Kazakhstan and the European Union have moved closer to concluding agreements on visa facilitation and readmission following talks in Brussels between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and senior EU officials.
During the meetings, President Tokayev held discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU representatives on bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, transport connectivity, and critical raw materials.
A key outcome of the talks was the reported completion of negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission agreements. According to von der Leyen, the negotiations are nearly finalized and the documents are approaching the signing stage.
The discussions formed part of broader efforts to strengthen cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union, which remains the country's largest trade and investment partner. Tokayev noted that bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and the EU has more than doubled over the past decade.
In addition to economic cooperation, the talks took place against the backdrop of ongoing changes to the European Union's border management system.
The EU has been introducing the Entry/Exit System (EES), a digital border control mechanism designed to register the entry and departure of non-EU nationals traveling to countries within the Schengen Area. The system records travelers' fingerprints, facial images, and passport data in a centralized database.
The EES is being implemented across the Schengen zone, which includes 29 participating countries. The rollout began gradually in October 2025, although technical challenges delayed full implementation at some border crossing points.
Under the new system, biometric information is collected when travelers enter or leave participating countries. The EES is intended to improve border security, monitor compliance with authorized stay periods, and eventually replace the manual stamping of passports.
Reports indicate that the introduction of the system has led to longer processing times at certain border checkpoints as authorities continue to address technical and operational issues associated with the transition.
The visa facilitation negotiations between Kazakhstan and the European Union are expected to simplify travel procedures for Kazakh citizens once the agreements are formally signed and implemented. The readmission agreement would establish procedures for the return of individuals who do not meet legal requirements for residence in participating countries.
