1. Cargo across the land border
Gear travels by road as cargo across the Kazakhstan–China border; the main road crossing is Khorgos, east of Almaty. We handle shipping and customs clearance. Allow 15–30 days.
2. ATA Carnet
Kazakhstan has accepted ATA Carnets since 2017, and China is also part of the carnet system. With a carnet, equipment is imported temporarily, free of duties and taxes, and taken out after the shoot. The carnet is issued by the chamber of commerce in your country.
3. Hire in Kazakhstan
Most of the kit is available in the country at partner rates, with nothing to clear through customs:
- Cameras: ARRI Alexa 35, ARRI Alexa Mini LF, RED V-Raptor, RED Komodo 6K, Blackmagic URSA Cine.
- Lenses: ARRI Signature Prime, ARRI Master Anamorphic, ARRI Ultra Prime, Cooke S4, ARRI Signature Zooms.
- Grip: Supertechno 30 Plus telescopic crane, Panther Classic Plus dolly, Steadicam, ARRI MAXIMA.
- Lighting: ARRI SkyPanel, ARRI M40 and M18, ARRI True Blue D12, Kino Flo.
- Stage: a 727 m² sound stage with a 12 m ceiling in Almaty.
The full list is on the Equipment page.
What not to ship
- Weapons, even blank-firing or props: bringing them in requires permits and takes weeks. Our licensed armourers have blank-firing weapons and replicas locally.
- Drones can be brought, but must be registered with the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan — up to 10 working days. Or hire a drone with a pilot.
Getting the crew there
- Direct flights to Almaty: about 2 hours from Urumqi, about 5 hours from Beijing; Shanghai has direct flights since 2026.
- Scouting: Chinese citizens enter visa-free for up to 30 days per visit and up to 90 days in any 180 days.
- Work on set: a C3 work visa — allow 8–12 weeks.
- A Chinese-speaking coordinator on WeChat: DanRostovsky.