France may ease visa rules for Kazakhstan citizens

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan is holding negotiations with France on simplifying the visa regime. This was announced by Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Bakayev during a Senate session.

What happened

On Thursday, January 22, members of the Senate approved an agreement between Kazakhstan and France on the readmission of illegal migrants. During the discussion, Senator Sergey Yershov asked whether the document could lead to a simplification of the visa regime.

What the Foreign Ministry said

Alibek Bakayev responded that the second round of negotiations on easing visa requirements with France will take place in February.

“Regarding the facilitation of the visa regime for citizens of Kazakhstan, the process has already begun. The second round of negotiations will be held next month. Our work with the European Union is divided into two tracks: one focuses on the readmission agreement, the other on visa facilitation,” Bakayev said.

Background

Readmission refers to a state’s agreement to accept back its own citizens or foreign nationals who are staying illegally in another country and are subject to return. Such procedures are regulated by bilateral agreements and differ from deportation or extradition. They include information exchange, coordination of timelines and border checkpoints, and the issuance of travel documents for return.

Earlier, Kazakhstan and the EU announced preparations for an agreement to ease visa rules. On December 5, 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with President of the European Council António Costa.