22 April 2026
Open a Business in Kazakhstan as a Foreigner
Please contact us for assistance if you want to open a company in Kazakhstan as foreigner (we can also incorporate in special economic zones)
In this article, investors are invited to discover information related to the business environment in Kazakhstan. Our team will focus on the competitive advantages that can determine an investor to open a business in Kazakhstan, rather than the incorporation process itself.
Our consultants will present details on the number of businesses registered here, the tax advantages, the particularities of the market and many others that can be of importance to any person who plans to open a business in Kazakhstan as a foreigner.
Why should foreign investors start a business in Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan has a very stable economy and reliable policies concerning foreign investments. Any individual who plans to open a business in Kazakhstan as a foreigner must be aware of the following key elements:
- foreign investments are protected under many rules of law (the Civil Code, the Entrepreneurial Code), including the Constitution and international investment treaties that are recognized here;
- it is recommended to set up a company in Kazakhstan in fields such as construction, telecommunications or manufacturing, as they benefit from investment incentives;
- foreign investors are allowed to repatriate the profits obtained from their business activities in Kazakhstan (this can be done once the local taxes are applied to the gross income);
- foreign companies can expand on the local market through the incorporation of a branch or a representative office.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Can foreigners open a company in Kazakhstan? | Yes, foreigners can open a business in Kazakhstan. |
Is it difficult to open a company as a foreigner? | It is not difficult to open a business in Kazakhstan as a foreigner, especially when comparing other Central Asian alternatives. |
Do foreigners need special approval for business purposes? | An individual who wants to open a business in Kazakhstan as a foreigner may need to obtain special approvals (in the form of licenses or permissions) depending on the activity the company will carry out. |
| Is it costly to start a business? | No, companies can be set up with relatively low costs (free state registration for small and medium-sized businesses and around $20 for large ones; no minimum capital for small-business LLPs and 100 MCI – KZT 432,500 – for medium and large LLPs). To these should be added the fee for the legal assistance. |
| Bureaucracy level in Kazakhstan | No current official ranking (the World Bank Doing Business report, where Kazakhstan was 25th of 190 in 2020, was discontinued in 2021) |
| What are the benefits of starting a business in Kazakhstan? | – it has special economic zones; – it enabled laws for the protection of foreign investors; – there are business opportunities in fields such as renewable energy, agriculture, food processing, technology; – local legal entities offer investors limited liability against corporate debts; – companies can be registered by individuals and other companies. |
| Types of operating costs of a business | wages, rent, utilities, insurance, accounting and legal costs, marketing, office supplies, etc. |
| How many businesses are registered on an annual basis? | In 2023, there were a total of 529,411 businesses registered in Kazakhstan, out of which 417,106 were active companies (according to the Bureau of National Statistics). Out of these, more that 55,000 were companies with foreign ownership. On a year-to-year basis, the number of registrations increases by an average of 5%. |
| What was the region with the largest business registration share? | Almaty City, Astana City, Turkistan |
| Corporate insolvency | More than 27,000 companies were closed down in 2023. |
| Law regulating foreign investments | The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Investments |
| Does Kazakhstan apply a visa system for business purposes? | Yes |
| Residency requirements for foreign shareholders | Not applicable |
| Minimum salary | KZT 85,000 per month (in 2026, unchanged from 2025) |
| What types of businesses are popular in Kazakhstan? | Provision of services, manufacturing, agriculture/forestry/fishery, transport/warehousing, education |
What is the data on local businesses?
The business market is characterized by a large number of companies (the incorporations have increased from one year to another), as revealed by the Bureau of National Statistics. In the list below, our team invites you to discover a few details concerning small and medium sized companies (given that they represent the majority of local businesses):
- in 2023, there were 2,236,501 small and medium-sized companies and by 1st of January 2025, their number rose to 2,262,400 (it takes into consideration sole traders as well);
- the process of company registration in Kazakhstan has been completed by businessmen registered as sole traders (1,5 million), and by those incorporating small enterprises (464,811) and medium enterprises (3,207);
- from the total number of registrations observed at the beginning of 2025, it must be noted that 91.6% are active businesses;
- company incorporation in Kazakhstan has the highest rate in cities such as Almaty, Turkistan and Astana, where there are more than 800,000 companies in total.
An important component of any business is workforce (the country benefits from a highly educated employment market). Regarding the statistics presented above, for small and medium enterprises, we mention that all these active businesses account for more than 4.4 million employees.
Invest in Astana
It is also possible to open a business in Kazakhstan as a foreigner in the city of Astana, where the local authorities have created a special economic zone (SEZ) that benefits from a favorable tax treatment available only for the companies incorporated in the respective area.
We present here the advantages of investing in Astana, as this is the country’s capital city. However, please take into consideration that the country has more special economic zones (17 in total as of early 2026). Investors may want to open a company in Kazakhstan in Astana SEZ given the following tax benefits:
- 0% VAT;
- 0% corporate income tax;
- 0% land tax;
- 0% property tax.
Those investing in infrastructure, mechanical engineering, logistics can set up a company in Kazakhstan in the Aktobe SEZ. Most of the local SEZ are specialized in certain industries, but Astana combines a variety of business activities.
We invite you to address us for services on company registration in Kazakhstan. Our team can assist in any matter if you want to open a business in Kazakhstan as a foreigner (visa, company setup, investment advice, tax assistance, etc.).