Kazakhstan Neo Nomad Visa

Status: active. The Neo Nomad Visa (category B12-1) lets foreign remote workers live in Kazakhstan while earning from employers or clients abroad. It was introduced in November 2024 (Qazalem, Otandastar Foundation).

It is a multiple-entry visa valid for 1 year, with one extension inside the country, for a total of up to 2 years. Applicants show at least $3,000 a month in income from abroad (Kazakh Embassy in London).

The visa does not allow work for Kazakh employers.

Path to residence: None stated. The Neo Nomad Visa is a tourist-category visa; the separate B9-1 visa for IT specialists is the route toward permanent residence.

The visa is open to citizens of every country who work remotely for employers or clients outside Kazakhstan (Kazakh Embassy in Latvia).

• Income: at least $3,000 a month, earned from outside Kazakhstan. No separate figure for dependents has been published.
• Invitation: applicants usually need an invitation from a Kazakh travel company. Citizens of the countries on the government's published list are exempt.
• Work for Kazakh employers: No.
• Family: Yes. Family members and dependents receive visas for the same period as the main applicant, and the Latvian embassy notes limits on work and religious activity for them.

No age limit or list of eligible professions is set in the consular guidance.

Consular pages list the core documents below. Each consulate can ask for more, so applicants should check the list of the mission where they file.

• Income proof: bank statements for the last six months showing a stable monthly income of at least $3,000 (London embassy).
• Criminal record certificate from the country of citizenship or residence (Qazalem).
• Health insurance covering the stay in Kazakhstan.
• Invitation letter from a Kazakh travel company, unless the applicant's country is on the exemption list.

Translation, legalization and passport validity rules are not set out in the Neo Nomad guidance; general consular rules apply.

Consular fees are set by each mission in local currency. At the Kazakh Embassy in London, a multiple-entry Neo Nomad Visa costs £170 (London embassy); other consulates charge different amounts.

No official fee for the in-country extension has been published.

Other costs fall outside the visa fee: health insurance for the whole stay, a criminal record certificate, bank statements, any translations and the travel company invitation where one is needed. These are set by private providers and home-country authorities.

1. Prepare the documents and, where needed, the travel company invitation.
2. File the application: In person at a Kazakh embassy or consulate abroad; applications by mail are not accepted.
3. Pay the consular fee in the local currency of the mission.
4. Wait for the decision. The London embassy says processing takes about 5 days, counted in business days from receipt of the documents.
5. To stay longer: One extension of up to 1 year, applied for inside Kazakhstan through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

• First visa: multiple entry, valid for 1 year.
• Extension: One extension of up to 1 year, applied for inside Kazakhstan through the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Maximum total stay: 2 years. No official source describes a further extension.
• Family: dependents' visas run for the same period as the main applicant's.

Path to residence: None stated. The Neo Nomad Visa is a tourist-category visa; the separate B9-1 visa for IT specialists is the route toward permanent residence.

No official source in force confirms a tax exemption for Neo Nomad holders, and the visa rules say nothing about tax.

Tax residency in Kazakhstan depends on the number of days spent in the country, and a stay of up to 2 years can cross the threshold set in the Tax Code. Holders planning a long stay should confirm the current day-count test and how their foreign income would be treated with the State Revenue Committee or a local adviser.

The visa requires income from abroad, so holders also stay subject to the tax rules of their home country.