Driving Permit for Kazakhstan
Driving in Kazakhstan? Foreign visitors need a 1968-convention IDP alongside their home licence. Learn Kazakhstan road rules, the zero-alcohol limit, rental requirements and right-side driving.
- Drive on
- Right
- Convention
- 1968 Vienna
- IDP validity
- Varies
- Processing time
- 24-48 hours
Do you need an IDP to drive in Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan recognises the International Driving Permit under the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and for most foreign visitors the IDP is genuinely required rather than optional. UK government guidance states plainly that you need a 1968 IDP as well as your national licence to drive in Kazakhstan, and Canadian government advice confirms that a home-country licence on its own is not acceptable. Arrange the 1968-format permit before you travel — you cannot obtain one once you are already abroad — and carry it together with your original licence whenever you drive.
Expect document checks. Rental desks in Almaty and Astana will want to see your original licence and IDP, particularly when your licence is not printed in Kazakh or Russian, and traffic police stop drivers routinely. If you are fined for an offence, the officer should hand you an official paper recording it; both the UK and Canadian governments also warn about criminals posing as police, so ask to see credentials and, if in doubt, offer to continue the conversation at the nearest police station.
Traffic drives on the right, and Kazakhstan operates a zero-tolerance policy on drinking and driving. The minimum driving age is 18 for cars and 16 for motorcycles. Outside the main cities, be ready for long distances, potholed rural roads, stray animals and erratic local driving; in winter, snow and ice regularly close intercity highways, and the national road operator QazAvtoJol publishes closure updates. Plan fuel stops carefully on long steppe routes and avoid driving at night where you can.
Kazakhstan recognises the IDP under the 1968 Vienna Convention.
Kazakhstan is a signatory to the 1968 Vienna Convention. In practice, an IDP issued by another signatory country is recognised for your permitted visitor stay.
What you need to drive in Kazakhstan
Have these ready before you pick up the keys.
Original home-country driving licence, carried at all times
1968-convention International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your licence
Minimum driving age: 18 for cars, 16 for motorcycles
Third-party motor liability insurance (compulsory; included with rentals)
Kazakhstan is a contracting party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so the 1968-format IDP is the correct document — a 1949-format IDP is not the right permit for Kazakhstan.
The minimum legal driving age is 18 for cars and 16 for motorcycles.
Kazakhstan enforces a zero-tolerance policy on drinking and driving.
Winter snow and ice regularly close intercity roads and highways; the national road operator QazAvtoJol publishes road-status and closure updates.
Driving standards can be erratic: expect sudden lane changes, vehicles without rear seatbelts, potholes on rural roads, stray animals and limited signposting of roadworks.
Traffic police who stop you for an offence should issue an official paper; travellers have reported thieves posing as police, so always ask to see credentials.
What to know before you turn the key
Kazakhstan drives on the right — the driver sits on the left, and roundabouts flow anti-clockwise.
Carry your IDP and your original license together — rental desks and police checks will ask for both documents.
Rental desks in Almaty and Astana ask for your original licence plus an IDP, especially if your licence is not in Kazakh or Russian.
Police document checks are routine — carry originals; an officer fining you must hand over an official paper recording the offence.
Zero-tolerance drink-driving policy: do not drive after any alcohol at all.
Kazakhstan does not publish a reliable English-language fine schedule for tourists, but enforcement is real: traffic police issue on-the-spot paperwork for offences, drink-driving is treated severely under the zero-tolerance policy, and driving without your original licence and the required IDP risks fines and being stopped from continuing your journey. Always insist on the official paper for any fine, and never pay cash to someone who cannot show police credentials.
Local rules to watch in Kazakhstan
Low-emission zones, tolls, and city-specific rules that catch visiting drivers out.
Almaty: traffic is dense and assertive at rush hour — a rental car pays off most for day trips to the mountains, Charyn Canyon and the lakes rather than for getting around the city itself.
Astana: wide, planned boulevards are easy to navigate, but severe winter ice and wind make cold-season driving hazardous — allow extra time and check conditions before intercity trips.
On long steppe routes between cities, fuel stations can be far apart — fill up whenever you have the chance and carry water in summer and warm gear in winter.
Signs you'll meet on the road
Eight internationally recognised signs — including which side of the road Kazakhstan keeps.
Common questions about driving in Kazakhstan
Drive Kazakhstan, confidently.
Apply online in minutes and get instant digital access to your IDP translation — with an IDP PVC card option if you want one in your wallet.