Business and visa support in Kazakhstan: why international companies choose the AIFC and the Expat Centre
In short:
In short: registering a Private Company in the AIFC opens access to the Expat Centre — a one-stop shop for work (C3), business (C5) and investor visas, extensions without leaving Kazakhstan, IINs and family members’ paperwork.
The rapid growth of Kazakhstan’s economy and its role as Central Asia’s financial hub are attracting more and more foreign investors, IT companies and international businesses. Yet the key question when entering the market is not the formal choice of a jurisdiction but building a lawful, clear and fast structure for relocating founders, senior managers and key specialists.
Today the most effective answer is opening a Private Company in the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and then arranging visa support through the dedicated AIFC Expat Centre.
In short: a Private Company in the AIFC operates under English common law and needs no minimum share capital. Registration opens access to the Expat Centre, which handles work (C3), business (C5) and investor visas, extends them without leaving Kazakhstan and deals with related matters — IINs, fingerprinting, family members’ documents — as a one-stop shop.
Why a Private Company in the AIFC
The Astana International Financial Centre has a special legal regime based on the principles and rules of English Common Law. This gives international investors familiar tools for protecting capital, flexible corporate governance and attractive tax incentives.
The key advantages of registering a Private Company:
- Flexible capital: no strict minimum share capital requirement.
- International standards: a clear ownership structure, the option of shareholders’ agreements (SHA) and direct investment instruments.
- Tax and currency regime: special terms in a number of areas and convenient access to international payments.
What the AIFC Expat Centre offers
Registering a company in the AIFC gives access to the AIFC Expat Centre — a dedicated body set up to serve international experts and investors on a one-stop-shop basis.
Compared with the standard procedures of the general immigration authorities, visa support for AIFC participants has clear advantages:
- Special visa categories and favourable terms: AIFC participants may bring in foreign specialists and obtain work (C3) and business (C5) visas, as well as investor visas, under streamlined procedures.
- Fewer standard barriers: hiring key foreign staff into AIFC entities is significantly simpler — without the standard work-permit quotas and lengthy administrative delays.
- Extensions without leaving the country: the Expat Centre makes it possible to arrive on an initial 90-day visa and then extend it for a long period (up to one to three years) without leaving Kazakhstan.
- A one-stop service: related immigration and administrative matters — obtaining an IIN, fingerprinting, paperwork for family members — are handled in one place by dedicated coordinators.
Where registration and visa applications most often go wrong
For all the advantages of the AIFC, its registration and immigration procedures demand strict compliance with the rules of the AIFC’s financial services regulator (AFSA) and the migration service.
Mistakes in choosing business activity codes (NACE), in drafting corporate resolutions or in preparing apostilled and translated documents can lead to delays or to a refusal of the visa support application.
End-to-end support: from registering the company to obtaining the visa
- Preparing documents and registering the Private Company on the AIFC / AFSA register.
- Structuring visa requests and choosing the right category (C3, C5, investor programmes).
- Handling submissions to the AIFC Expat Centre in compliance with all regulatory requirements.
- Arranging the initial entry and the subsequent extension of visa status without leaving Kazakhstan.
The lawyers at Osmar Group register companies in the AIFC and support the relocation of founders and staff. Leave your business relocation to professionals and get a fast, lawful and comfortable start in Kazakhstan.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum share capital for a Private Company in the AIFC?
No. A Private Company has no strict minimum share capital requirement.
Which visas can be obtained through the AIFC Expat Centre?
AIFC participants can bring in foreign specialists and obtain work (C3) and business (C5) visas, as well as investor visas, under streamlined procedures.
Can a visa be extended without leaving Kazakhstan?
Yes. Through the Expat Centre you can arrive on an initial 90-day visa and then extend it for a long period — up to one to three years — without leaving the country.
What else does the Expat Centre handle besides visas?
Related immigration and administrative matters: obtaining an IIN, fingerprinting and paperwork for family members, on a one-stop-shop basis.