Kazakhstan Economy and Currency
ECONOMY
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Economy
Federation of German Industries, Eastern Committee of German Business,
Breite Strasse 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52, 20 28 15 51.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de
Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Organization, Eastern European Department
Stubenring 8- 10, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 51 45 00.
Internet: www.wko.at
United Economic
Chambers Sonnenbergstrasse 48, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 268 43 00.
Internet: www.jointchambers.ch
Industrie- und Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazybek 50, 480091 Almaty
Tel: (03272) 62 14 46.
Internet:www.ccikaz.kz
Business contacts
Federation of German Industries, Eastern Committee of German Business,
Breite Strasse 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52, 20 28 15 51.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de
Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Organization, Eastern European Department
Stubenring 8- 10, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 51 45 00.
Internet: www.wko.at
United Economic
Chambers Sonnenbergstrasse 48, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 268 43 00.
Internet: www.jointchambers.ch
Industrie- und Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazybek 50, 480091 Almaty
Tel: (03272) 62 14 46.
Internet:www.ccikaz.kz
MONEY
Currency
1 tenge = 100 Tiyn (no meaning in practice). Currency abbreviation: T, KZT (ISO code). There are banknotes in circulation in denominations of 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000, 500 and 200 tenge. Coins are available in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 tenge. However, coins are de facto not in circulation.
Credit cards
American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Diners Club are only accepted in the larger hotels and in some restaurants, banks and shops. There are ATMs in all major cities, they mostly accept Visa.
ATMs
ec / Maestro card / Sparcard
cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted throughout Europe and worldwide. Signs at the ATMs indicate which cards are accepted. Further information from banks and credit institutes.
Attention: Travelers who pay with their bank card abroad and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.
Bank opening times
Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. / 6 p.m.
Foreign exchange regulations
The import of local and foreign currencies (declaration obligation from the equivalent of US $ 3,000) is unlimited. Proof of origin is required for an equivalent value of US $ 10,000 or more. The export of the local currency and foreign currencies is limited to the amount declared on entry, minus the exchange amounts (declaration and exchange documents required).
Currency Exchange
US dollars and euros (newer bills in small notes) can easily be exchanged anywhere. The exchange of money should only take place in official exchange offices. Money can also be exchanged in banks, but the exchange rate there is usually less favorable than in exchange offices. Exchange of tenge for hard currency is difficult. All transactions must be entered on the foreign exchange form issued upon arrival in Kazakhstan, a country located in Asia according to areacodesexplorer. It is advisable to keep all receipts. It is best to take cash with you in US dollars or euros and exchange it if necessary. However, payment in foreign currency is generally preferred. It is advisable to carry banknotes that are as small as possible.
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 007. Calls are cheapest between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Public card phones are available in all cities. For long-distance and international calls you dial 810 before the area code or country code. Telephone cards are available at branches of Kasakhtelekom, some kiosks, post offices and hotels, where the cards are the most expensive. International long distance calls can also be made from telephone offices, which are normally attached to the post offices.
Phone
The country code is 007. Calls are cheapest between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Public card phones are available in all cities. For long-distance and international calls you dial 810 before the area code or country code. Telephone cards are available at branches of Kasakhtelekom, some kiosks, post offices and hotels, where the cards are the most expensive. International long distance calls can also be made from telephone offices, which are normally attached to the post offices.
Cellphone
GSM 900. One of the cell phone companies is JSC Kazakhtelecom (Internet: www.kcell.kz). The reception / transmission area covers almost the whole country except for more remote areas. Roaming contracts exist with Germany, Austria and Switzerland, among others. The chips from Kazakhstan’s national providers fit into European cell phones.
Internet
The main provider is, among others, Astel (Internet: www.astel.kz). There are internet cafes in most of the major cities. Larger hotels also offer access to the Internet. There is also free WiFi reception at train stations and airports in the country’s largest cities.
Post Office
There is a comprehensive postal service in all the main city post offices. The main post office in Almaty is located on Ulitsa Kurmangazy. There are also post offices in the larger hotels. Letters to Western Europe take one to two weeks to travel. Postal addresses should be written on the envelope in the following order: country, zip code, city, street, house number, addressee’s name. The post offices are open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., post offices in smaller towns are only open on weekdays.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
