How to Apply for Central Asia Tourist Visa as Philippine Passport Holder

an adventure of Pinoy backpacker in processing travel documents

general info:
* Central Asia 5 "Stan Countries" are the most challenging to visit due to visa requirement and flight availability
* Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan still requires the Letter of Invitation (LOI)
* Kazakhstan (most beautiful among 5 "Stan Countries") requires Tourist Registration if stay is 5 days or longer.
* Uzbekistan has the cheapest visa fee and has the quickest way to apply

* Kyrgyzstan - visa upon arrival (30/90 days single entry for $50/$100), No LOI required

* Tajikistan - eligible to apply for E-Visa (45 days single entry for $50), No LOI required
* Uzbekistan - eligible to apply for E-Visa (30 days single entry for $20), No LOI required

* Kazakhstan - As of Sept. 2019, visa upon arrival (30 days single entry), No LOI required
* Turkmenistan - applied for Transit Visa only (3 days single entry for $10), No LOI required

Central Asia Countries completed as Philippine Passport Holder (souvenir fridge magnets)

Astana (Nursultan) Self-Guided City Walk Tour

6 Days Solo Trip in Summer Turkmenistan - Kazakhstan
July 05 to 10, 2019 Friday to Wednesday

Almaty Self-Guided Tour; Walking the Streets

If you walk through the capital of Astana, you will feel as though you are in the future, because of all of its futuristic architecture.

Day 5: July 09, 2019 Tuesday

0840H ETA Astana-nurly-zhol; bus #14 to city center 180; McDo meal 2,100

Makenty House Hostel 1,800; Astana city day tour 1st part

bus #10 to The Sphere 180; The Sphere, Arch of Triumph; KFC meal 1,500

Nur Astana Mosque, Lovers Park, Khan Shatyr,; Baiterek Tower, Presidential Palace, 

Palace of Peace, Monument Kazakh Eli; bus #50 to Presidential Palace 180; KFC dinner meal 2,000

2300H ETA Hostel (2145H sunset)

Subtotal: 7,760 KZT

Day 6: July 10, 2019 Wednesday

0800H ETD Hostel; Costa Coffee breskfast 2,050

Astana city day tour last part; Baiterek Tower viewing deck + souvenir 2,200; bus #50 to National Museum 180

1030H ETA National Museum 1,200

1200H ETD National Museum; bus $32 to AsiaPark Mall 180

Souvenir Fridge Magnets 3,000; AsiaPark Lunch 1,360; walk back to hostel

1500H ETD Hostel; bus #10 to Airport 180

1530H ETA Nur Sultan Airport; Frapuccino + Duty Free Chocolate 3,330

1805H ETD Nur Sultan GMT +0600H; flight EY295

2105H ETA Abu Dhabi

Subtotal: 13,680 KZT

Astana (Nursultan) Self-Guided City Walk Tour

Almaty Self-Guided Tour; Walking the Streets

6 Days Solo Trip in Summer Turkmenistan - Kazakhstan
July 05 to 10, 2019 Friday to Wednesday

Almaty City Tour 1st part; Self-guided Hike to Big Almaty Lake

Day 3: July 07, 2019 Sunday

0900H Almaty city day tour 1st part

Yandex Taxi + vehicle entrance 4,400; Big Almaty Lake (free admission)

1230H ETD Lake; trekked back and hitchhike to 1st President's Park

Alpine Rose sandwich meal (free wifi) 2,850

Bus #127 to Abay 300 (boarded random buses); Starbucks Tumbler 3,950

1730H Kok Tobe Park; cable car roundtrip 2,000

Souvenir shirt and fridge magnets 5,200; dinner + beer 4,000

Subtotal: 22,700 KZT

Day 4: July 08, 2019 Monday

Breakfast 1,050; 1100H ETD Hostel; money exchange $80 = 30,760 KZT

Almaty city day tour last part; Panfilov Park, Zenkov's Cathedral

Mcdo mix box meal 2,300; Arasan Wellness & Spa 15,600

Sultan Restaurant 2,500; snacks for train 650; Overnight Train to Nur Sultan

1852H ETD Alma-ata 2 station

Subtotal: 22,150 KZT

Almaty Self-Guided Tour; Walking the Streets

Almaty City Tour 1st part; Self-guided Hike to Big Almaty Lake

6 Days Solo Trip in Summer Turkmenistan - Kazakhstan
July 05 to 10, 2019 Friday to Wednesday

Self-guided Solo Trip in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

Day 2: July 06, 2019 Saturday

0230H ETA Ashgabat Airport

0420H ETD Ashgabat GMT +0500H; flight FZ732

0600H ETA Dubai GMT +0400H; 6hrs transit; bus to Dubai Youth Hostel; McDo 14 AED; stayed in the lobby for free

1335H ETD Dubai GMT +0400H

2050H ETA Almaty GMT +0600H; money exchange $200 = 76,000 KZT; Yandex Taxi (Uber) 1,000 KZT

2215H ETA Almaty Train Station 2; ticket to Nur Sultan 27,250 KZT; walk to Raiymbek batyr metro station 80

2315H ETA Abay metro station; walk to hostel; My Hostel Almaty 7,400; dinner 4,000

Subtotal: 39,730 KZT

Day 3: July 07, 2019 Sunday

0900H Almaty city day tour 1st part

Yandex Taxi + vehicle entrance 4,400; Big Almaty Lake (free admission)

1230H ETD Lake; trekked back and hitchhike to 1st President's Park

Alpine Rose sandwich meal (free wifi) 2,850

Bus #127 to Abay 300 (boarded random buses); Starbucks Tumbler 3,950

1730H Kok Tobe Park; cable car roundtrip 2,000

Souvenir shirt and fridge magnets 5,200; dinner + beer 4,000

Subtotal: 22,700 KZT

Almaty City Tour 1st part; Self-guided Hike to Big Almaty Lake

How to Apply for Kazakhstan B12 Tourist Visa as Philippine Passport Holder

an adventure of Pinoy backpacker in processing travel documents

general info:

* as of Sept. 2019, Philippine passport holders are now eligible for visa on arrival with visa fee free of charge

* single entry with 30 days maximum duration.

* Tourist Registration is needed if will stay 5 days or longer.

APPLYING FOR KAZAKHSTAN B12 TOURIST E-VISA 

1. To acquire electronic visa you must have Letter of Invitation (LOI) with invitation code from Kazakhstan side. I took mine on this website that costs $110, the cheapest I can searched online and the only agency that offers LOI for self-guided DIY tour.

2. After some e-mail discussions and payment per item #2, I received my LOI after 7 working days.

3. Sign up for the e-visa site, select and fill in the e-petition.

4. Enter the Letter of Invitation Registration Number, and other details. Wait for the server as it will take time searching your LOI Registration Number.

5. Once the website found your LOI, it will show the details you have and will ask you to pay $60.

6. After some minutes, your e-visa status is approved. You can now readily download your e-visa.

Kazakhstan Approved E-Visa 2019 

6 Days Solo Trip in Summer Turkmenistan - Kazakhstan

completing the 5 countries of Central Asia (Ashgabat, Almaty, Astana)

July 05 to 10, 2019 Friday to Wednesday

My 77th solo backpacking trip, 38th and 39th country to visit in Asian continent, 99th and 100th country visited on my journey #lakbay100, 5th continent on my list and of course and usual budget do-it-yourself itinerary from arrival to departure. I did not research that much for this country due also on limited time and laziness.

2019 Annual Leave 2nd set 1st leg; #lakbay100 level-up... towards #lakbay110
one of the hardest and expensive visa application I ever had, another new e-visa eligibility privilege for Philippine passport holders :) on my way to the largest landlocked country in the world :) #kazakhstan

Turkmenistan is a very unusual regime. The government is in firm control of nearly everything. Officially tourism is welcomed, but the requirement for expensive guided tours may discourage visitors. The presence of police and military personnel which will watch your every move and prohibit photographing of even mundane objects, make Turkmenistan the least friendly of the Stans. Kazakhstan is the world's ninth biggest country by size, also the largest landlocked country and it is more than twice the size of the other Central Asian states combined.

6 Days Solo Trip in Summer Turkmenistan - Kazakhstan (Nursultan / Astana)