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How do I buy train tickets in Kazakhstan as a foreigner?

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Short answer

Buy on the national railway's official site, bilet.railways.kz (in English), its app, or at a station. Sales open 45 days before departure, from 07:00 Astana time; sales close 10 minutes before departure. You pay by card: Visa and Mastercard cards, paid on Halyk Bank's payment page. Fares are 10% lower until the end of 2026.

Cards accepted online
Visa and Mastercard cards, paid on Halyk Bank's payment page

All confirmed by an official source.

Sources for this answer (2)

Where to buy

  • Online: bilet.railways.kz, the official site of the national railway (KTZ), in English, Russian and Kazakh, or its app, “Билеты КТЖ” (KTZ Tickets).
  • At a station ticket office, with your passport.

Paying

Accepted: Visa and Mastercard cards, paid on Halyk Bank's payment page. Make sure your card allows online payments.

If your card is refused, buy at a station ticket office.

Sources for this section (1)

When to book

Sales open 45 days before departure, from 07:00 Astana time; sales close 10 minutes before departure. If your train is full, join the site’s waiting list: it can buy a seat for you if one comes free.

Until the end of 2026: 10% off all fares, 1 October to 31 December 2026.

Sources for this section (2)

Your ticket

You get an electronic ticket by email or in your account. On some trains electronic check-in is not available: then collect a paper ticket at a station ticket office in Kazakhstan before you board. Carry the passport you booked with.

Refunds

Online up to 1 hour before the train leaves its first station; after that, at a ticket office in Kazakhstan, with your passport.

Sources for this section (1)

Almaty stations

Almaty-1: Closed to passengers since 15 July 2026 while the station is rebuilt. The trains listed in the railway’s notice start and end at Almaty-2 instead.

Sources for this section (1)

Help

1433 (free information line); WhatsApp +7 778 257 64 94 for refunds.

Sources for this section (1)

What we could not verify

  • Whether cards from foreign banks are accepted. The rules mention Visa and Mastercard cards from 'second-tier banks', the Kazakh term for ordinary commercial banks.
  • Whether you need a Kazakh phone number to create an account. Some travellers report this.
  • When Almaty-1 station will reopen.

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This is an independent guide, not a government website. Rules change often. Before you travel, check the official source linked next to each fact.