The Rules for Issuing Invitations and Visas in Kazakhstan Have Been Amended - FCHAIN

The Rules for Issuing Invitations and Visas in Kazakhstan Have Been Amended

 By a joint order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, amendments have been introduced to the Rules for issuing invitations for entry of foreigners and stateless persons, coordinating invitations, issuing, canceling, restoring, and extending visas of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main amendments enter into force on March 10, 2026, with certain provisions effective from February 22, 2026.

 

Public Services Officially Formalized in the Rules

The Rules now directly define the procedure for providing public services for the acceptance and coordination of invitations from inviting parties for the issuance of visas of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as for the issuance, restoration, and extension of visas to foreigners and stateless persons for the right to exit from and enter the Republic of Kazakhstan. Additionally, territorial divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and foreign missions are required to enter information on the stages of service provision into the public services monitoring information system.

 

Strict Requirements for Visa Issuance

• Completion of the Kazakhstan visa sticker must strictly comply with the approved form in accordance with the appendix to the Rules.
• Corrections in visas are not allowed. Visas containing corrections are considered invalid.
• Electronic visas are issued exclusively through the Visa and Migration Portal.

 

Prohibition on Excessive Documentation

State authorities are prohibited from requesting documents and information that can be obtained from state information systems. It is also not allowed to require notarized copies if original documents are presented for verification. Exceptions are permitted only in cases предусмотренных by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of pension and social security.

Depending on the visa category, additional requirements apply. For example, for internship or practical training, a petition from the central executive bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan or the Innovation Cluster (if training is conducted under its programs) must be submitted.

 

Review by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Approval by the National Security Committee

When reviewing a petition, territorial divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs verify:

• compliance of documents with the purpose of travel;
• the number of entries and validity period of the visa;
• as well as the correctness of determining the place of issuance.

In addition, the existence of grounds for refusal of entry into the Republic of Kazakhstan or refusal to provide the public service is assessed.

If there are no grounds for refusal, the documents are sent for approval to the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan via the Unified Information System “Berkut.” The approval period is up to three working days. If a more detailed review is required, the period may be extended to thirty calendar days. After receiving the response from the National Security Committee, a decision on issuing the invitation or refusal is made within one working day.

 

Determination of the Place of Visa Issuance

The place of visa issuance is determined in accordance with the consular district of the foreigner’s country of citizenship. Exceptions are allowed if the foreigner holds a permanent residence permit in another country or a long-term stay permit for employment, investment, education, or medical treatment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs forms a list of foreign missions indicating their respective consular districts.

From March 10, 2026, foreigners and stateless persons who have reached the age of sixteen must undergo mandatory fingerprint registration when obtaining visas of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The exception applies to electronic visas issued without visiting foreign missions.

 

Specifics of the “C3” Visa Category

Primary work visas of category “C3” are issued at the place of registration of the inviting party. Extension, cancellation, restoration, or reduction of the validity period is carried out at the place of temporary residence of the foreigner. For participants and bodies of the AIFC, employees of the Innovation Cluster and the Fund, as well as their family members, a special procedure is established, including the possibility of changing the visa without taking into account previously issued primary visas.

 

What This Means for Business

The amendments strengthen digitalization of procedures, increase requirements for accurate documentation, and enhance interagency control. For companies engaging foreign specialists, it is especially important to ensure precise wording in invitations, compliance with the purpose of visit, and correct determination of the place of document submission, as errors may result in refusal or extended processing times.

 

How FChain Can Help

FChain provides comprehensive support to companies and foreign specialists in matters of invitation processing, obtaining and extending work visas, changing visa status, preparing documents in accordance with current legal requirements, as well as supporting investors, AIFC participants, and Innovation Cluster members. We structure the process to minimize the risk of refusal, reduce approval timelines, and ensure full compliance with the migration legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

 

New Rules for Immigrant Registration in Kazakhstan

 

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