Flag of KazakhstanKazakhstan

Money & currency

Money in Kazakhstan

Updated 2026-10-09

Money & Currency
лв

Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)

Currency code: KZT

Practical Money Tips

The tenge, changed in the city

Kazakhstan's currency is the tenge (KZT, ₸). Dollars and euros in clean, undamaged notes change easily at the exchange offices of Almaty and Astana, which usually give a better rate than the airport counters, though older series of dollar notes are sometimes refused. Street money-changers are best avoided.

Cash machines in the cities

Cash machines are plentiful in Almaty and Astana and found in the regional cities, and they take Visa and Mastercard. In small towns and the national parks, Charyn Canyon among them, they are rare or absent, so cash is drawn in the city before leaving. Banks at home may flag withdrawals in Kazakhstan, so it helps to tell them before travelling.

Cards, QR codes and cash

Visa and Mastercard are accepted in hotels, larger restaurants and shopping centres in the cities, and contactless payment works at modern terminals. Most locals pay with the QR codes of the Kaspi app, seen on every counter, which needs a Kazakh account. Bazaars, taxis hailed in the street and rural guesthouses take cash, so tenge are carried for daily spending.

Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.

Common Money Questions

Should I bring US dollars or euros to Kazakhstan?

Either changes easily, and the dollar is the currency every exchange office quotes. Pounds and rubles are changed too, other currencies rarely. City-centre exchange offices usually give a better rate than the airport.

Is it safe to use cash machines in Kazakhstan?

Yes, with the usual care: machines inside banks, shopping centres and hotel lobbies are a safer choice than freestanding ones on the street, where skimming, though rare, is possible.

What is Kaspi and do I need it as a tourist?

Kaspi is the bank app through which most people in Kazakhstan pay, transfer money and shop, and its QR codes are everywhere. Opening an account needs a Kazakh phone number and documents, so visitors do without it: an international card and tenge in cash cover everything a trip needs.

Can I pay with Russian rubles in Kazakhstan?

No. Exchange offices change rubles, routinely near the Russian border and at some offices in Almaty and Astana, but shops and restaurants take only tenge.

Are there cash machines in the Altai or other remote areas?

Ust-Kamenogorsk, the regional city of the east, has them, but the Altai and Tarbagatai ranges beyond it have none. Guides, guesthouses and gear hire there are paid in cash, drawn in the city before leaving.

Is tipping expected in Kazakhstan?

Tipping is not traditional, but a small tip is appreciated in restaurants that see many visitors.

Does the tenge's exchange rate change a lot?

It can: the tenge has moved sharply at times with oil prices and the region's economy, so the rate is best checked shortly before travel rather than taken from older figures.

Entry rules, visa types and practical notes live on the Kazakhstan overview.

This overview comes from Visaja's worldwide missions database (visaja.com), checked against official government sources; for binding answers, the mission itself always has the final word.