Kazakhstan · Work
Kazakhstan Astana Hub / AIFC work visa
First stay: 5 yrs
Employment visa C3 for AIFC and Astana Hub personnel (up to 5 years)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Astana Hub / AIFC work visa is a work route for Kazakhstan. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Processing
- 5 working days
- First stay
- 5 yrs
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
For AIFC and Astana Hub personnel the visa can be extended for up to 5 years at a time, for the duration of the permit, on a petition from the inviting party. Extension documents are filed from 30 working days to 5 working days before the visa expires.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan
Processing5 working days
Visa processing may not exceed 5 working days. The National Security Committee's coordination takes up to 3 working days, extendable to 30 calendar days when needed.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Issued by Kazakh embassies and consulates abroad, or in Kazakhstan by the migration police, which can also switch family-member C3 visas to a work C3 for AIFC and Astana Hub staff.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Kazakhstan
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- The employer is an AIFC or Astana Hub entity.
Documents2
- A petition from the inviting party is submitted.
- Employment authorisation is submitted.
When you become tax resident
How Kazakhstan decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 5 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in any consecutive 12 months ending in the tax periodPhysical presence including days of arrival and departure; for an AIFC investment resident the test is 90 days.
- At least 90 days in any consecutive 12 months ending in the tax periodInvestment resident of the AIFC under the AIFC Constitutional Law.
- At least 183 days in any consecutive 12-month period ending in the tax periodPermanent presence makes a person resident
- At least 90 days in any consecutive 12-month period ending in the tax periodAIFC investment resident
- Foreign-source income
Residents are taxed on worldwide income, with a progressive rate of 10% on income up to 8,500 times the monthly calculation index (MCI) in a calendar year and 15% on the excess; non-residents are taxed on Kazakhstan-source income only.
- Regime tied to this route
Corporate tax, VAT and employee income relief · 0% tax
Qualifying Astana Hub participants get a 100% reduction of corporate income tax, VAT exemption on qualifying sales and imports, and exclusion of employees' income from social tax; employee income of Astana Hub participants is listed among personal-income exemptions.
All tax rules for Kazakhstan Tax records checked
Full official text
Multiple-entry C3 work visa valid up to 5 years for AIFC participants and bodies and for employees of Astana Hub participants or of Astana Hub, instead of the general 3-year maximum. 1
Requirements
- The employer is an AIFC or Astana Hub entity. 1
- A petition from the inviting party is submitted. 1
- Employment authorisation is submitted. 1
Stay
- Multiple entry up to 5 years.
- First stay: up to 60 months, decided case by case.
- Visa validity: 60 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Work for the AIFC or Astana Hub employer.
Family
Family members covered by the main visa term.
Official sources
- Joint Order: Rules for invitations and issue of Republic of Kazakhstan visas (Annex 1 visa categories), as amended · Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan (Adilet legal database) · checked 2026-10-12
- Joint Order: Rules for invitations and issue of Republic of Kazakhstan visas (current text, amended October 2025) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan (Adilet) · checked 2026-10-12
Astana Hub / AIFC work visa and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astana Hub / AIFC work visa | – | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Work visa C3 | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Investor visa A5 | – | – | – |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Astana Hub / AIFC work visa?
Multiple entry up to 5 years.
How long does the Astana Hub / AIFC work visa take to process?
Visa processing may not exceed 5 working days.
Can I work on the Astana Hub / AIFC work visa?
Work for the AIFC or Astana Hub employer.
Can I bring my family on the Astana Hub / AIFC work visa?
Family members covered by the main visa term.
Is there a tax break for Astana Hub / AIFC work visa holders in Kazakhstan?
Astana Hub participants: corporate tax, VAT and employee income relief: Qualifying Astana Hub participants get a 100% reduction of corporate income tax, VAT exemption on qualifying sales and imports, and exclusion of employees' income from social tax; employee income of Astana Hub participants is listed among personal-income exemptions. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Astana Hub participants: corporate tax, VAT and employee income relief
0% tax
Details
- On: Corporate income from priority ICT activities of a registered Astana Hub participant
- Who: Legal entity incorporated in the Astana Hub autonomous cluster fund as a participant
Qualifying Astana Hub participants get a 100% reduction of corporate income tax, VAT exemption on qualifying sales and imports, and exclusion of employees' income from social tax; employee income of Astana Hub participants is listed among personal-income exemptions.
Taxed on
Corporate income from priority ICT activities of a registered Astana Hub participant.
Who it applies to
- Legal entity incorporated in the Astana Hub autonomous cluster fund as a participant.
- At least 90% of total annual income comes from priority information and communication technology activities.
- For goods, the goods meet the own-production criteria.
Exclusions
- Participants of Astana Hub cannot use the general investment tax preferences.
- Chapter 82 preferences are stated to be valid until 1 January 2029.
Tax residence
Entity-level regime; individuals' residency follows Article 222.
Visas
Astana Hub staff can obtain C3 work visas for up to 5 years; the tax regime does not itself grant a visa.
Other taxes
VAT exemption on imports applies only to goods on the approved list used exclusively for priority ICT activities.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in Kazakhstan
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Joint Order: Rules for invitations and issue of Republic of Kazakhstan visas (Annex 1 visa categories), as amended · Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan (Adilet legal database) · checked 2026-10-12
- Joint Order: Rules for invitations and issue of Republic of Kazakhstan visas (current text, amended October 2025) · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan (Adilet) · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.