To register an imported car in Kazakhstan you need a vehicle design safety certificate — the SBKTS. It is issued by an accredited laboratory after the car is inspected, and this is the step where most problem cars are filtered out. In 2026 oversight of the laboratories was tightened, and two more requirements are in the pipeline. Here is what is checked, how the SOS button is connected and the most common reasons for refusal.
What the SBKTS is and where it is issued
The SBKTS confirms that a specific car complies with the Customs Union technical regulation “On the safety of wheeled vehicles” (TR CU 018/2011). Since 8 November 2024 certificates have been issued in a digital system, and applications go through an automated check: in its first weeks more than a quarter of applications were sent back for correction. Without an SBKTS you cannot get an electronic vehicle passport or licence plates.
Vehicle requirements
- Left-hand drive. The technical regulation explicitly prohibits putting right-hand-drive cars into circulation in Kazakhstan.
- Emission class Euro 4 or higher. For individually imported cars the regulation requires class 4. Talk of Euro 5 has been going on since 2023, but that was a draft amendment, not a rule in force.
- Equipment: ABS, a driver airbag, ISOFIX anchorages and daytime running lights — this list is checked at initial registration.
- An emergency call system connected to the state EVAK system — more on this below.
- A clean VIN. The number must be legible and match the documents: altered VINs were one of the reasons laboratories were shut down in summer 2026.
The SOS button: what it is and how it is connected
All cars first registered in Kazakhstan after 1 January 2019 must be connected to the emergency services call system, EVAK. In a crash the device automatically transmits the location and vehicle data, and the driver can call for help with the SOS button. The system is operated by the Institute of Space Technique and Technology.
For an imported car the order is: the device is installed at a certified centre, then registered in EVAK, after that the laboratory issues the SBKTS, and only then is the car registered. According to the operator, registering the device costs about 6,600 tenge including VAT and takes up to three working days. The device itself must comply with GOST 33464-2015.
Only official importers and manufacturers were granted a deferral until the end of 2030. A private buyer importing a car in their own name must install the system.
How this works for cars from Canada
Many North American cars have a factory emergency connection system — OnStar, Toyota Safety Connect and similar. But they are designed for North American networks and services. In Kazakhstan what counts is a device that complies with GOST 33464 and is registered in EVAK. We found no official clarification on whether factory North American modules are accepted, so budget for a separate terminal and check with the installation centre before applying for the SBKTS.
Canadian cars meet the other requirements from the factory: the market is left-hand drive, daytime running lights have been mandatory in Canada since the late 1980s, and lower child-seat anchorages (called UAS there and compatible with ISOFIX) since the early 2000s.
What is planned: converted steering and a video of the SOS test
The Ministry of Trade and Integration has prepared amendments to the conformity assessment rules. They include a ban on issuing an SBKTS to cars converted from right-hand to left-hand drive, and a mandatory continuous video of the SOS button test: the recording must show the VIN and capture the test call, and the laboratory must keep it for at least three years. Grounds for suspending and terminating certificates will also be added.
In August the draft went through public consultation and was sent to the Ministry of Justice. As of mid-September 2026 we found no published order — it is still a draft. But something else is already in force: photo and video recording during laboratory accreditation, and 55 laboratories were assessed in 2026.
Why an SBKTS is refused
- right-hand drive or signs of a conversion;
- the emergency call device is not installed, not working or not registered in EVAK;
- VIN problems: altered, illegible or not matching the documents;
- a second certificate in one year for the same individual — the system will not issue it;
- a vehicle type a private person may not import: since 20 October 2025 individuals may import only passenger cars in their own name, not special machinery or buses.
Almost all of these can be checked before purchase. That is why we source cars only on the Canadian market — new or clean used with a Carfax Canada history. What else changed in the import rules on 1 September is in a separate article, and the full payment calculation is in our customs guide.