European Union and Kazakhstan edge closer to endorsing Visa Ease Agreement

Alright, let's talk about this hot topic! The EU's member states have given the green light for the European Commission to start negotiations with Kazakhstan on a visa facilitation agreement. This badass move is aimed at making it easier for folks from Kazakhstan to visit EU countries. Yep, you heard it right!

Now, what does this agreement mean? Well, it's all about making the visa process a breeze. This bad boy will focus on a bunch of measures like slashing the time it takes to process visa applications, making a more streamlined list of necessary docs, reducing the cost of visas, boosting the chances of securing multiple-entry visas with extended validity periods, and creating special categories for certain applicants, like biz peeps and students.

The big question on everyone's mind is when the heck this agreement is gonna be signed. Once the negotiations are wrapped up, the date will be set. But, hold your horses, cowboy! The changes won't come into effect until both parties have completed their domestic procedures. The Kazakh Foreign Ministry spilled the beans on this to The Astana Times.

So, what does this mean for us, the common folk? Well, for starters, it opens up more opportunities for Kazakh citizens to jet-set to EU countries. It will also give a solid boost to business, cultural, and humanitarian connections between Kazakhstan and the EU.

In 2023, a whopping 159,000 Schengen visa applications were made by Kazakh citizens, according to SchengenVisaInfo. And guess what? A staggering 90.5% of those applications were approved! This high-approval rate shows just how keen Kazakh citizens are on traveling to Europe.

For those who love diving deep into details, let me drop some knowledge on you: As of April 2025, the EU and Kazakhstan are inching closer to finalizing the visa facilitation agreement, with negotiations officially underway. The EU Council recently approved the mandate for the European Commission to negotiate the agreement. In fact, Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country the EU is looking to strike such an agreement with.

The negotiations are focusing on reducing processing times, lowering fees and simplifying doc requirements, extending validity periods and multiple-entry visas, and creating preferential categories for certain applicants. The signing date hasn't been set yet, but it'll happen once negotiations are done, followed by domestic approval processes in both the EU and Kazakhstan. And, don't worry, the agreement won't go into effect until both parties have completed their legal formalities. So, buckle up and get ready for some serious travel vibes between Kazakhstan and the EU!

The European Commission is set to negotiate a visa facilitation agreement with Kazakhstan, a move aimed at easing visa processes for Kazakhstan citizens visiting EU countries.
This agreement will focus on measures like reducing visa processing times, simplifying document requirements, lowering fees, and creating preferential categories for certain applicants, such as business people and students.
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry has revealed that the changes won't come into effect until both parties have completed their domestic procedures, post the completion of negotiations.
The EU Council has approved the mandate for the European Commission to negotiate this agreement, making Kazakhstan the only Central Asian country the EU is looking to establish such an agreement with, as per the latest policy-and-legislation developments in politics and general news.