Why an entrepreneur needs this status
A foreigner can perfectly legally run a business in Kazakhstan, but before opening or buying out a company they must bring their migration status in line with local rules. In practice this means one of two routes: either a temporary residence permit (RVP) with business-immigrant status, or a category C5 business visa.
The choice between them is determined not by citizenship as such but by the visa regime for entry. Citizens of countries with which Kazakhstan has a visa-free agreement — primarily EAEU states (Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan) and a number of others (for example, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) — obtain the business-immigrant RVP. Citizens of visa-required states need a C5 visa, obtained in advance at a consulate, before entering the country.
The legal logic is simple. Citizens of visa-free countries cross the border without a visa, so they can only legalize their right to do business once they are already in Kazakhstan — through the migration service. A citizen of a visa-required country completes the approvals abroad. In essence, the business-immigrant RVP performs the same function as the C5 visa: both documents confirm the right to found companies and to hold shares in their charter capital. The only difference is the procedure for obtaining them.
What changed in May 2024
The key reference point is May 28, 2024, when the updated version of Kazakhstan's Law "On Population Migration" came into force. Under clause 2 of article 40, a foreigner who has neither an entry visa nor a temporary residence permit with business-immigrant status is prohibited from creating legal entities and holding shares in the charter capital of commercial organizations. An exception is made for holders of a residence permit and a stateless-person certificate.
Before this reform there was a legal gap: a foreigner, including EAEU citizens, could register an LLP while in the country on the visa-free regime and obtain a residence permit only afterwards. Formally the person owned the business, but their migration status did not reflect their actual business activity. Now the principle is "status first, business second": when an application is filed, the eGov.kz portal itself checks the founder's status, and without a valid RVP (or a C5 visa) an application to create an LLP is rejected automatically.
The consequences of registering a business around this requirement are serious. The company may be declared invalid, and the violator faces fines, administrative liability and, in some cases, deportation with an entry ban.
The set of documents for an RVP
To obtain the permit you will need the following set.
A standard application form is submitted not by the foreigner themselves but by the host party — the housing owner, an employer or a registered legal entity. The form is signed by whoever provides the place of residence.
The foreign citizen's passport must be valid for at least the term of the requested RVP. The applicant must be a resident of a country that has a visa-free agreement with Kazakhstan. A good-quality color copy of the spread with the photo and personal data is usually required.
Medical insurance is mandatory only for citizens of non-EAEU states — a one-year "Voluntary imputed medical insurance for labor migrants" policy is taken out, which requires a passport and an IIN. EAEU residents are exempt from this requirement by law.
A fingerprint-registration certificate — a procedure mandatory for all foreigners since 2024. Fingerprints are taken at a district migration-police office or at a TsON at the place of actual residence.
A medical certificate of form 028/u confirms the absence of diseases from the list that would bar temporary stay. It is issued only by licensed Kazakhstani medical institutions after an examination.
A 35×45 mm photograph is taken directly at the TsON when the documents are submitted.
A document confirming no criminal record and no ban on business activity is issued by the competent authorities of the country of citizenship and is valid for 180 days. For Russian citizens two separate documents are required: a certificate of the presence or absence of a criminal record, and a certificate of no disqualification (that is, no court ban on business activity).
An arrival notification (e-Qonaq) is filed by the host party through eGov.kz within three business days of entry. Missing the deadline is grounds for both a fine and a refusal of the RVP.
An IIN — individual identification number — is mandatory: without it you cannot file an RVP application.
For business immigrants on a C5 visa, the consent of the local akimat and confirmation of contributing charter capital of at least 100 MCI (₸432,500 in 2026) are also required, which must be done within two months of registering the LLP.
Step-by-step algorithm for an EAEU citizen
The legalization process is like assembly by instructions: the order is critical here, because you cannot register a company without an RVP, and an RVP won't be issued without the medical procedures completed. A mistake at one step nullifies the previous ones.
Step 1. Entry and initial registration (the first three days)
An EAEU citizen has 90 days of visa-free stay, but the first three business days determine how things go from there. The host party must register the arrival via e-Qonaq. Without that record, subsequent visits to the TsON will be useless.
Step 2. Obtaining an IIN
You go to any TsON with your passport; the service is often provided the same day. From this moment the person becomes "visible" to government systems.
Step 3. Medical procedures
You need to undergo an examination at an accredited institution and obtain a form 028/u certificate. EAEU citizens do not need insurance for the RVP, but taking out a policy is still sensible — it protects against unexpected costs.
Step 4. Fingerprinting
Fingerprints are taken in person at a district migration-police office — this cannot be done remotely.
Step 5. Filing the RVP application
At this stage there is no LLP yet, so the host party is the applicant themselves (if there is a lease), the housing owner or a lawyer. Filing is via a TsON or eGov.kz. The review takes one business day, and often the decision arrives by SMS within a few hours. The result is business-immigrant status for three months.
Step 6. Registering the LLP
Only now can you file an electronic application to create a legal entity via eGov.kz. You will need a digital signature (EDS), obtained at a TsON. Registration takes up to three business days. The charter capital may be contributed within a year, and small businesses are exempt from contributing it.
Step 7. Opening a bank account
Almost all banks in Kazakhstan require the top executive to be present in person. Bring your passport, the LLP's registration documents and the RVP. After this the company is ready to operate.
The updated 2026 digital procedure
In 2025 the process was substantially simplified. The mandatory akimat petition was abolished — it was precisely at the stage of coordination with local authorities that applications often got stuck. In addition, the housing owner's notarized consent and a power of attorney from them are no longer needed.
Now the housing owner files the application themselves in their personal account on eGov.kz, attaching the necessary documents. The review is automated, and the finished electronic document arrives in the owner's account. The formal deadline is one business day, but in practice the SMS reply comes within 2–3 hours.
There are two possible outcomes: the RVP is granted or refused. If refused, it is worth collecting a written explanation of the reasons at the TsON and, if necessary, contacting the inspector who issued the refusal at the migration police of the relevant district.
Extension and obligations after obtaining an RVP
The initial permit is issued for three months. After registering the company, the foreign entrepreneur — the LLP's owner or a shareholder — can extend the RVP to a year. The application is filed at the legal entity's address, attaching a passport with a notarized translation, an IIN, a medical certificate, a policy (except for EAEU citizens), a fingerprint card, a notarized certificate of legal residence signed by the property owner and migration-service documents. The decision is usually ready within 72 hours, and there is no limit on the number of extensions of the annual RVP.
Extending the RVP is not required if your stay in the country will not exceed 90 consecutive days or 183 days within a year.
Getting the status is the beginning, not the end, of the relationship with the migration service. The foreigner must live strictly at the address in the registration documents, and when moving must register at the new address within five business days (deregistration from the old one now happens automatically). The extension application is filed before the current RVP expires: a missed deadline leads to cancellation of the status, and a delay of more than ten days triggers the administrative-deportation mechanism. You must notify the migration service of every entry and exit throughout the RVP's validity. Finally, the status is inseparable from running the business — liquidating the LLP or leaving the founders without another ground for legalization may lead to a shortened period of stay.
The host party has its own obligations: to conclude a lease or another document granting the right to use the housing, keep the information in it up to date and file e-Qonaq on time — within three business days. From July 1, 2026, a new procedure for registering immigrants comes into force (approved by order of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 923 of November 17, 2025) with electronic records through the migration-police information system: the host confirms the registration in the system, and their refusal becomes an independent ground for refusing the foreigner. Fictitious registration entails administrative liability.
Specific situations that often raise questions
The company was registered before 2024
The law is not retroactive. If an LLP was created, say, in 2022, and since then the founders, director, charter, name and address have not changed, no one has the right to demand an RVP — it is an acquired right. But any registration action (selling a share, changing the director, rebranding, expanding activity codes) brings the situation into the present: at the moment of re-registration the system applies the current rules, and without an RVP a refusal follows.
The risk of forced liquidation
If an LLP was registered without legal status at the time, the tax service has the right to have the registration declared invalid through the courts, which leads to the company's liquidation. The state has synchronized its databases and sees the chronology: the dates of entry, of obtaining an IIN, of registering the LLP and of obtaining the RVP. The tax service is not obliged to warn in advance — a check may begin, for example, on a VAT-refund request.
Fully remote registration
In 2026 a foreigner will not be able to open an LLP without ever visiting the country. Obtaining an IIN, a medical examination, fingerprinting and opening a bank account all require being present in person. With proper planning, everything fits into one trip of 8–10 business days, after which finances and reporting are managed remotely through internet banking and a digital signature. The preparatory part — choosing a name and checking its uniqueness, determining the activity codes and the tax regime, reserving a legal address, preparing the founding documents — can and should be done in advance.
Relocating the family
The Law "On Population Migration" (article 27) guarantees a business immigrant the right to family reunification. A spouse (the marriage must have been registered at least a year before filing), minor children, adult children in full-time education (by separate arrangement) and dependent parents unable to work may relocate. You must confirm financial means — at least 1 minimum wage per family member per month (in 2026, 1 minimum wage = ₸85,000) — and the availability of housing. Family members are issued an RVP for a year with annual extension, but its term cannot exceed the RVP of the entrepreneur themselves. Important: a permit obtained through family reunification does not in itself grant the right to work — a separate permit is issued for employment.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Do you need to be present in person when the RVP is issued?
Yes, appearing in person is usually required for identification and to capture biometric data.
Where do you get the certificate of no criminal record?
In the applicant's country of citizenship or country of permanent legal residence.
What if you couldn't register the LLP within 90 days?
You can apply to extend the initial RVP or consider other grounds for legalizing your stay.
Can you get a C5 visa instead of an RVP?
The C5 visa is intended for business immigrants from visa-required countries; citizens of the EAEU and other visa-free states need to obtain an RVP.
Is the status needed if the founder is a foreign company?
No. The requirement applies to foreign individuals. If the founder is a foreign legal entity, neither an RVP nor a C5 visa is required to register the LLP.
How we can help
You can get turnkey services from us:
- LLP registration and changes — company registration, changes of director, participants, activity codes, address and name.
- Accounting and tax bookkeeping — records, reporting and taxes turnkey, with liability fixed in the contract.
- Liquidation of LLPs and sole proprietors — closing the company and passing the required checks.
This material is for information only and is not legal advice. The set of documents, timelines, figures and migration-law rules may change. Before applying, check the current information on the eGov.kz portal, at a TsON or with the migration service of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs. Current as of August 5, 2026.