Guides: Work Permits and Work Visas

Updated: October 2026

Short, clear answers to the questions employers and foreign workers ask most often. Everything is up to date for 2026.

Work Permit for Foreigners in KazakhstanWhat a permit to hire foreign labour is, who needs it, how long it is valid and what happens if a foreigner works without one. Full-service processing in Astana and other regions.Foreign Worker Categories and Permit TermsThe four categories of foreign workers, seasonal workers and intra-corporate transfers: who belongs where, how long a permit is issued for and how many times it can be extended.Work Permit ExtensionWhen to apply to extend a permit to hire foreign labour, who can extend it and how many times, and what happens if the deadline is missed.Reissuing a Work PermitWhen a permit to hire foreign labour can be reissued to another worker, after a passport change or company reorganisation, and why it cannot be transferred to another employer.Work Permit Fee in 2026: Rates and Amounts in TengeFee rates for issuing and extending a permit to hire foreign labour from 1 January 2026, by category and industry, in MRP and tenge.C3 Work Visa for KazakhstanWhat the C3 work visa is, how it relates to the work permit, how long it is issued for, where it is processed and what family members of a foreign worker receive.Work Visa Extension in KazakhstanHow and when a C3 work visa is extended, why it cannot be extended without a valid work permit, and which other visas can be extended in Kazakhstan.Changing Employer and Visa CategoryWhat happens to the work permit and C3 visa when a foreigner changes employer, which visas can be changed to a C3 work visa without leaving Kazakhstan, and which other changes are possible.