1. Main Visa and Work Permit Types

1.1 Short-Term Visit and Business Visa

Whether an applicant qualifies for visa-free entry, an electronic visa, or requires an invitation depends on the applicant’s nationality, travel document, port of entry, and specific purpose of travel.

The appropriate business visa category should be selected according to the activities the visitor will perform. Not all B-category visas grant the same permissions.

Activities that may be assessed under a business visitor pathway include:

1. Attending meetings
2. Conducting business negotiations
3. Signing agreements
4. Attending trade fairs or exhibitions
5. Participating in visits that do not involve delivering work in Kazakhstan

A foreign national who performs ongoing equipment installation, maintenance, training, project delivery, or the duties of a Kazakhstan-based position may require work authorisation.

The fact that an individual continues to receive their salary from an overseas entity does not automatically exempt them from Kazakhstan’s work authorisation requirements.

The permitted duration of each stay and the possibility of an extension should be determined according to the applicable visa-free arrangement or the conditions stated on the approved visa.

1.2 Employer Permit and Work Visa or Residence Status

Employers in Kazakhstan generally need to comply with annual foreign-labour quotas, position classifications, and local employee ratio requirements.

Certain categories may be subject to local employee ratio thresholds of 70% or 90%. Applicable exemptions and calculation methods should be assessed according to the employer’s circumstances and the proposed position.

The applicant’s academic background, professional qualifications, and work experience should correspond to the relevant position category.

An employer’s eligibility to hire foreign workers does not automatically mean that an individual employee qualifies for the proposed position.

A C3 visa permits entry for employment purposes but does not replace the employer’s foreign-labour permit.

A standard single-entry C3 visa is generally valid for up to 90 days. A longer period may apply in specific circumstances provided by law. A multiple-entry C3 visa is generally valid for up to three years and cannot extend beyond the validity of the underlying approval.

Separate rules may apply to eligible organisations, institutions, or special economic zones and should be confirmed individually.

A foreign national who requires an employment-related temporary residence permit, or TRP, may generally receive one for up to one year. Its validity will also be limited by the duration of the employment contract and work permit.

Whether an applicant requires a C3 visa, a TRP, or both depends on the individual’s nationality and actual entry and residence pathway. Employers should not automatically assume that every foreign employee must hold all three documents simultaneously.

1.3 Intracompany Transfer

An intracompany transfer is a work-authorisation pathway for qualifying employees transferred within a multinational corporate group. It is distinct from ordinary local recruitment and should not be used as a general description for every international secondment.

An ICT application will generally need to demonstrate:

1. The employee’s position with the overseas entity
2. The relationship between the overseas and Kazakhstan entities
3. The identity and eligibility of the Kazakhstan receiving entity
4. The employee’s actual position following the transfer

An ICT arrangement may be processed outside the standard foreign-labour quota. However, applicable workforce ratios and professional qualification requirements may still apply.

The validity of the permit and transfer arrangement should remain consistent with the approved project, assignment, position, and receiving-entity relationship. The employee must also independently satisfy the applicable entry and residence requirements.

When the assignment ends, or when the group relationship, receiving entity, or position changes, the employer should reassess whether the existing authorisation remains valid.

2. Entry, Dependants, and Other Arrangements

2.1 Entry and Stay

Employers and other receiving parties should comply with applicable arrival-notification obligations for both visitors and foreign employees.

For employment-related residence, the applicant may also need to meet applicable requirements concerning:

1. Fingerprint registration
2. Residential address information
3. Identity verification
4. Local registration

Obtaining a visa only addresses the relevant entry requirement. It does not mean that all work-authorisation and residence procedures have been completed.

2.2 Dependants and Other Statuses

Family members may assess the appropriate visa or residence arrangement based on the principal applicant’s immigration status and the qualifying family relationship.

Dependant status does not automatically grant the right to work in Kazakhstan.

A dependant who plans to work must separately determine whether a work permit is required or whether a statutory exemption applies.

Nationals of Eurasian Economic Union member states and certain other individuals may be subject to special employment rules. Eligibility should be assessed according to the applicant’s specific nationality.

3. Renewals, Changes, Termination, and Status Maintenance

The employer’s foreign-labour permit, work visa, and temporary residence permit must each remain valid where applicable.

The continued validity of one document does not mean that a foreign national may continue working under the original authorisation after changing employers, positions, or work locations.

4. How sailglobal Can Help

If your company plans to send personnel to Kazakhstan for business visits, local employment, intracompany transfers, short-term projects, or assignments involving accompanying family members, sailglobal can help you understand the applicable pathways and application requirements.

The assessment can consider the individual’s immigration status, job responsibilities, employer or corporate-group relationship, work location, and proposed travel arrangements.

Visa, work permit, and residence applications are independently reviewed by the relevant Kazakhstan authorities. sailglobal cannot guarantee an approval outcome or a fixed issuance date.