Kazakhstan government has introduced a mandatory requirement for foreign residents to register their handsets when visiting the country, reports Profit.kz citing Dauren Abayev, the minister of ITC.

The requirement doesn’t cover devices used for roaming services, as well as for M2M services.

Foreign customers using Sims of Kazakhstan mobile operators will be required to register their devices.

From 1st January 2019, all devices using local Kazakh mobile SIM cards must be registered (with a few exceptions, like M2M devices and foreign devices roaming in Kazakhstan). The registration is done automatically, nationals need to bind their national ID number “ИИН” (IIN) to their mobile account. Foreigners need to submit their passport numbers.

It works the following way: If it’s the first time that the device connects to the network, its IMEI number and personal identification number that was associated with the mobile account will be submitted to a common government database (called BDIK) to link it together. After that, the device is locked-in to that person’s personal data and cannot be used with any other SIM card from a Kazakh operator that is not registered to the same “IIN” or another personal ID number (with the exception of foreign SIM cards). To reenable the device to be used with another person’s registration details, the person who originally registered it, needs to go to an operator’s store with a photo ID and unlink the IMEI from his or her identity. That’s why it will not be possible anymore to change devices easily using the same Kazakh SIM card or using the same device with different Kazakh SIM cards.

Dialing rules for calls Kazakhstan handsets registration

For dialing Kazakhstan has some specifics: The international dialing prefix is “8->10” – callers dial ‘8’, wait for a tone, and then dial ’10’, followed by the country code, area code and number. The long-distance and domestic mobile dialing prefix is “8” – callers dial ‘8’, wait for a tone, and then dial the area code and number. Under an agreement with Russia, Kazakhstan uses the same country code “+7” like Russia. So for calls to Russia, you can skip international access and country codes.

You can cut costs for international calls by using call cards sold at mobile phone shops and kiosks. You scratch off a PIN, dial a local access number given on the card and further instructions then are available in English.