Kazakhstan Currency

The currency of Kazakhstan is called the Tenge. One Tenge is subdivided into 100 Tiin. The abbreviation (ISO-4117 code) for the Tenge, which you will see used by travel money companies, is KZT.

How much is the Kazakh Tenge worth?

At the time of writing (June 2011), one US dollar will buy 145.6 Kazakh Tenge. To get the latest rates, though, you can use currency converter below.

(Please that currency data is provided by an external supplier, and we make no guarantees as to its accuracy.)

Tenge Currency Exchange Information

Outside of Kazakhstan, any reputable travel agent or currency converter will be able to exchange Tenge for dollars, or any other major world currency. Inside Kazakhstan, you can also exchange currency easily – as everywhere, dollars are preferred, but you can also exchange for other currencies such as euros, British pounds or yen in many places.

There are also many ATMs in Kazakhstan, and many places accept credit cards, especially in major cities. Travellers checks (cheques, if you are English!) can still be used in Kazakhstan, although credit cards and cash machines are much more commonly used nowadays.

You can bring an unlimited amount of currency into or out of Kazakhstan, although amounts exceeding $3,000 need to be declared. It is advisable to keep good records of all currency transactions, and to keep receipts.

Pictures of Kazakhstan banknotes

Below are some Kazakhstan currency images. As you can see, the new banknotes, introduced in 2003, are much more colourful than the original 1993 design notes.

This is one of my favourite pictures – the 2000 tenge note, on which ‘bank’ was misspelled – банқі was used instead of банкі.

When was the new Kazakhstan currency introduced?

The Tenge was introduced into Kazakhstan on 15 November 1993, almost two years after Kazakhstan’s independence from the Soviet Union. From independence until the introduction of the new national currency, Kazakhstan continued to use the ruble as its official currency.

What does Tenge mean?

In common with several other currencies around the world, the name of the Kazakh currency means ‘set of scales’. The word is used in the Kazakh language, and is derived from Turkic languages.

Interestingly, the Russian word for money is Den’gi (деньги), and was derived from the same root.

Investing in the Tenge

Like Russia, Kazakhstan is a major oil and gas exporter, and its economy is expected to grow over the long term. Because of this, many investors believe that now is a good time to invest in the Kazakhstan Tenge.