- Legal employment in Kazakhstan.
- Multiple entries and exits allowed.
- The visa is issued for up to 1 year with the possibility of extension.
- Official registration and support at every stage.

The C3 visa is a work visa for foreign nationals coming to Kazakhstan under an employment contract or at the invitation of an employer. It is issued on the basis of a work permit granted by the Employment and Social Protection Department of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Permit for the Engagement of Foreign Labor (EFL) is an official document issued by the local executive authority to the employer, allowing the legal employment of foreign specialists in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

To engage foreign labor, employers annually, by October 1, submit to the local executive bodies of the regions, cities of republican significance, and the capital — in whose territory the foreign employees are expected to carry out work activities — a request for foreign labor needs, using the form in Annex 1 to the Rules for Establishing the Quota for the Engagement of Foreign Labor in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Its Distribution Among the Regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, approved by Government Decree No. 802 of December 15, 2016 (hereinafter referred to as the “Quota Rules”).
According to clause 16 of the Quota Rules, the issuance and/or extension of permits by the local executive body is carried out under the following conditions:

• The number of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan must be at least 70% of the total number of employees in the first and second categories;
• The number of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan must be at least 90% of the total number of employees in the third and fourth categories.

An employer engaging foreign employees under intra-corporate transfer must ensure that the proportion of foreign workers (managers and specialists) engaged under such transfer does not exceed 50% of the number of Kazakhstani personnel in the corresponding category.
For the issuance and/or extension of the permit, an official fee (levy) is charged to employers, in accordance with the rates for issuing and/or extending permits for the engagement of foreign labor in the Republic of Kazakhstan, approved by Government Decree No. 157 of April 3, 2018, “On Establishing the Rates of Levy for Issuance and/or Extension of the Permit for the Engagement of Foreign Labor in the Republic of Kazakhstan.”
The engagement of foreign labor under an intra-corporate transfer is carried out outside the quota and on a free-of-charge basis.

1️⃣ Collection of data from the employer:

• Confirmation of compliance with the quota conditions for the engagement of foreign labor;
• Information about the legal entity;
• Information on the local staff composition (Kazakhstani personnel ratio);
• Electronic digital signature (EDS) key.

2️⃣ Collection of data from the foreign employee:

• Copy of passport;
• Copy of legalized higher education diploma confirming qualification.

3️⃣ Submission of documents:

• Preparation and submission of the document package to the Employment and Social Protection Department of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• Payment of the official fee for the issuance of the work permit.

Processing time: 10–14 working days, depending on the employee category and the region.

1️⃣ Collection and preparation of the required document package:

• Original foreign passport;
• Work permit from the Employment Department of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• 3x4 cm photo;
• Individual Identification Number (IIN);
• Certificate of fingerprint registration. If the certificate is missing, we provide assistance in completing fingerprint registration at the local state authority.

2️⃣ Visa application submission:

• Payment of the fee for issuance of the C3 category visa;
• Submission of the document package to the local migration service.

Visa processing time: 10–14 working days.