How life in Kazakhstan will change from March 2025

Tengrinews.kz - What will change in the lives of Kazakhstanis from March 2025 - read in this article.
Blocking smartphones
From March 24, Kazakhstan will introduce white, gray and black lists for registering subscriber devices of cellular communications.
The white list will include devices that have successfully passed verification and are added to the database. The gray list - devices whose status requires additional verification, but are temporarily allowed to work in the network for up to 30 days.
The black list will include devices with an incorrect or changed identification code, missing factory IMEI or included in the international GSM Association black list (Global System for Mobile Communications Association database).
Also, control over the registration of devices after repair will be additionally strengthened. When replacing IMEI in authorized service centers, the data must be confirmed through the international GSMA database.
In addition, when individuals import mobile subscriber devices into Kazakhstan for personal use, without business purposes, it will be necessary to provide information about crossing the state border and (or) documents confirming the import.
Fines for a number of offenses will change
New amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses (CAO) will come into force on March 13. In particular, the punishment for violation of traffic rules, violations in the field of intellectual property, and minor public order offenses will be toughened.
Taxes
Administrative liability will be introduced for concealment of information in forms 250.00 and 270.00 by an individual. Failure to submit these forms will be equated to concealment of information. The fine will be 100 MCI (393 200 tenge in 2025).
Petty hooliganism and pollution of public places
Community service will be applied as an alternative measure of administrative punishment. The court will impose punishment with the consent of the offender.
Community service will be applied under 11 articles and 15 types of administrative offenses, including:

pollution of public places;petty hooliganism (obscene language in public places, offensive harassment,desecration of buildings, property);harassment in public places and others.

However, this type of punishment does not apply to:

pregnant women;women with young children under the age of three;men raising young children under the age of three alone;persons under the age of 18;persons with disabilities of the first and second groups;women aged 58 and older;men aged 63 and older;foreign citizens and stateless persons not permanently residing in Kazakhstan.

In addition, community service will be imposed for intentional infliction of minor bodily harm, foul language, humiliation, and damage to household items in family and domestic relations.
Fines for drivers
The tightening of penalties will affect vehicles with increased emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere and increased noise levels (Article 334 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Previously, the offender could get off with a warning, but now he will face a fine of 10 MCI (39 320 tenge in 2025) for individuals and 100 MCI (393 200 tenge in 2025) for legal entities.
Article 593 of the Code of Administrative Offenses has been amended - "Failure to comply with the requirements for the transportation of passengers and cargo, the use of seat belts or motorcycle helmets, as provided for by the Traffic Regulations." A penalty has been added for the transportation of passengers outside the cabin of a vehicle, as well as allowing them to stick out of window openings and hatches of a vehicle, or open doors while driving. The fine for this offense will be 10 MCI (39 320 tenge in 2025), and it will be imposed not only on the driver, but also on the passenger.
Photo ©️ Tengrinews.kz / Turar Kazangapov
Punishment will be tougher for drivers who do not let special vehicles with flashing lights and sirens on (ambulances, police, fire trucks) pass. The fine for this violation will be 20 MCI (78 640 tenge in 2025), for a repeat violation - 40 MCI (157 280 tenge in 2025).
The punishment for the article "Causing minor bodily harm, damage to vehicles or other property resulting from a traffic violation" has been mitigated. Previously, for such violations, a driver could lose his license. From March, this sanction will be excluded, leaving only a fine of 20 MCI (78 640 tenge in 2025).
The punishment for all categories of drivers for driving into the oncoming lane has been tightened - if this has resulted in damage to vehicles, cargo, roads and other structures or other property, causing material damage. A new part 3-1 of this article 596 has been added to the Code of Administrative Offenses, the punishment for which is deprivation of rights for 9 months.
The requirements have been tightened for public transport drivers, as well as those who transport baggage and cargo. Previously, only the employer was punished for violating the work and rest schedule of drivers (Article 572 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Now, the driver who violated the schedule can be fined 5 MCI (19 660 tenge in 2025).
The fine for non-payment of paid parking will be reduced to 1 MCI (3 932 tenge in 2025) from March 13. In case of repeated violation, the fine will be 2 MCI (7 864 tenge in 2025).
Personal data protection
Under Article 79 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - "Violation of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan on personal data and their protection" - the fine will increase from 10 to 30 MCI (117 960 tenge in 2025) for individuals; for legal entities - from 20 to 60 MCI (235 920 tenge in 2025). For medium-sized businesses, the fine will be 100 MCI (393 200 tenge in 2025) instead of the previous 30 MCI, for large businesses - 200 MCI (786 400 tenge in 2025) instead of 70 MCI.
Entrepreneurship
The liability of sellers for failure to comply with obligations to post information on consumer protection, timely response to claims and compliance with the terms for the return of goods is being tightened (Article 190 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Instead of a warning, fines are introduced: from 5 MCI (19 660 tenge in 2025) to 25 MCI (98 300 tenge in 2025) - depending on the business entity.
For exceeding the trade markup on socially significant products (Article 204-4 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), the punishment will also become more severe and will amount to a fine of 5 MCI (19 660 tenge in 2025) for individuals and small businesses, 35 MCI (137 620 tenge in 2025) for medium-sized businesses, 150 MCI (589 800 tenge in 2025) for large businesses.
Article 173 of the Code of Administrative Offenses "Illegal interference of officials in business activities" will be supplemented with part 2: for repeated illegal interference of officials in business activities during the year, a fine of 200 MCI is provided (786 400 tenge in 2025).
Ecology
Fines for violation of sanitary and epidemiological standards have been reduced: for individuals - up to 20 MCI (78 640 tenge in 2025), for small businesses - up to 160 MCI (629 120 tenge in 2025), for medium-sized businesses - up to 210 MCI (825 720 tenge in 2025).
Administrative liability has been excluded for:

disclosure of information obtained during mediation;provision of information about contributors to the Pension Fund;unjustified control and supervision of private business entities;unfair advertising on the securities market;violation of the procedure for certification of candidates for auditors and failure to create a qualified commission;violation of the procedure for submitting documents to the securities market;discrepancy between the obligations of exchange trade participants for the sale of goods;development of improper industrial safety declarations;violation of plant quarantine legislation;violation of the procedure for issuing certificates of origin of goods.

The maximum rates on deposits will be cancelled
From March 1, the Kazakhstan Deposit Insurance Fund will not set maximum rates on deposits in tenge, and banks will determine their deposit policies in market conditions.
Photo ©️ Tengrinews.kz / Turar Kazangapov
It is expected that the reform will give banks more freedom in setting interest rates on deposits.
Train tickets will become more expensive
From March 1, train tickets will become more expensive in the country by 7%. Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Railway and Water Transport Nurzhan Kelbuganov assured that there will be no more increases this year.
Restrictions will be introduced on 8 highways in the country
From March 1, temporary restrictions will be introduced in eight regions related to the "fifth road-climatic zone" for heavy vehicles with a single axle load of over 8 tons. They will be in effect until April 1 in:

Almaty region;
Atyrau region;
Zhambyl region;
Ulytau region;
Kyzylorda region;
Mangystau region;
Zhetysu region;
Turkestan region.

However, the restriction does not apply to the following types of motor transport:

international freight and passenger transportation;transport involved in the elimination and prevention of emergency situations;transportation of humanitarian aid, medicines, food, passengers and baggage;transport used for road construction work.

The state program "Keleshek" starts
The Unified Voluntary Accumulative System "Keleshek" starts its work in Kazakhstan on March 1.
As part of the program, you can open a separate account in the name of a child.
A one-time start-up educational capital will be accrued to children who turn 5 years old in 2025 and in subsequent years, in the amounts stipulated by the rules for accrual, use, return of start-up educational capital, approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Together with the current system of the State Educational Accumulation System, which provides for an annual state bonus of 5 percent, and for children from socially vulnerable categories - 7%, the "Keleshek" system will allow you to accumulate funds that can be used to obtain technical and vocational, post-secondary, higher and postgraduate education, as well as to improve housing conditions.
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A new mortgage program will be launched
From March, Kazakhstanis will be able to apply for participation in the mortgage programs "Nauryz" and the new "Nauryz Zhumysker." Particular attention in the latter is paid to representatives of blue-collar jobs.
Photo: depositphotos.com
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia changes the rules for accepting documentsFrom March 1, the consular section of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia stops temporarily accepting documents by mail for loss of citizenship, which was introduced in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo ©️ Tengrinews.kz / Turar Kazangapov
Now documents will be accepted only in person.
March UNT starts
The spring UNT (Unified National Test) will start on March 1 and last until April 5. It can be taken by:

students in grades 11 (12);conditionally admitted to a university on a full-time fee-paying basis;graduates of schools of previous years and colleges (for the full term of study);persons of Kazakh nationality who are not citizens of Kazakhstan;students in grades 11 (12) who studied abroad (citizens of Kazakhstan).

Photo ©️ Tengrinews.kz / Turar Kazangapov
Schoolchildren will go on vacation
The vacation for students in grades 1-11 will last 11 calendar days - from March 21 to March 31 inclusive. The final fourth quarter of the school year will begin on April 1 and will last 8 weeks.
The Orazа fast will begin on March 1
The holy month of Ramadan and the fasting during Ramadan (Oraza) will begin on March 1. The fast will last for 29 days and end on March 29. On March 30, Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Fitr. On the night of March 26-27, believers will observe the sacred Night of Qadr (Laylat al-Qadr).
Фото: depositphotos.com
Sports
The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will begin in March. The Kazakhstan national team will play in Group J with strong opponents: Belgium, Wales, North Macedonia and Liechtenstein.
Weekends and holidays
In March, Kazakhstanis will celebrate two public holidays at once: International Women's Day (March 8) and Nauryz (March 21-23). ​​Due to the transfer of days off, residents of the country will get additional days off.

As a result, in March 2025, Kazakhstanis with a five-day work week will have 14 days off, and with a six-day work week - 10 days off.
International Women's Day (March 8) falls on Saturday, so it is moved to Monday, March 10.
On Nauryz, holidays fall on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so the days off are moved to March 24 and 25 (Monday and Tuesday).