Kazakhstan
Travel Destination – Kazakhstan
From the endless steppes and shimmering desert landscapes to the soaring peaks of the Tian Shan Mountains, Kazakhstan offers travellers a stunning mix of natural beauty and cultural history. Cities feature modern architecture alongside traditional markets and museums, while rural regions showcase nomadic traditions, yurt stays, and vast, open landscapes. Whether trekking through mountain trails or experiencing steppe culture, travellers can enjoy a diverse and memorable adventure. Planning ahead helps ensure safety and comfort, given Kazakhstan’s large size, varying climates, and remote areas.
Health Risks
Pre-travel preparation
Before travelling to Kazakhstan, it’s recommended to schedule an appointment with a travel doctor. Your doctor can review your vaccination history, recommend destination-specific immunisations, and provide prescriptions for necessary medications. Advice will be tailored based on your itinerary, whether you are visiting major cities or exploring rural regions. Ideally, appointments should be booked six to eight weeks before departure to allow time for multi-dose vaccines, though last-minute consultations remain useful for accelerated schedules and essential travel health guidance.
Insect avoidance
While Kazakhstan is not tropical, mosquitoes may be active in summer, sand flies can carry Leishmaniasis, and ticks can transmit tick-borne encephalitis, especially in forested or mountainous regions.
Travellers should wear long sleeves, long trousers, and closed footwear when outdoors. Applying insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus to exposed skin provides additional protection. Consider using permethrin-treated clothing or camping gear and staying in accommodation with window screens where possible.
Food and water hygiene
Kazakh cuisine features hearty meat dishes, dairy products, and fresh breads. To reduce the risk of gastroenteritis and other gastrointestinal infections, drink bottled, boiled, or filtered water, and avoid untreated tap water or ice. Wash hands before meals, choose freshly cooked food served hot, and avoid raw, undercooked, or reheated meals. Eat fruits that can be peeled when possible, to reduce ingesting possible contaminants on the outer surface of the fruit. Street food is safest when cooked fresh to order and served hot.
Rabies prevention
Rabies is a virus carried by dogs, bats, and other mammals in Kazakhstan, particularly in rural areas. Travellers should avoid contact with animals. A travel doctor can advise on pre-exposure rabies vaccination, particularly if spending time in remote areas or working with animals. Any bite, scratch, or saliva exposure from an animal requires urgent medical assessment. Early post-exposure treatment is critical, as rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Our Travel Doctors
Our fully qualified doctors have an interest in travel medicine and immunisations. And they know travel. Their expert advice will be tailored for you, your travel companions and your trip.
Which shots do I need for Kazakhstan?
Hepatitis A
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The hepatitis A virus infects the liver and can be acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water. Symptoms vary in severity and can occasionally be severe and life-threatening. While the prevalence of Hepatitis A is low in Australia, the virus is more common in other parts of the world such as Kazakhstan. Travellers who haven’t previously received a two-dose course of Hepatitis A vaccination are recommended to be immunised prior to travel to Kazakhstan, particularly if visiting rural locations.
Typhoid
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Typhoid is a systemic bacterial infection caused by Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi. Typhoid can be contracted in Kazakhstan through ingestion of contaminated food or water. Symptoms include high fevers, fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal upset. A typhoid vaccine is available, providing three years of protection. This may be recommended by your doctor if you will be staying for a prolonged period or are at risk for other reasons. To reduce your risk of contracting typhoid, care with food and water choices is important.
Hepatitis B
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The hepatitis B virus infects the liver and can lead to chronic infection and long-term liver problems. Symptoms may include fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, and yellowing of the skin. The virus spreads through contact with infected blood or body fluids, including unprotected sexual contact, unsterile tattoos or piercings, unsterile medical procedures, or sharing items like razors.
While routine childhood vaccination protects many Australians, adults without prior immunisation remain at risk. Travellers to Kazakhstan who have not been vaccinated are advised to receive the Hepatitis B vaccine if they are staying for long periods or are at risk for other reasons. Your travel doctor can assess your vaccination history and recommend the best course of action.
Yellow fever
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Yellow fever vaccination is not generally recommended for travellers to Kazakhstan, as yellow fever risk is low.
However, travellers transiting through countries with high yellow fever risk may need to provide proof of vaccination to enter Kazakhstan. Consult with your travel doctor to discuss your complete itinerary and whether vaccination is recommended.
Routine vaccinations
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Thanks to Australia’s immunisation program, common infections such as measles, mumps, rubella, and tetanus are rare. In Kazakhstan, these vaccine-preventable diseases remain more widespread, particularly in rural areas. Before travelling, consult with a travel doctor to review your vaccination history and confirm whether boosters are needed. Travel health professionals can guide you on whether boosters or vaccinations are advised, including measles-mumps-rubella, tetanus, influenza, COVID-19, and pertussis.
Kazakhstan
Other health risks in Kazakhstan
Tick borne encephalitis
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Tick borne encephalitis is a viral infection that affects the brain and spinal cord. It can be transmitted through tick bites, making preventative tick avoiding measures essential. Tick borne encephalitis can cause flu like symptoms initially, but it can also affect the brain and nerves.
Vaccination is only recommended for those whose itinerary features planned outdoor adventures with potential exposure to ticks. Consult with your travel doctor whether this vaccination would be recommended for your specific itinerary.
Rabies
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Rabies is a virus carried by dogs, bats, and other mammals in Kazakhstan, particularly in rural areas. Travellers should avoid contact with animals. A travel doctor can advise on pre-exposure rabies vaccination, particularly if spending time in remote areas. Any bite, scratch, or saliva exposure from an animal requires urgent medical assessment. Early post-exposure treatment is critical, as rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
Gastroenteritis
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Gastroenteritis, often called travellers’ diarrhoea, can occur when people consume food or water contaminated with bacteria. Symptoms can arise within 24 to 72 hours, including diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Maintaining hydration is the primary treatment, with oral rehydration salts recommended to replenish fluids and electrolytes.
Most people's symptoms resolve on their own in a few days. Seek medical attention if your symptoms are prolonged or atypical, or if you are losing fluids faster than they can be replaced. Antibiotics are reserved for severe or prolonged illness, and for people at risk of complications. Careful handwashing and avoiding uncooked or unpasteurised food help prevent infection.
Non-infectious conditions
Altitude sickness
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Altitude sickness is an important consideration for travellers visiting Kazakhstan’s high-altitude regions, such as the Tian Shan Mountains, including peaks like Khan Tengri (7,010 metres) or trekking routes above 3,000 metres. Hikers and climbers ascending too quickly without proper acclimatisation may develop acute mountain sickness (AMS), which is common above 3,000 metres.
Symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath on exertion, and loss of appetite. Mild symptoms often improve within 12 to 48 hours if travellers pause their ascent, but AMS can progress to serious, potentially life-threatening conditions: high altitude cerebral oedema (HACE), affecting the brain and causing confusion, difficulty walking, and behavioural changes; and high altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), affecting the lungs and causing breathlessness at rest, persistent cough, chest tightness, and respiratory distress. Severe illness is more likely above 4,300 metres and requires immediate descent and urgent medical care.
To reduce the risk, choose trekking itineraries that allow gradual ascent, stay well hydrated, and pace physical activity. Travel health professionals can advise on preventive medications and may recommend carrying treatment for high-altitude trekking. Always travel with experienced guides who can recognise early warning signs and manage altitude illness. Learn the early symptoms, avoid sleeping at higher elevations if unwell, and descend promptly if symptoms worsen.
Deep vein thrombosis
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Travel in Kazakhstan often involves long flights or extended overland journeys, which can slow blood flow and increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is a condition whereby blood in deep veins form a clot, which can have complications.
Preventive steps include walking during stops, stretching legs, and drinking water regularly. Those with higher risk may be advised to use below-knee compression stockings. If you suspect a DVT, seek medical attention. It is usually treated with blood-thinning medications.
Safety on the roads and elsewhere
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Whether you’re navigating the rugged roads of the Almaty region or chasing the sunrise over the Charyn Canyon, staying safe in Kazakhstan requires location specific knowledge and planning. Road conditions can vary widely, and traffic accidents are a common cause of injury. Always choose reputable transport providers, wear seatbelts when available, and avoid driving at night when possible. Motorbike travel should be reserved for experienced riders wearing helmets and proper protective gear.
When trekking in the Tian Shan or Altai Mountains, exploring national parks like Altyn-Emel, or visiting remote rural areas, follow local safety advice, hire qualified guides, wear sturdy footwear, use sunscreen, and apply insect repellent where needed. Stay within your physical limits, especially at higher altitudes. Comprehensive travel insurance covering medical care and emergency evacuation is strongly recommended to ensure peace of mind on your Kazakh adventure.
Consult the Australian government's Smartraveller website for up to date safety advice.