Is Astana Safe in March 2026?

Touts approach tourists near Bayterek Tower and Nurzhol Boulevard offering unofficial currency exchange at rates significantly above the official bank rate. The money is often counted quickly and folded in a way that conceals short-changed bills or includes counterfeit tenge notes mixed in the middle of the stack. Victims typically only discover the shortage after the tout has disappeared into the crowds.

How to avoid: Use only licensed exchange offices (Обмен валют) inside malls like Khan Shatyr or established bank branches on Nurzhol Boulevard. Never exchange money on the street regardless of the rate offered.

Unofficial taxi drivers at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport target arriving passengers with fares three to five times the going rate for the 17km ride into the city center. Drivers cluster near the arrivals exit and claim that app-based rideshares do not operate from the airport or that there is a mandatory airport tariff. Some accept an agreed fare but then demand additional payment for luggage or claim a toll road was used.

How to avoid: Use the Yandex Go app which operates reliably from Astana airport—request the ride before exiting arrivals and meet the driver at the designated app pickup point. Alternatively, the official airport bus connects to the city center at a fraction of taxi cost. Expect to pay no more than 2,000–3,000 tenge for a legitimate taxi to the center.

Exchange kiosks inside hotels and at the airport in Astana charge rates significantly below the interbank rate, sometimes 8–12% worse than bank branch rates. Some kiosks display attractive rates on their boards but apply a different rate at the point of transaction, citing "processing fees" or "non-cash conversion charges" that appear only when the transaction is calculated.

How to avoid: Use Halyk Bank, Kaspi Bank, or Freedom Bank branch ATMs and exchanges for currency transactions, all of which have branches in the city center on Kerey and Zhanibek Khans Avenue. Avoid exchanging large sums at hotel desks or airport kiosks. Check the current interbank rate via Kaspi.kz before any transaction and compare the offered rate against it.

Some taxi drivers operating around Nurzhol Boulevard hotels and the Palace of Peace and Accord area use meters that run faster than the legal rate, or quote a fixed price in US dollars to foreign tourists rather than tenge — always at a heavily inflated exchange rate. The overcharge is rarely flagged until the destination is reached when the driver insists the meter price is correct.

How to avoid: Download the Yandex Go or inDriver app before your trip. Always confirm the fare in tenge before entering any unbooked taxi. Rides from central Astana to the airport or Mega Silk Way should cost roughly 2,000–3,500 KZT via app.

Individuals posing as plainclothes police officers approach tourists near Bayterek Tower or Mega Silk Way Mall, claiming to conduct a routine inspection of currency or purchased goods for counterfeiting. During the inspection they briefly handle wallets or bags and either pocket cash directly or distract the tourist while an accomplice picks their pockets. Genuine Kazakhstani police officers do not conduct unannounced street currency checks.

How to avoid: Ask to see official police identification and insist on walking to the nearest uniformed officer or police station before complying with any inspection request. Real police will not object to this.