Exchanging a driving licence in Kazakhstan: a guide for foreigners
Without a residence permit you can drive on your own licence, but once you have one, only for 60 days. After that the licence is exchanged at a specialised service centre, with a theory test and a medical certificate.
| In short | |
|---|---|
| Without a residence permit | you may drive on your own licence |
| After a residence permit | 60 days, then an exchange |
| Test on exchange | theory |
| Documents | a medical certificate and a notarised translation |
| Issue fee | ~$15 |
| Where | specialised public service centres |
The short answer: foreigners staying in Kazakhstan temporarily drive on their national or international licences. But once you get a residence permit, a foreign licence stops being valid after 60 days. Within that time the licence is exchanged for a Kazakh one at a specialised public service centre: with a theory test, a medical certificate and a notarised translation of the licence into the state language. The issue fee is about $15.
The short deadline is the main trap: 60 days after the residence permit pass quickly, and booking the test and the medical takes time. It is worth starting right after you receive the card.
How long you can drive on a foreign licence in Kazakhstan
Under the road traffic law, foreigners staying in Kazakhstan temporarily use their Vienna Convention model national licences or international permits with no time limit while the licence is valid. The exception is those who have obtained a residence permit: for them foreign and international licences become invalid 60 days after the date of the residence permit.
After that, driving on a foreign licence counts as driving without a licence.
Who exchanges a licence without a test
Foreigners with a residence permit exchange their licence for a Kazakh one by passing a theory test, without a driving test. Valid licences from Vienna Convention countries are exchanged. Expired licences and replacements for lost ones are not exchanged for Kazakh licences.
Licences from non-EU countries, including Russia
Russia is a party to the Vienna Convention, so Russian licences, like those of other convention countries, are exchanged under the general rules: with a theory test, a medical certificate and a notarised translation into Kazakh. Before the residence permit you can drive on a Russian licence with no time limit, and after it for 60 days.
Documents for exchanging a licence
- a passport and residence permit;
- the foreign licence, valid on the day you apply;
- a translation of the licence into the state language certified by a notary;
- a driver's medical certificate on the official form from a public or private clinic;
- a receipt for the fee.
How the exchange works: steps
- Have the licence translated into Kazakh by a notary.
- Pass the driver's medical: the certificate is sent electronically.
- Pay the fee and book a specialised public service centre.
- Take the computer-based theory test on the traffic rules.
- Receive the Kazakh licence. The foreign licence is handed in.
How much exchanging a licence costs in Kazakhstan
The fee for issuing a driving licence in 2026 is about $15 at the National Bank of Kazakhstan rate of 7 October 2026. The medical certificate and notarised translation are paid separately. If the theory test is failed at the first attempt, it is retaken after the set interval, while the 60 days keep running.
The fee is about $15, but everything else must fit into 60 days after the residence permit
The law does not stop you exchanging a licence in Kazakhstan on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fee: missing the 60 days after the residence permit, a translation without notarisation, a medical certificate not on the official form and a failed theory test whose retake eats up the remaining time. Murblz specialists count the period from the residence permit date, order the notarised translation, book the medical and the test and prepare you for the theory. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.
The cost of support depends on the categories and the city; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
If your licence has expired
Expired foreign licences are not exchanged in Kazakhstan. Renew the licence in the issuing country first; if that is impossible, a Kazakh licence is obtained from scratch: driving school, theory and a driving test at the specialised centre.
This topic in other countries
Deadlines, tests and documents for exchanging a licence differ in every country, so it is best to plan the exchange before the move, together with the residence permit: that way you will not spend months on taxis or risk a fine and your insurance.
Exchanging a licence in other countries: Georgia, Latvia, Serbia, Turkey, UAE, Portugal, Cyprus, Paraguay, USA, Italy.
Kazakhstan residence permit
What a residence permit requires and gives.
Learn more →Almaty
Districts, prices and life in the largest city.
Learn more →Kazakhstan: all programmes
Living, taxes and documents for a move.
Learn more →We will help you exchange your licence without extra visits. Tell us where your licence was issued and when you got your residence permit. We will count the deadline and prepare the documents.
FAQ
Can you drive in Kazakhstan on a foreign licence?
Do you have to exchange a foreign licence in Kazakhstan?
Is a test needed to exchange a licence in Kazakhstan?
How much does exchanging a licence cost in Kazakhstan?
Where do you exchange a licence in Kazakhstan?
Can an expired licence be exchanged in Kazakhstan?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
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