Kazakhstan readies special flights: what citizens in Qatar need to know

Tengrinews.kz – The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Qatar has issued an appeal to Kazakhstanis who cannot return home due to the escalation in the region and temporary restrictions on air travel. The diplomatic mission announced that the state is launching an evacuation mechanism and is currently working on arranging special flights via the capital of Saudi Arabia.

How citizens are planned to be brought back

According to the embassy, the evacuation aircraft will be sent to Riyadh. Kazakhstanis currently in Doha are expected to be transported there by bus.

The journey is preliminarily estimated to take up to ten hours. Travel time may increase due to crossing the border and waiting at checkpoints.

In this regard, citizens are asked to prepare for the trip in advance.

“Given the duration of the journey, we ask you, if possible, to have a sufficient supply of drinking water and light food for the trip, as well as any necessary personal medications,” the embassy noted.

Departure priority

The embassy outlined the priorities for forming groups:

• first — those who were unable to depart on 28 February due to the closure of airspace;
• next — citizens currently on a cruise liner;
• then — citizens whose departures were scheduled for 2–3 March;
• after that — those whose departures were scheduled for 4–5 March.

What Kazakhstanis need to know

To enter Saudi Arabia, the embassy stressed, a visa obtained in advance is required. It can be obtained independently via the Visit Saudi website or through travel agencies in Kazakhstan.

The process will be carried out in stages.

“At this stage, only citizens who were supposed to depart on 28 February need to apply for a visa,” the diplomatic mission clarified.

The start of accepting applications for subsequent groups will be announced additionally.

“As evacuation flights become ready and new groups are formed, the embassy will additionally notify the relevant categories of citizens about the start of visa processing,” the embassy added.

What needs to be prepared

The embassy also published recommendations for those who will be leaving:

• have a valid passport and a printed visa with you;
• prepare cash and a bank card;
• fully charge mobile phones and, if possible, take an external battery (power bank);
• inform relatives in advance about the planned route;
• arrive at the assembly point in advance.

The exact departure time, assembly point, and procedure for forming the lists will be announced separately.

The appeal also emphasized that staff are working under heavy workload and cannot respond promptly to every message.

“We ask all citizens to remain calm, strictly follow the instructions of the responsible authorities and, given the workload of embassy staff, to understand that under the current conditions it is physically impossible to respond to every request individually,” the statement says.

The embassy assured that as flights are prepared, citizens will be promptly informed about further steps.