers an eVisa system to Kazakh nationals for short-term tourist, business and medical travel. Under the existing arrangement, applicants:

Complete an online application form on India’s official eVisa portal.
Upload a recent photograph and a scan of the passport bio page.
Receive an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) by email, usually within 72 hours.
Present the ETA and passport at one of the designated airports or seaports when arriving in India.

For now, the Embassy of India in Astana still lists a standard eVisa fee of around US$80 for Kazakh passport holders. The new announcement indicates that, once implemented, eligible short-stay visas for Kazakh citizens will be issued free of charge, but the technical details have not yet appeared in the official fee tables.

Travellers should therefore:

Watch for an official circular or updated fee schedule confirming when the free-visa regime starts.
Check whether the fee waiver will apply only to eVisas, only to visas issued at the embassy, or to both channels.
Apply well in advance of travel, as processing times and rules may adjust during the transition period.

Key entry requirements for Kazakhstan travellers

Existing Indian eVisa guidance for Kazakh nationals is a useful indication of what requirements are likely to remain in place even after the fee waiver takes effect. Typically, travellers must:

Hold a Kazakh passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival, with at least two blank pages.
Travel with a printed or digital copy of their eVisa or other visa approval.
Carry a return or onward ticket.
Be able to show proof of sufficient funds for their stay in India.
Provide details of accommodation and a contact address in India.
Ensure they meet any health requirements that may be in force at the time of travel.

The new free-visa policy is not expected to remove these basic entry conditions.

When will the new policy start?

As of 27 January 2026, India has publicly announced its intention to grant free 30-day visas to Kazakhstan citizens, but has not yet published a detailed notification setting out:

The exact start date
Whether the change applies to all eVisa categories used by Kazakh nationals
Any limits on how often the free-visa facility can be used

Until an official government notification, embassy circular or updated eVisa fee schedule is issued, Kazakh travellers should confirm current rules directly with the Embassy of India in Astana or via India’s official eVisa portal before making final bookings.

How this fits into India–Kazakhstan and BRICS cooperation

The decision comes against a backdrop of steadily strengthening political and economic ties between India and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan already hosts a 14-day visa-free regime for Indian tourists and business visitors, and both countries cooperate closely in multilateral formats such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS. BRICS partners have repeatedly highlighted people-to-people cooperation as a priority, with senior officials referring to projects launched at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in the autumn of 2024 as part of a broader effort to deepen exchanges in tourism, education and culture. The new free-visa facility for Kazakh citizens fits into this wider regional trend of easing travel formalities within the broader Eurasian and BRICS space.

Reciprocal travel: Kazakhstan already visa-free for many Indians

For Indian citizens, Kazakhstan has operated a unilateral visa-free entry regime since July 2022. Key features of that policy include:

Indian passport holders can enter Kazakhstan without a visa for stays of up to 14 days per visit.
The total visa-free stay must not exceed 42 days within any 180-day period.
The regime covers private, tourist and business trips but does not allow employment.

India’s new free-visa arrangement for Kazakhstan citizens is widely seen as a reciprocal step that could further increase two-way tourism and business travel between the two countries.

Practical tips for Kazakhstan citizens planning travel to India

While the detailed regulations are still being finalised, prospective visitors from Kazakhstan can already start planning with the following points in mind:

Monitor official updates: Follow announcements from the Embassy of India in Astana and India’s Ministry of Home Affairs or Ministry of External Affairs for the formal start date and application rules.
Choose the correct visa category: Once implemented, ensure you select the appropriate eVisa type (tourist or medical) that corresponds to your travel purpose.
Keep documentation ready: Maintain a valid passport, travel insurance, proof of accommodation and financial means, as these are commonly requested at the border.
Plan within a 30-day window: Design itineraries that comfortably fit within the expected 30-day maximum stay, including arrival and departure days.
Avoid last-minute applications: Submit your eVisa request several days before travel, in line with standard guidance that recommends applying at least four days before departure.

Apply now

Until the free-visa rules are formally implemented, Kazakh citizens can continue to apply for Indian eVisas through the official portal:

https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Travellers should check the portal and the Embassy of India’s announcements regularly to see when the new free 30-day visa conditions for Kazakhstan citizens come into effect.