Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis (lower house of parliament) has given its final approval to an agreement with Austria that sets out detailed readmission and transit procedures for people found to be staying illegally in either country. Signed in Astana on 28 February 2025, the accord finally enters into force after the 25 February 2026 ratification vote in Nur-Sultan.(en.tengrinews.kz)
The treaty obliges both sides to accept back their own nationals as well as third-country citizens and stateless persons who have transited their territory and no longer fulfil entry or residence conditions. Clear deadlines apply: the requested state must reply to a readmission application within 14 calendar days, and accepted persons must be transferred within three months unless force-majeure circumstances apply. Each country designates a single competent authority—Austria’s Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs—to streamline case handling.(en.tengrinews.kz)
![Kazakhstan Ratifies Readmission Agreement with Austria, Paving Way for Faster Returns of Irregular Migrants]()
For travelers who want to avoid any compliance pitfalls in the first place, specialized services such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The platform’s Austria page (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) provides up-to-date visa requirements, digital application tools, and personalized support—helping individuals and HR teams secure the correct documents before departure and thereby reducing the likelihood that readmission procedures will ever be triggered.
For corporate mobility managers the agreement matters because it reduces legal uncertainty when staff lose immigration status. Austrian companies operating in Central Asia, and Kazakh investors in Austria, now know exactly which agency will handle overstays and how long the process will take. Crucially, the text contains a transit chapter, allowing swift airside transfers through Vienna or Almaty airports—important for escorted returns that involve multiple carrier changes.
Politically, Vienna gains leverage in EU debates on “safe-third-country” cooperation, showing that even land-locked partners can conclude robust return deals. For Kazakhstan, the pact demonstrates compliance with European standards—useful as it seeks Schengen visa facilitation. Both governments will need to issue implementing regulations on escort procedures, data exchange and cost-sharing, expected within 90 days of entry into force. HR departments should monitor those secondary rules for any employer notification obligations.
The treaty obliges both sides to accept back their own nationals as well as third-country citizens and stateless persons who have transited their territory and no longer fulfil entry or residence conditions. Clear deadlines apply: the requested state must reply to a readmission application within 14 calendar days, and accepted persons must be transferred within three months unless force-majeure circumstances apply. Each country designates a single competent authority—Austria’s Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum and Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs—to streamline case handling.(en.tengrinews.kz)
For travelers who want to avoid any compliance pitfalls in the first place, specialized services such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The platform’s Austria page (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) provides up-to-date visa requirements, digital application tools, and personalized support—helping individuals and HR teams secure the correct documents before departure and thereby reducing the likelihood that readmission procedures will ever be triggered.
For corporate mobility managers the agreement matters because it reduces legal uncertainty when staff lose immigration status. Austrian companies operating in Central Asia, and Kazakh investors in Austria, now know exactly which agency will handle overstays and how long the process will take. Crucially, the text contains a transit chapter, allowing swift airside transfers through Vienna or Almaty airports—important for escorted returns that involve multiple carrier changes.
Politically, Vienna gains leverage in EU debates on “safe-third-country” cooperation, showing that even land-locked partners can conclude robust return deals. For Kazakhstan, the pact demonstrates compliance with European standards—useful as it seeks Schengen visa facilitation. Both governments will need to issue implementing regulations on escort procedures, data exchange and cost-sharing, expected within 90 days of entry into force. HR departments should monitor those secondary rules for any employer notification obligations.
