Kazakhstan Neo Nomad Visa

Kazakhstan’s Neo Nomad Visa, category B12-1, is built for remote workers who want to base themselves in the country for a longer stay without taking local employment. It’s a multiple-entry visa and the headline rule is simple, you need to work for non-Kazakh employers or clients and keep your income coming from abroad.

The visa was introduced on Nov. 18, 2024 and it sits in a different lane from a standard tourist visa. Official guidance treats it as a tourist-type visa for remote-working foreign visitors, but it asks for proof of sustained foreign income and tax compliance, so it’s more demanding than a regular short-stay entry stamp.

What it allows: a stay of up to one year per issuance, with the option to extend in-country for up to one more year through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Who it’s for: foreign citizens from all countries who have permanent income from foreign sources and want to work remotely while traveling in Kazakhstan.

Income floor: the research points to a monthly foreign income of at least about $3,000.

That income threshold matters. The visa isn’t meant for casual freelancers with irregular cash flow and it doesn’t give you permission to work for a Kazakh employer once you’re there. If local work is the goal, this visa isn’t the right fit.

Spouses and dependents can also get visas with the same validity as the main applicant, which makes the category more practical for longer stays. The visa is issued through foreign missions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, so you’re not starting the process at a tourist desk after arrival.

• Type: multiple-entry Neo Nomad Visa, category B12-1
• Main use: remote work for non-Kazakh employers while living in Kazakhstan
• Stay length: up to one year per visa
• Extension: possible for an additional year inside Kazakhstan
• Income rule: about $3,000 a month from foreign sources
• Work limit: no employment in Kazakhstan

The current government guidance and consular fee schedule were updated through mid-2025, but the official portal doesn’t list a fixed processing time in the material provided here. That’s annoying, but it’s the reality of the published rules right now.

Kazakhstan’s Neo Nomad Visa is aimed at remote workers who earn outside Kazakhstan and want a longer stay than a standard tourist visa allows. The core test is simple, but not exactly loose: you need stable foreign income of at least $3,000 a month for the previous six months and you can’t use this visa to take a job in Kazakhstan.

The visa is open to foreign citizens who work remotely for non-Kazakh employers and have permanent income from foreign sources. Official guidance says citizens of 48 economically developed, politically and migration-stable countries can apply without an invitation letter, while applicants from other countries can still apply but need an invitation from a Kazakh side. The official portal doesn’t give a different income threshold by nationality.

To qualify, you’ll also need to show a clean record. Applicants must have no criminal record, backed by an official criminal record certificate. That requirement is straightforward, but it can still slow people down if they don’t already have the paperwork ready.

• Work arrangement: You must be a remote worker for a non-Kazakh employer.
• Income: You need at least $3,000 per month in stable foreign-sourced income over the previous six months.
• Employment limits: The visa doesn’t allow local employment or Kazakh-sourced income.
• Nationality rules: Some applicants can apply without an invitation letter, while others need one from a Kazakh side.
• Background check: You need an official criminal record certificate showing no criminal record.
• Family members: Dependents can get visas for the same duration as the main holder.

The Neo Nomad Visa is built for longer stays, not casual tourism. It’s a multiple-entry visa valid for up to a year at a time and it can be extended in-country for another year. If you’re looking for local work rights, this isn’t the visa for that and the rules are pretty clear about it.

Source 1 | Source 2

The Neo Nomad Visa, category B12-1, is built for remote workers with foreign employers, not people planning to take a local job in Kazakhstan. The core money test is clear: you need proof of stable foreign-sourced income of at least $3,000 a month, backed by a six-month bank statement. The visa can be issued for up to a year and it can be extended in-country for another year.

• Visa application form: Completed and ready for submission.
• Passport: Must have at least two blank pages and be valid for at least three months beyond the requested visa period.
• Photo: One recent color passport photo that matches the official size and background rules.
• Bank statement: Covers the past six months and shows stable monthly income of at least $3,000.
• Tax return: Issued by the competent authority in your country of citizenship.
• Criminal record certificate: From your country of citizenship or permanent residence.
• Medical insurance: Must cover the full validity period of the visa.

An invitation letter is normally required. That said, the official appendix waives it for citizens of 48 named economically developed and politically stable countries. If you qualify for that exemption, you still need the other documents.

The official portals don’t spell out a separate translation or apostille rule for standard Neo Nomad paperwork. They do say the tax return and criminal record certificate need to come from the competent authority in the relevant country, so don’t assume a casual printout will do the job.

This isn’t a light document set. The income proof, tax paperwork and police certificate make it more demanding than a tourist visa and that’s the tradeoff for staying longer while you work remotely. If any of those documents are shaky or out of date, expect delays or a refusal.

The Neo Nomad Visa isn’t cheap, but it’s not wildly expensive either. The official consular fee for the multiple-entry B12-1 visa is 170 GBP, which works out to roughly $220.

That fee is non-refundable, so if your application is refused or you change your mind, you don’t get it back. Kazakhstan’s published consular schedule doesn’t show a separate government processing fee beyond that visa charge.

There are also the boring extras that can add up fast. You’ll need to budget for the paperwork the program asks for and official guidance says applicants may need to cover costs for things like a criminal record certificate, a tax return from home authorities, medical insurance that covers the full visa validity and any bank statement or document certification fees.

The government doesn’t publish fixed prices for those items, so you’ll need to check your own country’s fees. That means the real cost of applying can be quite a bit higher than the visa fee alone.

There’s also no separate fixed charge listed for dependents in the official material. Dependents are generally issued visas for the same period and they’ll likely pay standard visa fees too, but the portal doesn’t spell out a special dependent fee.

• Visa fee: 170 GBP, about $220
• Refund policy: Non-refundable
• Other costs: Criminal record certificate, tax return, medical insurance, bank statements and document certification, if required by your case
• Dependents: No separate fixed fee is listed in the official guidance

The biggest thing to watch isn't the visa fee itself, it’s the paperwork. If you’re applying, plan for the consular charge plus whatever your home authorities and insurers charge to get your documents in shape.

Kazakhstan’s Neo Nomad Visa is handled through foreign missions, not an online portal or a mail-in process. You need to show up in person at a Kazakh embassy or consulate, hand over your paperwork and wait for the consular section to review it.

The official rule set is pretty strict on that point. The London mission, which spells out the process clearly, says applications aren’t accepted by mail and documents must be submitted during the consular section’s designated hours.

Start by gathering the required file. The standard set includes:

• Passport: valid travel document for the application.
• Visa application form: completed and ready to submit.
• Photo: a recent passport-style photo.
• Bank statements: proof of stable foreign income, which the program sets at about $3,000 a month.
• Tax return: proof of tax compliance.
• Criminal record certificate: required by the visa rules.
• Medical insurance: valid coverage for the stay.
• Invitation letter: if the mission asks for it.

That income figure matters. The visa is meant for remote workers earning from non-Kazakh employers and it doesn’t allow you to take a job in Kazakhstan, so this isn’t the right route if you plan to work locally.

Once you submit everything, authorized staff verify the documents and process the case. The stated processing time is about five working days from the moment the consular section receives the file, though that can vary a bit by mission, so don’t assume every embassy moves at the same speed.

If approved, you’ll get a multiple-entry visa that can let you stay in Kazakhstan for up to a year at a time. The program can also be extended in-country for an extra year, which is useful, but it also means you’ll want your paperwork clean from the start because fixing mistakes after submission is a pain.

The Neo Nomad Visa is built for a long stay, not a quick visit. It’s a multiple-entry visa with a validity period of up to one year and a permitted stay of up to one year, so you can stay in Kazakhstan continuously during that validity.

There’s a second year available, but it isn’t automatic. Official instructions say the visa can be extended in-country for up to one more year through the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which brings the total possible stay to two years under this visa type.

What that means in practice: if your application is approved, your initial visa and stay can both run for up to 12 months. If you want to stay longer, you’d need to apply for the extension before your first year runs out.

• Initial validity: up to 1 year
• Initial permitted stay: up to 1 year
• Extension: up to 1 additional year in Kazakhstan
• Maximum stay under this visa type: up to 2 years total

Dependents are tied to the main applicant’s timeline. Family members receive visas that match the principal holder’s validity, so their stay follows the same dates and any extension granted to the main visa holder.

The visa doesn’t lead to work in Kazakhstan and the government sources don’t present it as a direct path to permanent residence or citizenship. That matters because the Neo Nomad Visa is meant for remote workers earning foreign income, not for people looking to switch into local employment.

For applicants who want a permanent route, Kazakhstan has separate programs, including Digital Nomad Residency for certain IT professionals. It’s a different process with a different purpose, so don’t confuse it with the Neo Nomad Visa just because both involve remote work.

Taxes & considerations

The Neo Nomad Visa doesn’t come with a special tax break. The official visa guidance focuses on immigration rules, not on a separate tax regime for remote workers, so your tax position still depends on Kazakhstan’s general tax law and any treaty relief that applies to you.

That’s the part people sometimes underestimate. The visa is built for foreign workers with income from outside Kazakhstan, but it explicitly doesn’t allow employment in Kazakhstan and the government materials don’t spell out how foreign-sourced income is taxed for visa holders.

One concrete requirement does stand out. Applicants have to submit a tax return issued by the competent authority in their country of citizenship, which suggests the program expects you to stay on top of your home-country tax filings.

Kazakhstan’s general rules can also matter if you stay long enough. Official tax materials say individuals can become tax residents if they spend a certain number of days in the country or meet other residency criteria, so a long stay on a Neo Nomad Visa could create Kazakhstan tax residency exposure.

• Foreign income: The visa instructions don’t say how Kazakhstan treats foreign-sourced remote-work income.
• Tax residency: Long stays may trigger Kazakhstan tax residency under the country’s general rules.
• Home-country compliance: You’ll need a tax return from your country of citizenship for the visa application.
• Treaties: Any double-taxation relief has to be checked under Kazakhstan’s normal treaty rules, since the visa guidance doesn’t explain it.

If you’re planning to stay close to the visa’s one-year limit, don’t assume the tax side is simple. The immigration rules are clear enough, but the tax treatment isn’t and that can get messy fast if you split time between countries or become resident somewhere you didn’t expect.