Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament (the Mazhilis) voted on 25 February 2026 to ratify a bilateral Readmission and Transit Agreement with Austria, removing the final domestic hurdle before the pact can enter into force.
Signed in Astana almost exactly a year ago, the treaty sets legally binding deadlines and documentary requirements for identifying, accepting and – where necessary – transiting third-country nationals who are found to be staying illegally in either country. For corporate mobility managers the most significant feature is a 12-day deadline for the requested state to reply to a readmission application, plus a 30-day deadline to physically take charge of the person once a request is accepted. These timeframes bring the accord into line with EU best practice and give both governments a predictable framework that was previously lacking.
Although Kazakh citizens account for only a small share of Austria’s undocumented migrant population (fewer than 300 apprehensions in 2025, according to BMI data), Austrian authorities say the agreement closes a notable gap on the eastern migration route and should speed up returns from Vienna Airport. Kazakhstan, for its part, gains leverage to demand quicker readmission of its own nationals intercepted while transiting Austria en route to the EU.
![Kazakhstan Ratifies Readmission Treaty with Austria, Streamlining the Return of Irregular Migrants]()
Companies that need hands-on help navigating the current and future visa landscape between Austria and Kazakhstan can streamline the process through VisaHQ; the service’s portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) offers real-time guidance, document review and application submission for Austrian visas as well as travel paperwork for dozens of other jurisdictions.
Readmission treaties have multiplied across Europe since the migration crisis of 2015, but Austria still has no such arrangement with several Central Asian states. Mobility advisers therefore see the deal as a template that could be copied with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – all countries whose citizens increasingly arrive in Austria on short-stay visas before overstaying to work in construction or logistics.
In practical terms, employers sending staff to either country should experience clearer procedures if an assignment goes wrong – for example, if an assignee overstays or loses the right to remain after dismissal. HR teams are advised to review their compliance check-lists, ensure employees understand local registration rules and be prepared for quicker enforcement action once the treaty takes effect, most likely in mid-2026 after Austria deposits its own instrument of ratification.
Signed in Astana almost exactly a year ago, the treaty sets legally binding deadlines and documentary requirements for identifying, accepting and – where necessary – transiting third-country nationals who are found to be staying illegally in either country. For corporate mobility managers the most significant feature is a 12-day deadline for the requested state to reply to a readmission application, plus a 30-day deadline to physically take charge of the person once a request is accepted. These timeframes bring the accord into line with EU best practice and give both governments a predictable framework that was previously lacking.
Although Kazakh citizens account for only a small share of Austria’s undocumented migrant population (fewer than 300 apprehensions in 2025, according to BMI data), Austrian authorities say the agreement closes a notable gap on the eastern migration route and should speed up returns from Vienna Airport. Kazakhstan, for its part, gains leverage to demand quicker readmission of its own nationals intercepted while transiting Austria en route to the EU.
Companies that need hands-on help navigating the current and future visa landscape between Austria and Kazakhstan can streamline the process through VisaHQ; the service’s portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) offers real-time guidance, document review and application submission for Austrian visas as well as travel paperwork for dozens of other jurisdictions.
Readmission treaties have multiplied across Europe since the migration crisis of 2015, but Austria still has no such arrangement with several Central Asian states. Mobility advisers therefore see the deal as a template that could be copied with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – all countries whose citizens increasingly arrive in Austria on short-stay visas before overstaying to work in construction or logistics.
In practical terms, employers sending staff to either country should experience clearer procedures if an assignment goes wrong – for example, if an assignee overstays or loses the right to remain after dismissal. HR teams are advised to review their compliance check-lists, ensure employees understand local registration rules and be prepared for quicker enforcement action once the treaty takes effect, most likely in mid-2026 after Austria deposits its own instrument of ratification.
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