Paying for purchases and all kinds of services in Kazakhstan is officially allowed only in tenge. Therefore, it is better to take care of cash exchange in advance. Russian rubles, U.S. dollars, euros, as well as other major currencies can be exchanged at banks and official exchange offices, and the latter exchange rate is usually better.
In the regional center and in cities of regional importance, there are exchange offices where you can find out the exchange rate, and there are also quite a few ATMs. Bank cards (Visa, Master Card, Euro Card) are accepted in most shopping centers and hotels. However, if you plan to travel outside the cities, cash in tenge is a must.
Import or export of cash between the states of the Customs Union (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia) is carried out without restrictions and customs declaration.
If cash is imported or exported from or to a territory which is not part of the customs territory of the Customs Union, the amount exceeding ten thousand US dollars is subject to mandatory customs declaration.