BUSINESS FORMATION  ·  KAZAKHSTAN

Business Licenses & Permits in Kazakhstan

Sector-specific regulatory licensing — deep-dive guides

Financial Services — ARDFM, NBK & AFSA authorisations →
Pharmaceutical — manufacturing, import/export, wholesale →
Energy & Subsoil Use — oil & gas, renewable energy, mining →
Construction — Category I, II, and III licences →

Bond Stone advises international and domestic businesses on licensing and permit requirements across all regulated sectors in Kazakhstan — from initial strategy through application preparation, regulatory liaison, and ongoing compliance management.

Operating in a regulated sector in Kazakhstan without the required licence is a ground on which a court may liquidate a legal entity (Civil Code, Art. 49(2)), and transactions made in the course of unlicensed activity may be open to challenge. Activity without a required permit is also an administrative offence: a first offence carries a fine of 25 MCI for a small business, 40 MCI for a medium business and 150 MCI for a large business, a repeat offence within a year 50, 80 and 500 MCI, and unlicensed activity additionally leads to confiscation of the income received (Code on Administrative Offences, Art. 463(1), (2)). Where the conduct has the features of a criminal offence, the Criminal Code applies instead.

Governed by: Law No. 202-V dated 16 May 2014 "On Permissions and Notifications" (as amended). Standard licence issuance term: 15 working days from complete application submission.

The Permits Framework — Licences, Permits & Notifications

The Law on Permissions and Notifications (No. 202-V, 2014, as amended) classifies regulated activities into three tracks and six permit classes:

Licence

For high-risk or heavily regulated activities. Cannot commence the licensed activity until the licence is issued. Standard issuance: 15 working days. Subject to periodic renewal, inspections, and licence conditions.

Second-Category Permit

For specific facilities, one-time activities, or use of limited resources. Includes facility-level permits, one-time approvals, and quota-based activities. Issued by designated competent authorities.

Notification

For lower-risk regulated activities. Filed with the relevant state authority before commencing the activity. Activity may begin immediately after notification — no waiting period. Missed deadline does not block activity but carries administrative exposure.

Important: If the licensing authority misses its deadline without a reasoned refusal, it must issue the permit within five working days; if it does not, the permit is deemed received (Law on Permissions and Notifications, Art. 26). The rule does not apply to permits marked in Annexes 1 and 2. Bond Stone monitors application timelines and relies on this rule where it applies.

Sectors We Advise On

Financial Services & Fintech

Banking licensed by the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) under the Law on Banks and Banking Activities (No. 258-VIII, 16 January 2026); payment organisations licensed (first category) or registered (second category) by the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) under Law No. 352-VIII of 23 July 2026. AIFC-regulated financial services and digital asset activities licensed by AFSA under AFSA rulebooks. Microfinance organisations licensed by the ARDFM. Currency exchange operator licences from the NBK.

Energy & Natural Resources

Subsoil use contracts and licences under the Code on Subsoil and Subsoil Use (No. 125-VI, 27 December 2017). Environmental permits. Radiation safety licences. Hazardous industrial facility operation permits. Electricity licences cover transmission and purchase for supply, not generation (Law on Electric Power No. 588 of 9 July 2004, Art. 7-1; Law on Permits, Annex 1).

Pharmaceuticals & Medical

Pharmaceutical manufacturing, wholesale, and retail licences under the Code on Public Health and the Healthcare System (No. 360-VI of 7 July 2020, Art. 17). Medical device registration. Clinical trial approvals. Import/export permits for controlled substances. Narcotic drug and psychotropic substance handling licences.

Construction & Architecture

Construction activity licences (Categories I, II, III) issued by the local executive bodies responsible for state architectural and construction control. Minimum experience requirements apply: Category I requires 10 years' licensed experience (7 for offshore oil and gas work, or 5 as a Category II licensee); Category II requires 5 years. Architectural design and engineering survey licences. Expert examination of design documentation, start-of-works notification and acceptance acts.

Education

Educational activity of legal entities is licensed under the Law on Education (No. 319-III of 27 July 2007, Art. 57) and the Law on Permits and Notifications; the licensing rules differ for technical and vocational, higher and postgraduate education.

Food, Alcohol, Agriculture & Gambling

Alcohol production and wholesale licences issued by the State Revenue Committee. Veterinary and phytosanitary certificates. Food production notifications. Import permits for controlled food categories. Gambling activity licences under the Law on Gambling Business (No. 219 of 12 January 2007).

Our Licensing Service

Licensing strategy assessment

Review of the client's proposed activities against Annexes 1, 2, and 3 of the Law on Permissions and Notifications to identify all required licences, second-category permits, and notifications before commencement of operations. Includes analysis of sector-specific laws where the general permits law does not apply (e.g. subsoil use, banking, securities).

Application preparation

Full application package in Kazakh and Russian — corporate documents, qualification confirmations, technical specifications, premises documentation, and regulatory declarations. Submission via the State Electronic Register of Permissions and Notifications (e-licence portal) or directly to the competent licensing authority.

Regulatory liaison & deadline enforcement

Direct liaison with the competent licensing authority throughout the 15-working-day review period. Responding to information requests, attending regulatory meetings, and tracking application status. Bond Stone applies Article 26 where the authority misses its deadline and the rule is available.

Ongoing compliance & renewal

Licence renewal management, condition compliance monitoring, regulatory inspection support, and notification of material changes to the licensing authority. Advice on licence suspension and reinstatement procedures.

Why Bond Stone

Primary legal authority: adilet.zan.kz

Bond Stone Kazakhstan offices: Almaty  ·  Astana

Selected Experience — Licensing & Permits

Bond Stone advises on licensing requirements across Kazakhstan's regulated sectors, from initial strategy through application and ongoing compliance. Our licensing work spans ARDFM-regulated and NBK-regulated financial services, AFSA digital asset licences, pharmaceutical production, construction, and subsoil use.

20+

Licence and permit applications managed across energy, fintech, pharma, and construction sectors

5+

AFSA licensing mandates for digital asset and financial services providers within the AIFC

15

Working days — standard licence issuance term under Law No. 202-V; Bond Stone monitors every deadline

8

Specialisations held by Bond Stone's AIFC RLAs — including Digital Assets & Blockchain, Regulatory & Compliance, and Banking & Finance

Discuss your licensing requirements

Contact Bond Stone for a confidential assessment of the licensing and permit requirements for your business activities in Kazakhstan.

info@bondstonelaw.com
+7 (701) 729 76 72

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