Kazakhstan relocation guide 2026

01The country in 30 seconds

Kazakhstan is the easiest first step for a Russian citizen. No visa, a short flight, and everyone speaks Russian. Almaty sits right under the mountains, and Astana is a modern capital in the steppe.

But you can't just live here for a long time. Without a status you get at most 90 days in any 180, and border runs stopped working in 2023. To live here you need a temporary residence permit (TRP, usually through a job contract) or a residence permit.

• No visa; from Russia you can even enter with your internal passport
• From 1 July 2026 you must register if you stay longer than 30 days
• IT people can use Digital Nomad Residency — a residence permit straight away, with no income threshold. The pilot runs until 31 December 2026
• There is also the Neo Nomad visa (income from $3,000 a month), but it is almost useless for Russians
• From July 2027 you will need a free electronic entry permit
• Budget — about $900-1,800 per month for one person

Facts checked in November 2026. Entry and residence rules changed several times in 2025-2026 — check official sources before you go.

02Who it's for

Kazakhstan fits you if:

• You want to leave fast, with no visa, and stay close to Russia
• You want to live in Russian and not learn a new language from zero
• You work in IT and are ready to pass the Astana Hub selection for a residence permit
• You are ready to join a local company (or open your own LLP) to get a TRP
• You love mountains, hiking and skiing — in Almaty they are an hour from the center

Not for you if:

• You want to live here for years without a status — the 90 in 180 rule is checked strictly
• You need a residence permit that opens Schengen — a Kazakh status does not do that
• You can't stand a cold winter (Astana gets to −30) or winter smog in Almaty

What to explore in and around Kazakhstan:

• Around Almaty: Medeu and Shymbulak, Big Almaty Lake, Charyn Canyon, Kolsai and Kaindy lakes
• Turkistan with the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi and the old cities of the south
• Mangystau near Aktau — the desert canyons of Bozzhyra and the Caspian Sea
• Burabay near Astana — lakes, rocks and pine forest
• Kyrgyzstan is close: Almaty to Bishkek is about 4 hours by car, then Lake Issyk-Kul. Russians need no visa
• Uzbekistan: Tashkent is near Shymkent, then Samarkand and Bukhara. Also no visa
• From Almaty there are direct flights to Istanbul, Dubai, Tbilisi, Beijing, Urumqi, Seoul, Bangkok, Phuket, Frankfurt, London and Warsaw

03Entry & visa

Russian citizens don't need a visa for Kazakhstan. If you travel straight from Russia, even your internal passport is enough. From a third country you need your international passport. For a TRP or residence permit you will need the international passport anyway.

How long you can stay. No more than 90 days in any 180. Leaving and coming back does not reset the count — this has been the rule since 27 January 2023. A day trip to Bishkek won't help: one shared database counts your days.

Registration. New registration rules apply from 1 July 2026 (Interior Ministry order No. 923 of 17 November 2025). If you stay longer than 30 days, you must register no later than day 30 after entry. You file the request yourself in the migration police information system, and your landlord confirms it in an app. If you move, register again within 5 working days. Registration does not extend the 90-day limit.

Separately, your landlord or hotel must notify the migration service of your arrival within 3 working days — through eQonaq or vmp.gov.kz. This is their duty, and they pay the fine if they don't.

Fines for staying over 90 days (1 MCI in 2026 = 4,325 KZT):

• Up to 3 days — a warning
• 3-5 days — 10 MCI (43,250 KZT)
• 5-10 days — 15 MCI (64,875 KZT)
• Over 10 days — 25 MCI (108,125 KZT) or removal from the country

Electronic entry permit. Kazakhstan is bringing in a required electronic permit for everyone who enters without a visa, Russians included. The decree came into force on 24 October 2026. It starts step by step: from 1 November 2026 at Aktau airport and some road crossings, from 1 January 2027 at Astana and Almaty airports, from 1 March 2027 at all other crossings. It becomes required on 1 July 2027; until then you won't be refused entry without it.

• You apply online at least 72 hours before entry
• It is free
• It is valid for 180 days and covers several entries
• Children under 16 and people over 65 don't need it

04Residency & legalization

Without a status you can stay in Kazakhstan only 90 days in 180. There are four realistic ways to stay longer. The first two fit remote workers best.

1. Digital Nomad Residency (DNR) — a residence permit for IT people. It is not a visa but a residence permit straight away. It runs as a pilot in Astana and Almaty until 31 December 2026. Nothing has been announced yet about 2027.

• Who: foreigners in IT — developers, product managers, data analysts, AI specialists, startup founders, remote workers of foreign tech companies
• No income threshold — proof of income was dropped back in 2025
• No citizenship limits. According to lawyers, Russians are the biggest group of applicants
• Where to apply: first on astanahub.com, then on egov.kz. You need an IIN (tax ID) and a digital signature (EDS) — you can get both at a Kazakh consulate without traveling

How it works:

1. Apply on Astana Hub: passport, CV, portfolio, motivation letter, diplomas, police certificate. Then a video interview
2. The Ministry of Digital Development issues a letter of support
3. Apply for a permanent residence permit (PRP) on eGov. Police and security checks take up to 45 calendar days
4. If approved, you have 30 days to arrive. Miss it and the decision is cancelled, and you can apply again only after a year
5. In Kazakhstan: medical check, fingerprints, a lease for at least 180 days, an application at a public service center (TsON). Then you get the residence card and an address registration

According to lawyers, the residence permit is issued for up to 10 years, but not longer than your passport is valid. Sources don't give the state fee. As of August 2026, Astana Hub reported 250 permanent residence permits issued under DNR, out of 1,517 applications (together with the visa program) — far from everyone is approved.

2. A TRP through a job contract. The most common way for Russians. Russia and Kazakhstan are both in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), so you don't need a work permit. You get a job at a Kazakh company and receive a TRP for the term of the contract, up to one year. The contract must be registered in the national employment contract system (ESUTD). The TRP is free; you apply through a TsON or eGov, usually with your employer's help.

• Renewal is not automatic: you apply again for each new term
• When the contract ends, the TRP ends too
• Some movers open their own LLP (TOO) and hire themselves as director. It works, but lawyers see it differently, and an LLP means accounting and taxes. Talk to a local lawyer before you register one

Other grounds for a TRP are study, medical treatment, or marriage to a Kazakh citizen. Remote work for a foreign company is not a ground for a TRP.

3. The Neo Nomad visa (B12-1). A separate nomad visa for remote workers in any field.

• Income from a foreign employer or clients of $3,000+ a month, with bank statements for the last 6 months
• Health insurance and a police certificate
• Issued for one year, multiple entry. You can extend it once for another year without leaving
• You apply at the Kazakh consulate where you live
• You can't work for Kazakh companies. It does not lead to a residence permit

For Russians it makes little sense: we already enter without a visa, and a TRP or DNR gives more. According to local agencies, Russians need an invitation from a licensed tour company for this visa. Very few are issued: media reported 27 visas in the first year. One agency says the consulate fee in Russia is about $109; this is not officially confirmed.

4. A regular residence permit. Since 2026 it has become much harder. Under the pilot rules in force until 31 December 2026:

• An online KAZTEST exam in the Kazakh language. Sources disagree on the level: the official description for foreigners mentions A1, and rumors about B2 are not confirmed by documents
• A points-based form on migration.enbek.kz
• At least 1,320 MCI (about 5.7 million KZT) in a Kazakh bank account, shown every year for five years
• One year of living in one of these regions: East Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Pavlodar or North Kazakhstan. Astana and Almaty are in practice closed for this route

These rules don't apply to DNR participants, investors and people on the in-demand professions list.

What the status gives for travel. A Kazakh TRP or residence permit doesn't give visa-free travel anywhere — you travel on your Russian passport. But Kazakhstan is a handy base:

• Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia — no visa for Russians
• Turkey — up to 60 days per entry, no more than 90 in 180
• China — 30 days visa-free for Russians under a "trial regime" since 15 September 2025. It has already been extended, but sources give different end dates — check before you go
• Schengen: you can usually apply for a visa from Kazakhstan if you live here legally (TRP or residence permit). Each consulate has its own rules, and Russians now mostly get single-entry visas

05Work & taxes

You become a Kazakh tax resident if you spend 183 days or more in the country in any 12 months in a row. You can also be treated as a resident with fewer days if your center of life is here — a residence permit, family, a home.

A resident pays tax on worldwide income, including salary from a foreign company and freelance income. A new Tax Code took effect on 1 January 2026 with a progressive scale:

• 10% on yearly income up to 8,500 MCI (about 36.8 million KZT)
• 15% only on the part above that

A foreign employer does not withhold Kazakh tax for you. So you declare the income and pay yourself. Check the current form and deadlines on the tax service site kgd.gov.kz — a lot changed with the new code.

Russia and Kazakhstan have a double tax treaty. Tax paid in one country can usually be credited in the other, but you need a residence certificate for that. Kazakhstan takes part in the automatic exchange of bank account data (CRS).

Options for freelancers and IT people:

• Sole trader (IP) on the simplified declaration — 4% of income (local authorities can move the rate up or down by up to 50%), limit 600,000 MCI a year. But according to relocation guides, a foreigner can register as an IP only with a residence permit
• The self-employed regime in the E-Salyq Business app — 0% income tax, 4% social payments, income up to 300 MCI a month (about 1.3 million KZT), no IP status and no staff. Check with the tax office whether it works for a foreigner with a TRP
• A job at an Astana Hub member company: its foreign employees get a 0% income tax rate. The benefit is tied to the employer, not to your status

A DNR permit by itself gives no tax breaks. Agencies write that Neo Nomad visa holders pay tax only on Kazakh income, but we found no official clarification — it's risky to rely on it.

06Banks, cards & money

Mir cards basically don't work in Kazakhstan. Some people report cash withdrawals at rare ATMs, but don't count on it. Russian Visa and Mastercard cards haven't worked abroad since 2022.

You can open an account at a Kazakh bank. You need your passport and an IIN — an individual identification number.

The IIN is free:

• At a TsON in Kazakhstan — with your international or internal passport, usually in one working day
• At a Kazakh consulate in Russia, by appointment

Popular banks among movers are Kaspi, Freedom and Halyk. Rules for Russians differ between banks and even branches: some need only a passport and IIN, others ask for a TRP, a local phone number or proof of where your money comes from. Banks with foreign shareholders check more strictly. Nobody gives guarantees.

Money from Russia. The easiest way is to bring cash dollars or rubles and change them at exchange offices — rates in Kazakhstan are fair. Cash above the equivalent of $10,000 must be declared at the border, and taking foreign currency out of Russia is limited — check the current limit before you go. Transfers from Russian banks to Kazakhstan work only with some banks and with fees — ask your bank before you leave.

07Renting a place

Housing is the biggest cost. According to Numbeo, November 2026:

• Almaty: a one-bedroom in the center is about $800 a month, outside the center about $500
• Astana: about $580 in the center, about $400 outside

Shymkent and other cities are much cheaper. Prices are set in tenge, and the exchange rate moves, so dollar prices change too.

The main rental site is Krisha.kz. People also use real estate agents and chats for movers. Landlords usually ask for the first month and a deposit, and agents charge a fee.

For a TRP and DNR you need a lease; for DNR at least 180 days (lawyers say it must be notarized). Not every landlord is ready to sign an official lease and confirm your registration — ask before you move in.

Almaty has heavy smog in winter. Many people choose flats higher up the slope, closer to the mountains, where the air is cleaner. In Astana, make sure the flat has good heating and windows.

08SIM card & internet

The main operators are Beeline, Kcell/Activ and Tele2/Altel. Buy a SIM at an official store with your passport. It's cheap: a plan with calls and 10+ GB costs about $10 a month (Numbeo).

Your number must be linked to your IIN in the mobile citizens database — at a TsON or on egov.kz. Without it banking apps and eGov won't work properly.

Home fiber from 60 Mbps costs about $15-20 a month. In Almaty and Astana it's fast enough for video calls, and cafes and coworkings have decent Wi-Fi.

WhatsApp and most common services work in Kazakhstan.

09Healthcare & insurance

For Russians, healthcare in Kazakhstan is paid, except when your life is in danger. Russian state health insurance (OMS) doesn't work here.

Almaty and Astana have many private clinics and labs, and almost all doctors speak Russian. Prices are lower than in Europe.

At first, travel insurance is enough — the Russian Foreign Ministry's consular portal strongly recommends it. For a long stay, get international insurance or a local private policy.

Emergency numbers: 103 — ambulance, 102 — police, 101 — fire, 112 — emergency rescue.

No vaccinations are required for entry. In spring and summer the mountains near Almaty have ticks and a risk of tick-borne encephalitis — think about the vaccine if you plan to hike.

10Transport

Kazakhstan is huge. Between cities people fly or take trains. Almaty to Astana is about 2 hours by plane or a night on the train. Domestic flights are cheap: Air Astana, FlyArystan and SCAT fly them.

Direct flights from Russia to Almaty are run by Aeroflot, Rossiya, S7, Red Wings, Azimuth and UVT Aero — from Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Sochi, Mineralnye Vody and Orenburg. Air Astana and FlyArystan don't fly to Russia. You can also come overland — by car, bus or train.

In cities:

• Taxis — Yandex Go and inDrive, cheap
• Almaty has a metro (one line) and many buses; a monthly pass is about $22
• Astana has buses; a monthly pass is about $17

Russian driving licenses are valid in Kazakhstan. If you drive your own car, you need insurance valid in Kazakhstan. Buy it at the border or from an insurance company, not from private sellers — fakes exist.

11Safety & important laws

Overall Kazakhstan is a calm country. There is no special regime for foreigners due to terrorism or crime. Many people here speak Russian, and Russians are usually treated fine.

Normal care: watch your phone and wallet in crowds, and take a taxi through an app at night.

• Almaty is an earthquake zone. Learn what to do in an earthquake and check when your building was built
• Almaty has heavy smog in winter; Astana has frosts down to −30 and strong wind
• Mountain weather changes fast — don't hike alone and tell someone your route
• You need an Interior Ministry permit to visit the border zone

Better not to discuss politics with strangers or join unauthorized protests — a foreigner can be removed from the country for it.

12How much money you need per month

totalAbout $900-1,800 per month for one person; Almaty costs more than Astana and Shymkent

13Step-by-step moving plan

1. Check your passport: you need an international passport for a TRP or residence permit. Since 2026 children also need an international passport — a birth certificate is not enough
2. Choose your route to a status: DNR (if you work in IT), a TRP through a job contract, or just a trip of up to 90 days
3. IT people: get an IIN and a digital signature (possible at a Kazakh consulate) and apply on astanahub.com — the DNR pilot is set to run until 31 December 2026
4. Bring cash for the first weeks — Russian cards don't work here
5. After you arrive, get your IIN at a TsON, buy a SIM and link the number to your IIN
6. Rent a place for 1-2 weeks, then look for a long-term flat on Krisha.kz and ask for an official lease
7. If you stay longer than 30 days, register no later than day 30
8. Open an account at a local bank (Kaspi, Freedom, Halyk or another)
9. Get health insurance
10. Count your days: without a TRP or residence permit, no more than 90 in 180
11. If you stay more than 183 days, sort out your taxes and tax return
12. For entries after 1 July 2027, get the electronic entry permit at least 72 hours ahead

14Useful links

• Russian Foreign Ministry consular portal — Kazakhstan (in Russian)
• eGov — Kazakhstan public services portal
• Visa and migration portal (arrival notification)
• Astana Hub — Digital Nomad Residency applications
• Kazakhstan State Revenue Committee (tax service)
• The Astana Times — 262 foreign IT specialists got digital nomad status
• mybuh.kz — Digital Nomad Residency pilot: steps and documents (in Russian)
• mybuh.kz — new registration rules from July 2026 (in Russian)
• iworld — Neo Nomad visa (in Russian)
• Numbeo — cost of living in Almaty

15Other countries

Every guide follows the same structure, so they're easy to compare. Comparison table: all countries.

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