Kazakhstan's investor visa: a residence permit of up to ten years for USD 300,000

Kazakhstan approved its investor visa in spring 2025 to deepen long-term foreign participation in the economy. The qualifying investment is at least USD 300,000, placed either in the charter capital of a Kazakh company or in domestic issued securities. Applications are filed electronically, and an approved investor may then obtain a residence permit valid for up to ten years. Property purchases do not qualify, which makes the programme closer to a business or capital-markets commitment than a real-estate scheme. The AIFC confirms the same USD 300,000 threshold for a residence permit within its own framework.

The AIFC's Investment Tax Residency Programme (ITRP) is the second route. From USD 60,000 in securities listed on the AIFC Exchange (AIX) or in the share capital of an AIFC-registered company, or from USD 150,000 in digital assets held through AFSA-licensed providers, an investor receives an AIFC investment-resident certificate and can obtain a five-year investor visa for themselves and immediate family. Applicants must be at least 18 and must not have been Kazakh citizens or tax residents in the previous 20 years.

Tax planning deserves attention before arrival. An individual is a Kazakh tax resident after 183 days in the country in any rolling 12-month period, or where the centre of vital interests is in Kazakhstan, which can be triggered by holding a residence permit together with family and available housing in the country. Residents are taxed on worldwide income. Under the new Tax Code effective 1 January 2026, personal income tax is 10% on annual income up to 8,500 monthly calculation indices (MCI) and 15% above. ITRP participants can obtain a tax residence certificate after 90 days and benefit from exemptions on foreign income and programme investments, subject to an annual fee of 7,000 MCI.

Residence does not lead quickly to a passport. Naturalisation generally requires five years of permanent residence (three years of marriage to a Kazakh citizen), a test of Kazakh language, constitutional knowledge and national history, and proof that any previous citizenship has ended, since Kazakhstan does not recognise dual nationality. The final decision is made by presidential decree. For most international families, the value of either route lies in a stable regional base with access to the Eurasian market rather than a second citizenship.