BUSINESS FORMATION  ·  KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan Investor Visa (C5)

The C5 is Kazakhstan's business immigrant visa, often called an investor visa, although the Rules treat it separately from the A5 category. A foreign national may found a commercial organisation in Kazakhstan, or join one as a participant, only with a visa or temporary residence permit as a business immigrant, unless they hold a residence permit (Law on Migration of the Population, Art. 40). Nationals of visa-free states receive a temporary residence permit instead of a visa (Art. 39(2)).

Bond Stone assists foreign investors with the full C5 visa process — issuing the invitation letter, coordinating the visa support number with the Migration Service, and completing company registration immediately upon arrival. Our Almaty and Astana teams manage the entire sequence from first contact to registered BIN.

Important — AIFC route: Foreign nationals registering a company within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) form and register it under AIFC acts rather than general Kazakhstani company law (AIFC Constitutional Statute No. 438-V, Art. 3(1)), and the Statute has its own visa terms for AIFC employees and investment residents (Art. 7). It does not expressly address the ban in Art. 40(2) of the Migration Law on foreign individuals without business-immigrant status founding or joining commercial companies, so we confirm the position for each founder. If your intended structure is an AIFC entity, see our Company Formation guide for the alternative route.

Governed by: Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 477-IV dated 22 July 2011 "On Migration of the Population" (as amended), Arts. 39 and 40; Rules for issuing invitations and visas (joint order No. 11-1-2/555 of 24 November 2016 and No. 1100 of 28 November 2016, restated 31 October 2024, as amended); Government Resolution No. 1041 dated 24 November 2023 (list of persons exempt from foreign labour permits).

The C5 Visa — Key Facts

Parameter Stage 1 — Initial C5 Stage 2 — Extended C5
Type Single-entry Multiple-entry
Validity Up to 90 days Up to 2 years (up to 3 years for ethnic Kazakhs)
Where obtained Kazakhstani embassy/consulate abroad — cannot be obtained inside Kazakhstan Migration Service of Kazakhstan — must be extended while physically in Kazakhstan (Rules, paras. 26, 51(12))
Processing time Invitation: up to 3 working days online or 5 on paper; the National Security Committee may extend its check to 30 calendar days. Visa: up to 5 working days 5 working days once filed; the National Security Committee may extend its check to 30 calendar days (Rules, Annex 8, item 3). No set period for the local executive body's letter
Company registration deadline Within 2 months of entry into Kazakhstan Company must be registered before extension is applied for
Work rights Business immigrants need no employer permit (Resolution No. 1041, item 2) Same, while carrying on entrepreneurial activity
Cost Consular fee at the rate set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Tax Code No. 214-VIII, Arts. 675, 676; Rules, para. 22) State duty for extension in Kazakhstan: 30 MCI for a multiple-entry visa, 7 MCI for a single entry and exit visa (Tax Code, Art. 666(1))

Stage 1 — Obtaining the Initial C5 Visa

1

Obtain an invitation letter & visa support number

The invitation letter must come from a Kazakhstan-registered company and must carry a visa support number issued by the Migration Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is the "chicken-and-egg" problem Bond Stone solves: if you have no company yet, we issue the invitation letter on your behalf as an authorised law firm. Review takes up to 3 working days online or 5 on paper. If the National Security Committee needs a fuller check, its period can extend to 30 calendar days.

2

Apply at the Kazakhstani embassy or consulate in your country of residence

The initial single-entry C5 visa must be obtained abroad. It cannot be obtained inside Kazakhstan or converted from a tourist visa. You apply at the Kazakhstani embassy or consulate in your country of citizenship or permanent residence with the invitation letter, visa support number, and the required document package.

3

Documents required

The applicant must be an adult. The Rules and Art. 39 require:

✓  Valid passport (minimum 6 months remaining validity)
✓  Completed visa application form
✓  Invitation letter with visa support number from the Migration Service
✓  Medical certificate confirming absence of diseases that prevent work
✓  Medical insurance
✓  Document showing the presence or absence of a criminal record, from the country of citizenship or permanent residence
✓  Document showing whether a court has banned entrepreneurial activity, if that country issues one
✓  One passport-sized photograph (3.5 × 4.5 cm)

After Arrival — Critical Obligations & Deadlines

The 3 deadlines every C5 holder must know

Within 3 working days of arrival: The host must inform the internal affairs authorities of the arrival (Art. 6(4)). Bond Stone handles this as part of the formation package.

Within 2 months of entry: Register a commercial organisation or join an existing one as a participant, and pay at least the statutory minimum into a Kazakhstani bank to form the charter capital of a new company (Art. 40(2)). If you do not, the internal affairs authorities may, on the request of the local executive body, cut your stay to the time needed to leave voluntarily.

Before leaving Kazakhstan: Apply for the C5 extension while still physically in the country. Extension documents are filed no earlier than 30 and no later than 5 working days before the visa expires (Rules, para. 53). If you leave without extending, plan on applying for a new visa from abroad.

Stage 2 — Extending the C5 Visa

Once the company is registered, the investor may apply to extend the C5 as a multiple-entry visa for up to 2 years. The extension rests on a written request from the local executive body and is processed by the internal affairs authorities (Rules, para. 51(12)), so it must be applied for while the investor is in Kazakhstan on the initial visa.

Documents required for C5 extension

✓  Application letter from the registered company
✓  Power of attorney for the company representative
✓  Original passport of the foreign investor
✓  Completed visa application form
✓  One passport-sized photograph (3.5 × 4.5 cm)
✓  Certificate of company registration (BIN extract)
✓  Evidence of charter capital contribution (bank confirmation)

Family Reunification — C2 Dependent Visa

Family members of a business immigrant who has lived in Kazakhstan continuously for at least one year may apply for the C2 family reunification visa (Art. 27(4)(3)). The marriage must have lasted at least one year (Art. 27(3)).

Eligible dependants: Spouse (minimum 1 year of marriage) · Unmarried dependent children under 18 · Adult children unable to support themselves for health reasons · Dependent parents unable to work
Visa validity: Up to 1 year — renewable
Work rights: Only with a certificate of qualification for self-employment and an employer permit within the quota (Art. 29(2))
Processing: Applied for after the one-year residence condition is met

Common Reasons for Refusal or Loss of Status

Criminal record disclosed by the required document

Medical certificate not issued, or a disease that prevents work

Existing ban on entrepreneurial activity imposed by court order

Incomplete document package or deficient invitation letter

No agreement from the National Security Committee

After entry: no company or participation within 2 months, which can shorten the stay

Bond Stone — Full C5 & Formation Service

Bond Stone provides a complete C5 visa and company formation service — from issuing the invitation letter through BIN registration, bank account opening, and C5 extension. All managed by our Almaty and Astana teams on one engagement, with no need to coordinate across multiple providers.

✓  Invitation letter issued by Bond Stone — no Kazakhstani company required at outset
✓  Visa support number coordination with the Migration Service
✓  Document package preparation and checklist review before embassy application
✓  Migration registration within 3 working days of arrival
✓  LLP registration within 1 business day via egov.kz
✓  Charter capital contribution and bank account coordination
✓  C5 extension application before departure — the step most investors miss
✓  C2 dependent visa coordination for family members

Why Bond Stone

Primary legal authority: adilet.zan.kz

Bond Stone Kazakhstan offices: Almaty  ·  Astana

Start your C5 visa process

Contact Bond Stone for a confidential discussion about your C5 visa, invitation letter, and company formation in Kazakhstan.

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

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