How many foreign nationals officially work in Kazakhstan
As of August 1, 2025, a total of 14,130 foreign nationals are working in Kazakhstan under permits issued by local executive authorities, Kazinform News Agency cites the Kazakh Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.
Currently, 1,899 employers in Kazakhstan use foreign labor. These enterprises employ more than 348,000 Kazakh citizens, who make up 96% of the total workforce.
The largest numbers of foreign workers come from China (5,120 people), Uzbekistan (2,478), Türkiye (1,042), and India (1,031).
To protect the domestic labor market, the ministry annually sets quotas for attracting foreign specialists. In 2025, the quota was initially set at 14,800 workers, later increased to 16,500, and from August adjusted to 19,400.
As reported earlier, the possibility of Kazakhstan’s participation in South Korea’s Employment Permit System was discussed in Astana.
