Russia Lifts 90-Day Stay Limit for Kazakhstani Freight Drivers After Bilateral Talks

Drivers from Kazakhstan involved in international freight transport will no longer be subject to Russia’s “90-day stay per year” immigration rule, Orda.kz reports.

Majilis Deputy Bolatbek Aliyev announced on Facebook that, after several days of negotiations between the governments of Kazakhstan and Russia, it was agreed that the restriction would not apply to professional transport workers.

The decision will prevent mass fines and deportations while safeguarding employment in the logistics sector.

Aliyev stressed that these are highly qualified specialists who understand international law, logistics, and transportation systems, and who often speak multiple languages.

These aren’t just drivers — they’re top-tier professionals. If we ‘destroy’ them as an industry, we’ll lose an entire professional class that other drivers look up to. We must protect and support these people, because not only the delivery of goods depends on them, but also price stability, regional supplies, and the jobs of thousands of families,
he said.

According to Aliyev, exempting Kazakhstani carriers from the Russian rule is a temporary but crucial step toward ensuring that such measures are coordinated within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), rather than imposed unilaterally.

Earlier, MP Bolatbek Nazhmetdinuly warned that Kazakhstani carriers risked losing access to routes through Russia and Belarus after many drivers were added to Russia’s “Register of Controlled Persons” under the 90-day limit.

He cautioned that the measure threatened tens of thousands of jobs, could raise transport costs, and risked pushing Kazakhstani companies out of the market.

Original Auhtor: Ruslan Loginov