Work Permits in Kazakhstan

Executives — exemptions and the C3 visa

C3 is a work visa, not a work permit. A foreign executive needs an employer permit from the local executive body unless an exemption applies. The main exemptions cover the first head of a branch or representative office of a foreign legal entity (Art. 36-1(2)(7)) and the first head and one deputy of a Kazakhstani legal entity with 100% foreign participation (Resolution No. 1041, Annex 1, item 16). Bond Stone prepares the application package, including the employment contract and appointment documents.

Specialists and other foreign workers

The employer obtains a permit from the local executive body within the quota (Art. 37(1)). The permit cannot be transferred to another employer (Art. 37-1(3)), and the worker must have the education, qualifications and experience for the job (Art. 35). Intra-corporate transferees are outside the annual quota (Art. 36-1(3)), and workers in occupations in demand may come for self-employment with a certificate of qualification (Art. 37(3)).

Seasonal Work Permits

Seasonal foreign workers are engaged by employers for up to 1 year for listed seasonal work (Art. 34). The C6 visa requires the employer's permit.

EAEU nationals — no permit required

Citizens of EAEU member states (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan) do not require an employer permit to work in Kazakhstan (Resolution No. 1041, Annex 1, item 9). However, registration obligations and social insurance requirements still apply. Bond Stone advises on EAEU national employment compliance obligations.

How the annual quota works

The migration authority sets the quota as a percentage of the labour force and distributes it among the regions (Art. 36-1; Order No. 274 of 30 June 2023). Foreign workers fall into four categories: (1) heads and their deputies, (2) heads of structural divisions, (3) specialists and (4) skilled workers (Permit Rules, Order No. 279 of 30 June 2023, para. 5). Employers file their annual needs, by category, with the local executive body by 1 October (Order No. 274, para. 6 and Annex 1) and then apply for a permit within the quota. Permit holders report on the permit's special conditions and their foreign workers through the migration.enbek.kz portal each year (Order No. 279, para. 80 and Annex 11). Bond Stone advises on planning and manages applications for international employers.

Local content requirements

The subsoil use sector has mandatory local content requirements for employment — minimum percentages of Kazakhstani nationals must be employed at each level of the workforce. Non-subsoil employers are subject to the general foreign worker quota system. Bond Stone advises on local content compliance obligations for both subsoil and non-subsoil employers.

Consequences of non-compliance

Employing a foreign national without a valid work permit or in excess of quota exposes the employer to administrative fines and the employee to expulsion. Bond Stone advises on compliance monitoring and remediation where employers identify permit gaps in their workforce.