Holy See and Kazakhstan signed an agreement Pastoral Care of Catholics

Granting visas and residence permits to ecclesiastical and religious personnel

© Vatican Media

Communiqué of the Holy See

Today, Wednesday, 14 September 2022, in the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital Nur-Sultan, an Agreement was signed between the Holy See and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Signed for the Holy See was His Excellency Msgr. Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, and for the Republic of Kazakhstan, His Excellency Mr. Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.


The new Understanding intends to give wider implementation to Art. 2 of the 1998 Bilateral Agreement, facilitating the granting of visas and residence permits to ecclesiastical and religious personnel coming from abroad and engaged in the pastoral care of the Catholic faithful in Kazakhstan. Composed
by a Preamble and eight paragraphs, the document further consolidates the bonds of friendship and cooperation already existing between the two parties.

The Agreement will enter into force after the exchange of the instruments of ratification