KazakhstanVisa

C2 visa in Kazakhstan

A visa for families wishing to reunite in Kazakhstan: the spouses, children and other close relatives of a citizen of the country or of a foreign national holding a permanent residence permit. It is issued by foreign missions of Kazakhstan abroad. The inviting party is responsible for the applicant — it confirms income, housing, medical insurance and the family relationship with each family member. The visa is designed for living together with the relative; it is extended by the migration units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs inside the country.

Visa term

Single-entry — up to 90 days; multiple-entry — up to 1 year

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 may invite a relative on this visa

Category C2 covers two similar cases — the inviting party is either a citizen of Kazakhstan or a foreign national holding a permanent residence permit in the country, and the same requirements apply in both cases.

A citizen of Kazakhstan invites

The spouse, children or other close relatives of a citizen of Kazakhstan
The application as the inviting party is filed by the citizen themselves
Income, housing and medical insurance have to be confirmed for each family member

A foreign national with a residence permit in Kazakhstan invites

The spouse, children or other close relatives of a foreign national permanently residing in Kazakhstan
The application is filed by the foreign national who already holds a permanent residence permit
The same requirements apply — income, housing, insurance and proof of the family relationship

When the programme will not suit

I want to move to Kazakhstan on my own, without a relative to invite me

A work or business immigration visa, or the digital nomad visa — no inviting party is needed there

I want to start working in Kazakhstan as soon as I arrive on this visa

A work visa with a permit to work: under the rules the purpose of the C2 visa is family reunification, not work, and it gives no permit to work

I want permanent residence rather than a temporary status

A permanent residence permit or the programme for ethnic Kazakh repatriates through the Otandastar foundation

I am outside Kazakhstan and want to obtain a temporary residence permit straight away, bypassing the visa

That is not possible — the temporary residence permit is issued only to those who have already entered the country, usually on precisely such a visa

Documents to gather

The list is prepared by the inviting party — and the list of documents is almost the same for the first issue of the visa and for its extension.

A written request from the inviting party
Confirmation of the inviting party's income — at least the minimum wage per family member per month
Confirmation of housing in the territory of Kazakhstan whose area meets the minimum norms for each family member
Medical insurance for each family member
Notarised copies of the documents confirming the family relationship with the inviting party

How the process runs

The route is short: gather the documents, wait for the decision and receive the visa — but the first visa of this category is issued only by foreign missions of the Republic of Kazakhstan abroad.

1
The inviting party files a written request
A citizen of Kazakhstan or a foreign national holding a permanent residence permit gathers the documents on income, housing, insurance and the family relationship and files a written request with a foreign mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan abroad — the rules assign the issue of this category specifically to foreign missions rather than to the migration service inside the country.
2
The authority examines the application
up to 5 working days
The rules set a maximum time for issuing the visa — no more than five working days. An exception is made only for certain categories (including diplomatic and representative visas, where the period runs to 30 calendar days), and category C2 is not among them.
3
The applicant is issued the visa
The visa is issued as a single-entry visa — valid for up to 90 calendar days — or as a multiple-entry visa with a term of validity of up to one year, with the right to stay in the country for up to 90 days per entry.

Who you can bring with you

The rules describe how a visa is obtained for several relatives at once on a single invitation — and how the purpose of this category differs from work and business visas.

A spouse, children and other close relatives invited by the same person

Each obtains their own C2 visa on the shared invitation — but the inviting party confirms income, housing and medical insurance separately for each family member, not in a single package for everyone

Everyone who has entered on this visa

In the annex to the rules its purpose is stated as family reunification — separately from the work and business categories. The rules contain no express prohibition on work specifically for C2 (such a prohibition is set out separately for family members on visas of categories A1–A6, B7, B10, B12-1, C3, C7 and C9), but neither does the visa itself give a permit to work

Trips, renewal and the grace period

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

The C2 visa is extended by the territorial units of the migration service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs inside the country — even where the first visa was issued by a foreign mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan abroad: the rules assign extension specifically to the migration service rather than to foreign missions. The basis is a written request from the inviting party. The set of documents for the extension is almost the same as for the first issue: confirmation of the inviting party's income, housing meeting the norms, medical insurance and notarised documents on the family relationship. The rules themselves set no numerical limit on extensions or overall term — they merely refer to the terms set by the law on migration; extension is possible for as long as the ground for family reunification remains and the inviting party's residence permit has not expired.

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.

	C2 visa	Kandas status	EAEU visa-free entry
Visa term	Single-entry — up to 90 days; multiple-entry — up to 1 year	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	Family reunification	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 C2 visa

For how long is the C2 visa issued?

The single-entry visa is valid for up to 90 calendar days. The multiple-entry visa is valid for up to one year, with the right to stay in the country for up to 90 days per entry. This is set out in the annex to the rules on issuing visas of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

How much does it cost to obtain a C2 visa abroad?

The consular fee rates depend on the number of entries, not on the particular category. For a single-entry visa — other than a tourist or transit visa — 80 US dollars is charged. For a multiple-entry visa the fee rises with the term of validity: from 200 dollars for a year to 1,000 dollars for five years. A separate line in the list covers the application for permanent residence and family reunification — 100 dollars, but that is a separate consular service, not the visa itself.

Can you work in Kazakhstan on a C2 visa?

The rules contain no express prohibition on work specifically for category C2 — such a prohibition is set out separately for family members and dependants on visas of categories A1–A6, B7, B10, B12-1, C3, C7 and C9, and C2 is not on that list. But neither does the C2 visa give a permit to work: in the annex to the rules its purpose is stated as family reunification, not employment.

How long does it take for the visa application to be examined?

The rules set a maximum time for issue — no more than five working days. A longer period, of up to 30 calendar days, is provided only for certain categories (C2 is not among them).

Does a temporary residence permit have to be obtained separately if you already hold a C2 visa?

No. Immigrants who have arrived in Kazakhstan with a visa of the Republic of Kazakhstan are exempt from obtaining a temporary residence permit — this is stated expressly in the explanations of the migration service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

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.