kazakhstan tourism fee

Kazakhstan Eliminates Tourist Fees for Foreigners Starting 2024

The modification will take effect on January 9

By QazMonitor

Kazakhstan has amended the regulations on bed tax for foreign tourists, abolishing the fee entirely, QazMonitor reports citing the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

On December 27, 2023, by Order No. 347 of the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, amendments were introduced to regulations governing tourist fees for foreigners, commonly known as the bed tax.

The key modification entails the implementation of a zero rate nationwide, effective from January 9, 2024.

Previously, foreign tourists faced daily fees for stays in accommodation facilities, excluding hostels, guest houses, and rental housing in cities and districts.

Background:

The initiation of the tourist tax in Kazakhstan on January 1, 2023, stirred dissatisfaction among representatives of the country's tourism and hotel industry.

Initially set at a 5% tax rate for Astana, discussions were ongoing regarding its application in Almaty and Shymkent. Entrepreneurs, discontent with the "absence of a clear mechanism for collection, transfer, and utilization of the collected funds," urged a revision of the government resolution.

In August 2023, Yerzhan Yerkinbayev, Vice Minister of Culture and Sports, announced a decision to reassess the tourist fee, opting to use the Monthly Calculation Index (MCI) as a basis instead of a percentage of accommodation costs.

In October of the same year, Yerkinbayev declared the decision to rescind the tourist tax during a briefing at the Central Communications Service, citing inconveniences for both domestic businesses and foreign tourists. Despite having collected around 500 million tenge since the system's inception, the decision was made to promptly suspend the bed tax.

Latest News

Head of BCC Ruslan Vladimirov Named Best CEO at Kazakhstan Growth Forum 2024

TS CUP 6: One Step Away from Grand Finals

Over 100 Local Creators to Present Their Works at Comic Con Astana

5 Handmade Accessory Brands from Kazakhstan

BCC Releases First Verified Sustainability Report

Editor’s Picks

Kazakhstan to Establish National Credit Rating Agency in 2024

Kazakh Cupcakes Get Geographical Indication Status

Astana Hub Launches Accelerator for AI Startups

What Are Kazakhstan's Top 25 Most In-Demand Jobs?

Why Kazakh Citizens Face More Schengen Visa Rejections?

• Sunday, 29 September, 2024
• Almaty 37 °F / 3 °C
• Astana 43 °F / 6 °C

• All Stories
• Kazakhstan Regions
• State of the Nation
• Election 2022
• Election 2023
• Astana International Forum
• Kazakhstan’s Presidency in SCO
• 5th World Nomad Games
• Central Asia

Kazakhstan Introduces New Rules for Foreign Tourist Taxes

By Saniya Sakenova in Tourism on 29 August 2023

ASTANA – Kazakhstan introduced tourist fees at fixed rates ranging from 0.2 ($1.49) to 0.5 ($3.72) monthly calculation index (MCI), determined by local maslikhats (local representative bodies), following the order of the Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sports Askhat Oralov dated July 14, the ministry’s press service reported on Aug. 28.

Photo credit: forbes.kz.

As of Aug. 1, the maslikhats can adjust the tourist fee rates depending on the number of foreign tourists compared to the previous year. If there are fewer tourists, the rate may be reduced to the minimum sum. If tourist numbers increase, the fee can be raised within the established range of 0.2 MCI ($1.49), 0.3 MCI ($2.23), 0.4 MCI ($2.98) and 0.5 MCI ($3.72).

The tourist fee can change based on season, but only up to two times per year.

The fee is charged for each day of stay at the time of check-in at accommodation facilities, excluding hostels, guest houses, and rental housing in cities and districts. It is not included in the accommodation’s price. Also, a full-day fee is charged for partial days of stay.

According to Vice Minister of Culture and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev, the shift from a percentage-based fee to an MCI-based fee was considered following the meetings with entrepreneurs and hotel owners after the tourist fee introduction in early 2023.

“Such fees are a global practice that does not inconvenience tourists while contributing to budgets of akimats (local administrations),” he said.

Currently, the ministry is working on classifying categories of people exempted from paying the fee, but it may take longer, as any changes would require law amendments.

Since the beginning of 2023, local budgets have received about 314 million tenge ($677,972) from foreign tourists’ contributions.

Last year, around one million foreign tourists brought Kazakhstan 389 billion tenge ($841.9 million), a record result on taxes from tourism activities.

Get The Astana Times stories sent directly to you! Sign up via the website or subscribe to our Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , Telegram , YouTube and Tiktok !

On Approval of the Rules for the payment of tourist fee for foreigners

Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 5, 2021 No. 787. Abolished by the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated September 01, 2023 No. 752

• Information
• References Outgoing references Incoming references
• Download PDF DOCX Version of ECB
• Other In two languages Fullscreen mode Print

      Unofficial translation

      In accordance with subparagraph 10-4) of Article 10 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Tourism Activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan", the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan HEREBY RESOLVES:

      1. To approve the attached Rules for the payment of the tourist fee for foreigners.

      2. This resolution shall enter into force on January 1, 2022 and shall be subject to official publication.

Rules for the payment of tourist fee for foreigners

Chapter 1. general provisions.

      1. These Rules for the payment of tourist fee for foreigners (hereinafter-the Rules) have been developed in accordance with subparagraph 10-4) of Article 10 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Tourism Activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan" and shall determine the procedure for the payment of tourist fee for foreigners.

      2. The following basic concepts are used in these Rules:

      1) a local executive body - a collegial executive body headed by the akim of the region, city of republican significance and the capital, district (city of regional significance) carrying out local state administration and self-government in the relevant territory within its competence;

      2) a local representative body (hereinafter - maslikhat) - an elected body elected by the population of the region, city of republican significance and the capital or district (city of regional significance), expressing the will of the population and, in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, determining the measures necessary for its realization, and supervising their implementation;

      3) places of accommodation for tourists - hotels, motels, campsites, tourist camps, guest houses, rest houses, boarding houses and other buildings and structures used for accommodation of tourists and their service;

      4) an authorized body - the central executive body, carrying out the functions of state administration in the field of tourism activities;

      5) foreigners - persons who are not citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and have evidences of their belonging to the citizenship of another state;

      6) operators of tourist fee for foreigners (hereinafter-operators) - persons providing accommodation for tourists, with the exception of hostels, guest houses, rental housing in cities and regions;

      7) tourist fee for foreigners - a payment collected from tourists for every day of stay in places of accommodation for tourists, with the exception of hostels, guest houses, rental housing in cities and regions.

Chapter 2. Procedure for the payment of tourist fee for foreigners

      3. Tourist fee for foreigners shall be charged from tourists for each day of stay in places of accommodation for tourists, with the exception of hostels, guest houses, rental housing in cities and regions.

      The amount of the tourist fee for foreigners that is payable shall not be included in the price.

      4. Tourist fee rates for foreigners shall be developed by the local executive body on the basis of these Rules and submitted for approval to the relevant maslikhat.

      5. The following rates shall apply to the tourist fee for foreigners in places of accommodation for tourists:

      from January 1 to December 31, 2022 inclusive - 0 (zero) percent of the cost of stay;

      from January 1, 2023 - no more than 5 (five) percent of the cost of stay.

      6. The calculation of tourist fee rates for foreigners shall be carried out on the basis of current statistical data of the previous calendar year.

      7. In the event of a decrease in the number of foreign tourists in places of accommodation for tourists compared to the same period of the previous calendar year, the following tourist fee rates for foreigners shall be applied:

      up to five percent - in the amount of 5 (five) percent of the cost of stay;

      from five to ten percent - in the amount of 4 (four) percent of the cost of stay;

      from ten to fifteen percent - in the amount of 3 (three) percent of the cost of stay;

      from fifteen to twenty percent - in the amount of 2 (two) percent of the cost of stay;

      from twenty percent and above - in the amount of 1 (one) percent of the cost of stay.

      8. In the event of an increase in the number of foreign tourists in places of accommodation for tourists compared to the same period of the previous calendar year, the following tourist fee rates for foreigners shall be applied:

      up to five percent - in the amount of 1 (one) percent of the cost of stay;

      from five to ten percent - in the amount of 2 (two) percent of the cost of stay;

      from fifteen to twenty percent - in the amount of 4 (four) percent of the cost of stay;

      from twenty percent and above - in the amount of 5 (five) percent of the cost of stay.

      At the same time, during the year, tourist fee rates for foreigners shall be differentiated depending on current statistical data and (or) seasonality.

      9. For an incomplete day of stay of foreigners in places of accommodation for tourists, the tourist fee for foreigners shall be charged as for a full day of stay.

      10. Charging of the tourist fee for foreigners shall be carried out by operators at the time of registration of foreigners in places of accommodation of tourists upon presentation of documents proving their identity.

      At the same time, operators shall inform the foreigners about the tourist fee charged for foreigners for each day of stay before their registration at tourist accommodation places.

      11. When foreigners leave the places of accommodation for tourists, operators shall issue the documents confirming the fact of payment of the tourist fee for foreigners.

      12. In accordance with paragraph 5 of Article 11 of the Budget Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the tourist fee for foreigners is a non-tax revenue to the budgets of the city of republican significance, the capital and districts (city of regional significance).

      13. Operators shall keep records of the paid tourist fee for foreigners and on a quarterly basis, no later than the tenth day of the month following the reporting quarter shall transfer the amounts received from the tourist fee for foreigners to the local budget.

      14. The local executive body on a quarterly basis, no later than the twenty-fifth day of the first month of the next quarter shall send to the authorized body information on the payment of tourist fee for foreigners during the quarter, including foreigners registered through the information system "e-Hotel" ("e-Qonaq"), in the form according to Annex to these Rules.

      To whom: ________________________________

      (name of the authorized body)

      From ______________________________

      (name of local executive body)

Information about the payment of tourist fee for foreigners

      We are sending the following information about the payment of tourist fee for foreigners for the ___ quarter of 20___:

      Official

      of the local executive body __________ ________________________________

      (signature) (surname, first name, patronymic (if any)

      Place of seal

If you found any error on the page, please highlight a word or a phrase and then press «Ctrl+Enter» key combination

Database status

• Total documents: 404324
• In Kazakh: 201354
• In Russian: 200822
• In English: 2147
• Update date: 09/27/2024
• Documents as of: 09/24/2024

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan law information services

• Free call from landline phones 119 over Kazakhstan 58-00-58 for Astana, Almaty
• Legal Advice
• Screen Reader
• Email: [email protected]
• Telephone (for technical issues of the site): (7172) - 580058
• Working hours: 09:00 - 18:30 (Astana time)
• Off days: Saturday, Sunday

Recent documents

• On Audit Activity
• On Military Service and Status of Military Servants
• On State property
• On Education
• On Protection, Reproduction and Use of Animal World

New rules of payment of tourist fee for foreigners introduced in Kazakhstan

In 2023, the budgets of akimats from this type of duty were replenished by 300 million tenge

Since August 1, new rules for paying the tourist fee for foreigners have come into force in Kazakhstan. From now on, fixed rates from 0.2 (690 tenge) to 0.5 MCI (1725 tenge) are applied to the tourist fee, which are determined by local maslikhats. Since the beginning of 2023, the budgets of akimats have received about 314 million tenge due to tourist contributions, the press service of the Ministry of Culture and Sports reported.

The ministry explained that the amount of the contribution is determined on the basis of statistical data on the tourist flow for the same period last year.

"If there are fewer foreign tourists than a year earlier, the maslikhat may reduce the rate to the minimum. If the number of tourists has increased, the amount of the contribution can be increased within the established amounts: from 0.2 MCI to 0.5 MCI. It is allowed to change the size of the tourist fee rates depending on the seasonality, but not more than twice a year," the ministry said.

The tourist fee for foreigners is charged for every day of stay in accommodation places, except hostels, guest houses, rental housing in cities and districts. For a part-day stay, a fee from a foreign guest is charged as for a full day.

The tourist fee is paid at the time of registration at the accommodation places. It is not included in the price of accommodation.

"The tourist fee for foreigners has been charged in Kazakhstan since the beginning of this year. However, following meetings with entrepreneurs and representatives of the hotel business, it was decided to revise the amount of the tourist fee. Previously, it was calculated as a percentage of the cost of living, and not in MCI. Currently, the issue of determining the categories of persons who will be exempt from paying the tourist fee is being worked out. However, this requires amendments to the laws, so it may take a long time," said Vice Minister of Culture and Sports Yerzhan Yerkinbayev.

Kazakhstan's will be able to stay longer in Thailand without a visa

Kazakhstan became the best in Central Asia in the world tourism rankings

Agritourism will provide employment to more than 10 thousand rural residents