The Consular Section of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Canada confirmed that a Canadian Refugee Travel Document (RTD) is accepted as a travel document for applying for a visa and travelling to Kazakhstan.

The visa-free regime available to holders of valid Canadian passports for stays of up to 30 days does not apply to holders of a Canadian RTD.

A Canadian RTD holder is required to obtain a visa to visit Kazakhstan. Holding a Canadian Permanent Resident Card does not exempt the traveller from the visa requirement.

A Notice of Decision does not affect the visa requirement.

The appropriate visa category depends on the purpose of travel. For Canadian RTD holders, the visa must be issued on the basis of an invitation from Kazakhstan. The inviting individual or organization in Kazakhstan must arrange the invitation through the local migration authorities and obtain a visa support/confirmation number.

Once the invitation has been approved and the confirmation number issued, the applicant may submit the visa application and supporting documents to a Kazakh diplomatic or consular mission in Canada.

Visa applications may be submitted to the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Ottawa or the Consulate of Kazakhstan in Toronto. The consular officer may request additional supporting documents.

Obtaining an invitation and visa support/confirmation number does not guarantee that a visa will be issued or that the traveller will be admitted to Kazakhstan. The final decision on visa issuance is made by the competent consular officer, while admission is decided by the relevant border control authorities.

- Apply for a Kazakhstan visa before travelling.
- Do not rely on the visa-free regime available to Canadian passport holders.
- A Canadian RTD holder must obtain an invitation from an individual or organization in Kazakhstan.
- The invitation must be arranged through the local migration authorities in Kazakhstan and result in a visa support/confirmation number.
- Apply through the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Ottawa or the Consulate of Kazakhstan in Toronto once the invitation and confirmation number have been obtained.
- Provide all required supporting documents and be prepared to provide additional documents if requested.
- Do not assume that a Canadian PR Card or Notice of Decision removes the visa requirement.
- Confirm the specific visa category based on the purpose of travel.

Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Canada — Written confirmation regarding Canadian Refugee Travel Document holders.