KazakhstanVisa

B1–B3 business visa in Kazakhstan

A short-term visa for foreign nationals travelling to Kazakhstan on commercial business: for negotiations, for the installation and servicing of equipment, for consultancy and audit, for conferences, forums and exhibitions. The inviting party is a Kazakhstani company, a state body or a foreign representative office. The issue of the visa is agreed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and every application is checked by the National Security Committee. Working under an employment contract is not allowed — a work visa is obtained for that.

Visa term

Single-entry — up to 90 days; multiple-entry B1 and B3 — up to 1 year, B2 — up to 180 days

Work

Employment in Kazakhstan is carried on under visas of categories C3–C6.

Source: eGov.kz — classification of visas for staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Who each category of business visa suits

B1, B2 and B3 are not steps of one visa but three different reasons for a business trip: each has its own range of applicants and its own set of documents.

B1 — taking part in events

Participants in conferences, symposiums, forums, exhibitions, concerts and scientific and cultural events
Participants in working meetings, round tables and gatherings of experts
Lecturers, teachers, participants in youth, student and school exchanges, participants in sporting events

B2 — installation, consultancy, audit

Equipment installation specialists
Specialists in the repair and technical servicing of equipment
Consultants and auditors providing consultancy or audit services

B3 — negotiations and contracts

Participants in negotiations and the signing of contracts
Participants in negotiations on industrialisation and investment cooperation
Founders and members of boards of directors of companies

When the programme will not suit

I am going to Kazakhstan to take up permanent employment

the category C3 work visa — it is issued against the employer's permit to engage foreign labour

I want to enrol at a Kazakhstani university or take a course of study

a study visa, obtained on the application of the educational institution or of the authorised education body

I am planning to move for good and obtain a residence permit

a permanent residence permit — a separate procedure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it is not issued as a visa

I am just going to see the country, with no business purpose

the category B12 tourist visa

What it costs

State duty for the invitation (approval of the application)0.5 MCI for each person invited — sub-paragraph 3) of article 666 of the Tax Code. Nationals of 49 countries on the preferential list do not pay it for single-entry B1 and B3 visas — they need no invitation at all. For B2 an invitation and the duty are always compulsory.	2 163 KZT
State duty for a visa with one entry and exit7 MCI. The rate for issuing, restoring or extending a visa in the territory of Kazakhstan; where the application is made abroad the consular fee of the foreign mission also applies.	30 275 KZT
State duty for a visa with multiple entries and exits30 MCI. Such a visa is valid for up to 1 year in categories B1 and B3, and for up to 180 calendar days in B2.	129 750 KZT
State duty for an invitation for an additional person in a group or a family0.5 MCI for each additional person invited — article 666 of the Tax Code.	+2 163 KZT
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “State duty for an invitation for an additional person in a group or a family” adds 2 163 KZT; the “State duty for a visa with multiple entries and exits” branch replaces the “State duty for a visa with one entry and exit” line — 131 913 KZT. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	32,438–34 601 KZT

Paid separately

Consular fee when applying for the visa abroad — Charged separately by an embassy or consulate of Kazakhstan abroad; the rate is not in tenge and is not part of the state duty under the Tax Code
Translation, legalisation or apostille of the documents for the invitation — Paid for separately. For affixing an apostille to official documents executed in Kazakhstan the Tax Code sets a separate duty — 0.5 MCI per document (article 667, paragraph 3, sub-paragraph 6); it is not included in the cost of the visa

Documents to gather

The set is filed by the visa recipient in person at a foreign mission of Kazakhstan, at a territorial police body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or through the visa and migration portal — on the basis of an invitation approved earlier (except for the preferential list of countries).

A visa application form with a 3.5×4.5 cm photograph — colour or black and white
The number and date of the invitation registered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the number and date are given by the inviting party; for nationals of the 49 countries on the preferential list, an application by the visa recipient is enough for B1 and B3 visas instead of an invitation number)
A valid foreign, diplomatic or service passport — or another identity document giving the right to cross the state border of Kazakhstan
The original payment document for the consular fee or the state duty
For a multiple-entry business visa — a copy of the agreement or contract confirming the business nature of the trip (not needed for ethnic Kazakhs, former compatriots and nationals of the preferential list of countries)

How the process runs

The process runs in two independent circuits: first the inviting party has the invitation approved, then the applicant themselves obtains the visa.

1
Arranging and filing the invitation
no later than 5 working days before entry
The inviting party — a Kazakhstani company, a state body or a foreign representative office — files an application or a note verbale with a territorial police body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The documents may be filed no earlier than 90 calendar days and no later than 5 working days before the planned entry.
2
Approval of the invitation with the National Security Committee
up to 3 working days electronically, up to 5 working days on paper
The National Security Committee checks the application through the unified Berkut information system within up to 3 working days; at the written request of the Committee's bodies that period is extended to 30 calendar days for a closer examination of the grounds. The whole period for examining the invitation is no more than 3 working days for electronic filing and no more than 5 working days for filing on paper. After a positive reply from the Committee, an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs issues the invitation and assigns it a number within 1 working day.
3
Filing the documents for the visa
The visa recipient files the visa application form, the passport, the invitation number (where one is needed for that category) and confirmation of payment of the duty — at a foreign mission of Kazakhstan, at a territorial police body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or through the visa and migration portal.
4
Issue of the visa
up to 5 working days (1 working day through the portal)
The issue of the visa is a separate state service: at a territorial police body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or through the State Corporation it takes up to 5 working days from the filing of the documents, including a further check by the National Security Committee (up to 3 working days, and where necessary up to 30 calendar days). An electronic visa through the visa and migration portal is issued within 1 working day of the duty being paid.

Who you can bring with you

The business visa is not on the list of categories where accompanying family members are issued a visa for the same term as the main applicant.

A spouse and children travelling with the applicant

Categories B1, B2 and B3 are not on the list of visas (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, B7, B10, multiple-entry B12-1, C3, C7, C9) for which the family's visa is extended together with the main one. Each accompanying person needs a separate visa of a suitable category — for example, their own business visa if they are also taking part in the trip, or a tourist visa if they are merely accompanying.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

There is no minimum length of stay. Anyone staying longer than 30 days obtains a temporary residence permit.

Only a category B2 visa may be extended inside Kazakhstan — by up to 30 calendar days, on the application of the inviting party that arranged the original invitation. Categories B1 and B3 are not on the list of extendable visas: once the term expires a new invitation and a new visa have to be obtained. A multiple-entry B1 or B3 is in principle valid for up to 1 year — that is the maximum term on issue, not the result of an extension.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	B1–B3 business visa	Kandas status	EAEU visa-free entry
Visa term	Single-entry — up to 90 days; multiple-entry B1 and B3 — up to 1 year, B2 — up to 180 days	The status is the basis for accelerated permanent residence and citizenship	Up to 90 days without a visa; for nationals of Russia — up to 90 days within 180 days
Grounds	Business trips, secondments, participation in conferences, symposiums, forums and exhibitions	Ethnic Kazakhs	Intergovernmental agreements on visa-free travel
Residence	There is no minimum length of stay	Usually residence in a particular region under the quota	Nationals of Russia live without a visa for 90 days in every 180

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence is a separate permit. The applicant confirms funds in an account of at least 1,320 MCI; ethnic Kazakhs, former citizens of Kazakhstan and nationals of Russia, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan are exempt from this. The residence card is issued for 10 years, the service is provided within 17 calendar days, or 7 working days on an expedited basis.

Route to citizenship

Citizenship is applied for after 5 years of permanent residence or 3 years of marriage to a citizen of Kazakhstan. For those who have come from the former Soviet republics and have a close relative who is a Kazakhstani, the residence period is not counted. The decision is taken by the President.

Frequently asked questions about B1–B3 business visa

Do nationals of developed countries need an invitation for a B1 or B3 business visa?

No. The 49 countries on the approved list — the USA, the EU countries, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and others — are exempt from the invitation for single-entry B1 and B3 visas (and also A3, B10, B12 and multiple-entry B12-1). For a B2 visa there is no such exception: an invitation is always needed.

What are the terms of validity and the lengths of stay for B1, B2 and B3 visas?

B1: single-entry — up to 90 calendar days, with a stay of up to 60 days; multiple-entry — up to 1 year, with no more than 60 days per entry. B2: single-entry — up to 90 days, with a stay of up to 30 days; multiple-entry — up to 180 days, with up to 90 days per entry. B3: single-entry — up to 90 days, with a stay of up to 30 days; multiple-entry — up to 1 year, with no more than 30 days per entry.

Can a B1, B2 or B3 business visa be extended without leaving Kazakhstan?

Only B2 — by up to 30 calendar days, on the application of the inviting party. B1 and B3 are not listed among the extendable categories: once the term expires a new invitation and a new visa have to be obtained.

How much does a business visa in Kazakhstan cost in 2026?

The state duty for a visa with one entry and exit issued in the territory of Kazakhstan is 7 MCI (30,275 tenge with the MCI at 4,325 tenge for 2026), and for a multiple-entry visa 30 MCI (129,750 tenge). Separately, 0.5 MCI (about 2,163 tenge) is charged for the approval of the invitation for each person invited. Abroad, the consular fee is charged separately by the foreign mission of Kazakhstan.

Can you work in Kazakhstan on a B1, B2 or B3 business visa?

No. Categories B1–B3 are intended for business trips — negotiations, taking part in events, installing equipment, consultancy — and not for taking up employment. Official work requires a category C3 visa, which is issued against a permit to engage foreign labour.

Is a B1, B2 or B3 business visa issued only abroad?

No. Abroad the visa is issued by foreign missions of Kazakhstan. Inside Kazakhstan the B2 visa (for AIFC participants and bodies) and the B3 visa are issued by the territorial police bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and B1, B2 and B3 may also be obtained at Kazakhstan's international airports. A single-entry electronic B1, B2 or B3 visa is issued through the visa and migration portal.

Other ways to move to Kazakhstan

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Kazakhstan.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.