Road freight from Türkiye to Kazakhstan runs on three main routes: via Georgia and Azerbaijan with the Caspian ferry to the port of Aktau or Kuryk, by continuous road via Iran–Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan, or via Georgia–Russia. The cargo is usually carried under a TIR carnet; as Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, customs clearance follows the Union's rules.
Which route suits which destination?
Kazakhstan is a vast country; the right route depends on the destination city. Aktau in the west and Almaty in the south-east are thousands of kilometres apart.
| Route | Main crossings | Suitable region | Source of uncertainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Corridor (Caspian) | Sarp or Ardahan border gates – Georgia – Azerbaijan – port of Alat – ferry – Aktau/Kuryk | Western Kazakhstan: Aktau, Atyrau | Ferry departure frequency, weather conditions on the Caspian |
| Iran–Turkmenistan | Gürbulak – Iran – Sarakhs – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Kazakhstan | Southern Kazakhstan: Shymkent, Almaty | Queue system in Iran, Turkmen transit rules, three transit countries |
| Via Russia | Sarp – Georgia – Upper Lars – Russia – Kazakhstan | Northern and western Kazakhstan | Queues at Upper Lars, Russian transit permit |
How the Caspian crossing works is explained in the entry on the Caspian Sea ferry crossing, and the route extending to China in the entry on the Middle Corridor.
Which documents are required?
- Road transport permits: A separate permit is needed for the destination country and for each transit country. According to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (Ulaştırma ve Altyapı Bakanlığı), the multilateral ECMT permit cannot be used if the loading or unloading country is not on the system's list. On this route, bilateral and transit permits are therefore planned.
- TIR carnet: The countries on the route are parties to the TIR Convention. The carnet allows sealed transit without a new guarantee at each border. The number of vouchers is chosen to cover the customs offices along the way; details are in the entry on the TIR carnet.
- Cargo documents: Commercial invoice, packing list, CMR, certificate of origin and, depending on the product group, the Union's conformity document (EAC).
- Driver and vehicle: Visas depending on the transit countries, international insurance and vehicle documents.
What is different at Kazakh customs?
Kazakhstan is one of the five members of the Eurasian Economic Union. A common Customs Code and a common customs tariff apply at the Union's external border. Data on goods and vehicles arriving by road is sent as electronic preliminary information before the vehicle reaches the border; any discrepancy between the preliminary information and the documents means waiting. A T1 transit document opened in Türkiye is not valid at the Union border; the cargo moves on to the inland customs office under a TIR carnet or a Union transit declaration. The rules are described in detail in the entry on trade with the Eurasian Economic Union. For cargo arriving via Russia, the Russia–Kazakhstan border is an internal Union border; customs formalities begin at the first entry into the Union.
What determines the transit time?
Quoting a fixed delivery time on this route is not realistic. The time is determined by a combination of the following factors:
- the departure time of the Caspian ferry and postponements due to storms,
- the queue system at Gürbulak and in Iran and Turkmen transit formalities,
- queues and winter conditions at Upper Lars,
- permit quotas becoming tighter towards the end of the year,
- waiting at the border due to mismatches between preliminary information and documents.
The trip step by step
- The route is selected according to the destination city, and a fallback route is defined.
- Permits for the transit countries and the TIR carnet are prepared.
- The EAC conformity document is completed before loading.
- The export declaration is lodged, the carnet is opened at the customs office of departure and the vehicle is sealed.
- Electronic preliminary information for Kazakhstan is sent before the vehicle reaches the border.
- At the destination customs office, the import declaration is lodged by the consignee or its representative, and the carnet is closed.
How does Voltim Global support you?
Voltim Global is a forwarder holding a TIO authorisation certificate that plans road shipments from Russia to Akkuyu via Upper Lars–Georgia and via Iran; it organises transport to more than 80 countries through its road, sea and agent network. For Kazakhstan-bound requests, the route, documents and vehicle are planned individually for each job with contracted carriers; customs formalities are handled by contracted customs brokers. The scope is described on the international road transport and transit customs clearance pages.