Kazakhstan · Residency by investment
Investor Residence Permit ('Golden Visa')
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Last verified July 2026Unconfirmed
Open. The regulation took effect on 10 May 2025, with applications accepted from 1 June 2025. The permit runs for 10 years, not 5 as commonly reported. The investment is USD 300,000, placed either into the charter capital of Kazakh companies or into locally traded securities.
Ten years of residence for USD 300,000 and a USD 250 fee is cheap by global standards. But for a tax-motivated family, it is strictly inferior to the AIFC ITRP. You would put up five times the capital for no tax benefit. And the citizenship it eventually leads to would cost you every other passport you hold. This is a distant second choice to the ITRP.
Qualifying routes
$300k
Charter capital of Kazakh companies
A 10-year permit.
$300k
Locally traded securities
A 10-year permit.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- $300k
- Total landed cost
- A USD 300,000 investment, plus a government fee of roughly USD 250. The application is filed electronically.
- Route type
- Residency by investment
- Timeline
- 1–3 months (Processed electronically.)
- Physical presence
- Not specified in the material we were able to reach.
- Family
- Unverified. The official press release says nothing about whether family members are included
- Permanent residency
- Not clearly specified.
- Citizenship
- 5 years of continuous permanent residence, 3 years if married to a citizen, with mandatory renunciation of any other citizenship. That renunciation requirement is a real drawback. See watchOuts.
- Language test
- Since October 2024, applicants must pass a formal exam covering Kazakh language, constitutional basics and national history. The exam requires at least 60% overall, with minimums of 36 on language, 9 on constitution and 15 on history. It is offered quarterly at the National Testing Center, and the certificate is valid for 2 years. Requirements were eased somewhat in July 2025.
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- USD 300,000 into charter capital or locally traded securitieselectronic applicationgovernment fee of roughly USD 250clean criminal record
What can go wrong
- THE CONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON DUAL CITIZENSHIP, in force since 1 July 2026, is the single most important fact about Kazakhstan. Naturalisation requires you to renounce your other nationalities, and you would lose them for good.
- FAMILY INCLUSION AND RENEWAL RULES ARE UNVERIFIED. The official press release says nothing on the subject, and the implementing text has not been published. Do not assume your dependants are covered.
- USD 300,000 FOR NO TAX BENEFIT. The ITRP delivers the same tax residency advantages for USD 60,000. Unless you need the 10-year term, or the ITRP's 20-year lookback disqualifies you, this route is poor value.
- Permanent residence is a separate matter. It requires roughly KZT 5.7 million (about USD 12,000) in a Kazakhstani bank account, waived for ethnic Kazakhs (Qandas). Opening the local account has become the hard part. Some applicants have resorted to temporary employer transfers just to get the bank certificate. 2026 rules add a points-based assessment and a language test.
- Personal income tax moved to a 10%/15% progressive structure, and VAT rose to 16%, from 1 January 2026.