Alcohol regulations in Kazakhstan

Licensing, import, labelling and tax rules for spirits. Researched September 2026.

Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in September 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Status: Legal / dry areas exist
Legal drinking age: 21
Legal purchase age: 21

Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)

Licences needed: License for the production of alcoholic products (or license for the production of ethyl alcohol).
Authority: State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan (via elicense.kz / egov.kz).
Documents: Application; proof of payment of state license fee; production passport approved by the manufacturer; production capacity calculations with equipment passports; fixed asset accounting records proving ownership of production equipment; qualification forms confirming premises and technical standards; sanitary-epidemiological conclusion (SES).
Fees: 3,000 MCI (Monthly Calculation Indicators) for alcoholic beverages other than beer.
Time to obtain: 15 business days statutory review time via elicense.kz.

Import licence and registration

Who can import: Kazakhstani legal entities holding a state license for the storage and wholesale of alcoholic products (or licensed domestic manufacturers importing bulk spirits for processing).
Licences or registrations: License for storage and wholesale of alcoholic products, registration as an excisable goods importer with the tax authorities, and registration for Accounting and Control Marks (UKM / excise stamps).
Authority: State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Documents: Foreign trade contract, shipping documents (CMR/air waybill/bill of lading), commercial invoice, packing list, EAC Declaration of Conformity, product PIN code certificate, certificate of origin, proof of stamp security/excise duty payment.
Fees: Wholesale alcohol license fee: 200 MCI; nominal administrative/printing fee per excise stamp.
Time to obtain: 15 business days for wholesale license issuance; 10 to 30 days for excise stamp processing and customs clearance.

Product and label registration

Required: yes
Process: Spirits must undergo conformity assessment under EAEU technical regulations (TR CU 021/2011 'On Food Safety', TR CU 022/2011 'Food Labeling', and TR EAEU 047/2018 'On Safety of Alcoholic Products') to receive an EAC Declaration of Conformity registered in the unified EAEU registry. In Kazakhstan, each imported SKU must also obtain an official PIN-code (Personal Identification Number Code) issued by the State Revenue Committee before commercial release.
Authority: Accredited EAEU certification bodies (for EAC declaration) and the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan (for PIN-code assignment).
Documents and samples: Product samples for laboratory testing in an accredited EAEU laboratory, technical specifications, ingredients/formulation sheet, certificate of analysis from producer, manufacturer supply contract, draft bilingual label (Kazakh and Russian).
Fees: Certification body testing and registration fees vary by accredited provider (approx. $300–$1,000+ USD); PIN-code registration has no state tax fee.
Renewal: EAC Declarations are issued for 1 to 5 years (or per individual batch); PIN-codes do not expire unless product formulations/packaging fundamentally change.
Time to obtain: 2 to 4 weeks for laboratory testing and EAC Declaration registration; 3 to 5 business days for PIN-code assignment.

Import rules

Imports must be cleared by a local licensed importer of record. There is no state trading monopoly, but all spirits must have Accounting and Control Marks (UKM / excise stamps) applied to bottles prior to customs release. Importers must post a financial guarantee/deposit to obtain stamps. Mandatory documents include the EAC Declaration of Conformity, Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Analysis/Quality, commercial invoice, and registration in the KGD electronic excise accounting system.

Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)

Determined by the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Common Customs Tariff: spirits under HS 2208 (including whisky, rum, gin, vodka, and liqueurs) are subject to a specific customs duty typically set at €1.40 to €1.50 per litre of 100% pure ethyl alcohol (e.g., HS 2208 30 whisky: €1.50 per litre of 100% alcohol; HS 2208 20 grape brandy: €1.40 to €1.50 per litre of 100% alcohol).

Excise and taxes

Excise tax on distilled spirits (HS 2208): 2,550 KZT per litre of 100% pure alcohol (scheduled to 2,805 KZT per litre of 100% alcohol under Tax Code reforms). Standard VAT rate is 12% assessed on the landed customs value plus customs duty plus excise. Minimum Retail Prices (MRP) set by the government also apply to strong spirits.

Retail and distribution

Private licensed retailers, supermarkets, and hospitality venues (no state monopoly). Retailers must hold a location-specific alcohol retail license. Off-premise stores are restricted by statutory hours: spirits with ABV over 30% cannot be sold between 21:00 and 12:00 the following day (permitted only 12:00 to 21:00); beverages under 30% ABV cannot be sold between 23:00 and 08:00. Licensed on-premise venues (bars, cafes, restaurants) are exempt from retail shop hour limits.

Online sale and delivery

banned; under Law No. 429-I and national internal trade regulations, alcohol sales must occur strictly inside stationary physical premises with a sales floor; remote, internet, and courier delivery sales are prohibited.

Labelling

Mandatory bilingual labeling in both Kazakh and Russian (TR CU 022/2011, Law on Languages). Labels must show: product name/type, country of origin, producer and importer names and addresses, net volume, ABV (% vol.), ingredients, date of bottling/batch code, storage conditions, and EAC conformity mark. A mandatory health warning statement must state the harm of alcohol consumption to health, pregnant women, and persons under 21 years of age. Physical Accounting and Control Marks (excise stamps) must be affixed over the bottle closure.

Advertising

Banned; Law 'On Advertising' (Article 13) strictly prohibits any advertising of ethyl alcohol and alcoholic products (as well as products imitating alcoholic beverages) in mass media, outdoor/billboards, print, internet platforms, broadcast media, and prohibits alcohol brand sponsorship or promotional lotteries.

Legal definitions of spirits

Regulated by EAEU Technical Regulation TR EAEU 047/2018 and interstate GOST standards: Vodka must have a minimum ABV of 37.5% (or 40.0% for traditional standard); Whisky must be distilled from fermented cereal mash, aged in wooden/oak casks for not less than 3 years, with a minimum ABV of 40.0%; Rum must be distilled from sugarcane products with a minimum ABV of 40.0% (min 37.5% EAEU general); Gin must have a minimum ABV of 37.5%; Brandy/Cognac must be produced from wine distillate and aged in oak, with a minimum ABV of 40.0%.

Dry or restricted areas

Over 400 rural villages and auls nationwide have adopted community-driven alcohol bans ('sober/dry villages') supported by local elders and police councils. By law, alcohol sales are strictly prohibited within educational institutions, kindergartens, healthcare facilities, sports and leisure venues, petrol stations, and public passenger transport.

Recent changes

Tax Code reform enacted in 2025 (effective 2026) mandates a 10% upward revision on excise duties for alcoholic beverages, lifting the base rate for spirits to 2,805 KZT per litre of 100% alcohol.
In late 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs introduced legislative proposals to restrict all alcohol sales to dedicated specialized liquor stores ('alkomarkets') and criminalize unauthorized online/courier sales.
Expansion of the 'dry village' movement, with the total number of officially self-declared alcohol-free rural settlements exceeding 400 across regions including Aktobe, Kyzylorda, and Atyrau.
Enhanced digital integration between the State Revenue Committee's excise traceability platform, the National Product Catalog, and e-invoicing/virtual warehouse systems for imported excisable goods.

Opportunities for exporters

Kazakhstan presents an expanding market for premium international spirits, notably Scotch and Irish whiskies, authentic cognac, and craft gins, which enjoy strong aspirational demand in metropolitan hubs such as Almaty and Astana. Exporters must partner with well-capitalized local distributors equipped to manage bilingual labeling, EAC certification, and the rigorous excise stamping mechanism.

Regulators

Sources

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