How foreign nationals can obtain temporary residence in Kazakhstan

According to him, entry into Kazakhstan requires a visa depending on the purpose and duration of stay. Visa-free entry is allowed for citizens of countries with which Kazakhstan has signed bilateral agreements on mutual visa-free travel, such as Russia and Azerbaijan. Under this regime, foreign nationals may visit Kazakhstan for tourism, private purposes, or short-term business trips. However, they are prohibited from engaging in any paid activity, including employment, consulting, installation, or training services. For such purposes, a visa is mandatory.

The permitted length of stay also depends on the country of origin. Citizens of the Eurasian Economic Union (Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, and Russia) may stay in Kazakhstan for up to 90 days from the date of entry, provided that the host party registers the guest via the visa-migration portal or the eQonaq mobile app within three days.

“A foreigner legally stays in Kazakhstan for 90 calendar days from the date of entry. After this period, he must either leave the country or obtain a temporary residence permit. TRPs are issued for various categories, including employment, family reunification, business immigration, medical treatment, and study,” Karakoishinov explained.

The application is submitted by the host party at the Public Service Center (PSC). For example, if a foreigner arrives to work, he signs a labor contract with an individual entrepreneur or a limited liability partnership, and the contract is registered on the enbek.kz platform. On this basis, a TRP is issued for one year, with the possibility of extension. For medical treatment, the permit is granted on the basis of a doctor’s conclusion. For family reunification, the application must be filed by a spouse in an officially registered marriage of at least one year. In this case, the TRP is issued for one year and can later be extended for up to three years.

Citizens of many non-CIS countries, such as the United States, can stay in Kazakhstan without a visa for up to 30 days. If they wish to remain longer, they must apply for a visa through Kazakhstan’s embassy or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs abroad before applying for a TRP upon arrival. Citizens of India and Iran may remain visa-free only for 14 days.

“Information on visa-free stays for each country is available on egov.kz. Simply put: citizens of visa-free countries apply for a TRP through the PSC, while citizens of visa countries must apply through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs abroad. After arrival, local migration authorities extend visas,” Karakoishinov added.

He also stressed the importance of timely compliance with migration rules. If a TRP is not obtained on time or the period of stay is exceeded, penalties apply. A delay of up to three days results in a warning, three to five days – a fine of 10 MCI (monthly calculation index), five to ten days – 15 MCI. Overstaying more than 10 days is referred to the court, which may impose a fine of 25 MCI or order administrative expulsion. Foreigners deported from Kazakhstan are banned from re-entry for five years.

Liability also applies to host parties. “Failure of the hosting party to register foreigners in time, to arrange their legal stay, or to notify authorities of their presence results in penalties: a warning for individuals, fines of 10 MCI for officials and small businesses, 15 MCI for medium-sized businesses, and 20 MCI for large businesses,” the speaker concluded.

Earlier, it was reported that Europe is raising its visa waiver fee from 7 to 20 euros, while the US is introducing a new 250 dollar charge.