Is it safe to withdraw cash in Kazakhstan or not?
ATMs here work with international cards, but I always withdrew money either inside malls or next to busy roads. Once used a machine at midnight without issue, but I wouldn’t say all neighborhoods give off the same level of comfort.
In Shymkent, I used an ATM earlier in the day, but passed by the same one after 9 PM and it was offline. Machines outside major malls or hotels tend to go out of service at night - not unsafe, just inconvenient.
Astana (Nur-Sultan) felt very safe. I used a Halyk Bank ATM in a 24-hour supermarket after dinner - the transaction was smooth, and instructions were in English. People came and went casually, even late.
In Almaty, I used a Kaspi.kz ATM around 10 PM near Dostyk Plaza. The mall was still open and the ATM area was well-monitored. ATM safety at night in Kazakhstan felt solid in modern parts of the city, though I’d avoid less familiar neighborhoods.