Country：哈萨克斯坦 · Employment & Visas
Kazakhstan · Employment & Visas
Kazakhstan operates a strict work-permit system for foreign workers with limits on the foreign-employee ratio, and management positions must be held by citizens (localized hiring). The 2025 minimum wage rose to KZT 85,000/month. Standard working hours are 40 per week with strictly limited overtime. Social insurance is co-funded by employer and employee: employers pay social tax 9.5%, social insurance 3.5%, health insurance 3% (plus 5% occupational pension for hazardous posts); employees pay PIT 10%, health insurance 2%, pension 10%.
Key points
- Foreign workers: foreign citizens performing paid services in Kazakhstan must obtain a work permit from the labour authority; otherwise fines, imprisonment or deportation.
- Localized hiring limits: foreign employees may not exceed a certain ratio of headcount (stricter in sensitive industries); management positions must be held by Kazakhstan citizens.
- Minimum wage: KZT 85,000/month from 1 January 2025 (about RMB 570 at 1 tenge ≈ RMB 0.0134).
- Working hours: standard 40 hours/week (5 days × 8 hours); overtime max 2 hours/day and 12 hours/month at 1.5× pay; holiday overtime at 2× pay.
- Leave: annual leave at least 24 working days; maternity leave 126 days (70 pre-natal + 56 post-natal, extended for complications/multiples); paternity leave 5 days unpaid; sick leave 3-6 days.
- Social contributions: employer - social tax 9.5%, social insurance 3.5%, health insurance 3%, occupational pension 5% (hazardous posts); employee - PIT 10% (flat), health insurance 2%, pension 10%.
- Contracts and dismissal: contracts in Kazakh or Russian, priced in tenge; dismissal notice 1 month, severance 1-2 months' average pay; executive probation up to 6 months.
Procedure
- Assess the localized hiring ratio and determine the number of foreign positions and permits needed.
- Apply to the labour authority for work permits for foreign employees (with position, quota and local-recruitment proof).
- Sign employment contracts (Kazakh/Russian bilingual, priced in tenge), arrange residence and work visas.
- Register employees with the tax authority and social security system; withhold PIT and social contributions monthly.
- Submit annual foreign-employment and localized-hiring compliance reports.
Hard requirements
- Work permits for foreign employees.
- Localized hiring ratio and management nationality compliance.
- Bilingual employment contracts and social security registration.
- Salaries paid monthly in tenge with payslips.
Costs
Work permit application fees and quota costs.Employer social contributions and taxes (about 16-21% of payroll; employee portion 12%).Compliance costs from insufficient localization.⏱ ⏱ Timeline：Work permit approval takes weeks; contracts and social security registration follow hiring⚠ Common risks
- Hiring foreigners without work permits is a criminal risk (fines to deportation)
- Management must be citizens - a hard requirement limiting Chinese executive structures
- Failing localization ratios affects renewals and business expansion
- Tenge-denominated salaries are subject to FX volatility, raising expatriation costs
Handbook
📘 Step-by-Step Handbook (with owner / timeline / cost / penalties)
Applies to：Employment of staff (including foreign experts and local employees) by Chinese entities in Kazakhstan, covering hiring, work permits and social security compliance
Prerequisites
- Legal-entity registration completed with BIN
- Localized hiring ratio and foreign-position needs assessed
- Management roles planned for Kazakhstan citizens
- Employment contract templates bilingual (Kazakh/Russian), priced in tenge
| Step | Action | Owner | Timeline | Cost | Official form / system | Notes & penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assess the localized hiring ratio and determine foreign positions and quota applications Submit the next-year foreign labour quota application to the local administration annually; 2026 quota: 0.25% of labour force, labour migration 2.9% | HR / enterprise | Annual (submit next-year application before October 1) | — | Foreign labour quota application (Appendix 1) | Employers must file before October 1 Penalty：Exceeding quota is a violation |
| 2 | Apply for work permits for foreign employees from the local administration Work permit applications require position descriptions, quota and local-recruitment proof (four categories: manager, branch head, specialist, skilled worker) | Local administration | Weeks | Application fees | Work permit application (Order No.279) | For categories 1 and 2, Kazakhstan citizens must comprise no less than 70% Penalty：Hiring foreigners without permits is a criminal risk (fines to deportation) |
| 3 | Sign employment contracts (Kazakh/Russian bilingual, priced in tenge) and arrange residence permit or work visa Sign bilingual contracts priced in tenge; arrange business immigration visa D5 or temporary residence for foreign employees | Enterprise / employee | At hiring | Visa/notarization fees | Bilingual contract, work visa (D5 or temporary residence) | Management positions must be held by Kazakhstan citizens Penalty：Non-bilingual or non-tenge contracts are invalid |
| 4 | Register employees with the tax authority and social security system; withhold PIT and social contributions monthly Register employees with tax and social security systems and withhold monthly | Enterprise / accountant | At hiring | Employer: social tax 9.5% + social insurance 3.5% + health insurance 3% + occupational pension 5% (hazardous); employee: PIT 10% + health insurance 2% + pension 10% | Social security / UAPF registration | Minimum wage KZT 85,000/month since 2025 Penalty：Failure to register or pay is fined |
| 5 | Submit annual foreign-employment and localized-hiring compliance reports Submit annual foreign-employment and localized-hiring compliance reports | Enterprise | Annual | — | Compliance report | Ratio shortfalls affect permit renewals Penalty：Non-compliance affects renewals and expansion |
| 6 | Maintain the foreign-employee ratio and local-recruitment proof (categories 1-2: Kazakhstan citizens ≥70%) Continuously maintain local-recruitment proof and local employee ratios | Enterprise | Continuous | — | Local recruitment records | Overall foreign-employee ratio is limited Penalty：Ratio shortfalls: permits not issued or renewed |
| 7 | (Optional) Use the AIFC channel for simplified labour visas AIFC registration exempts special work permits; expert visas up to 5 years | AIFC | Per authorization | — | AIFC labour regime | For AIFC participants |
✅ Self-check list
⚠ Common pitfalls
Hiring foreigners without work permits is a criminal risk (fines to deportation)影响：Criminal and deportation risk规避：Get permits first, then hire.
Management must be citizens - hard requirement limits Chinese executives影响：Structure constrained规避：Set up local general manager and compliance structure.
Localization ratios (especially categories 1-2 ≥70%) not met影响：Permits not issued/renewed, expansion blocked规避：Start local recruitment early.
Tenge-denominated salaries subject to FX volatility影响：Uncontrollable costs规避：FX hedging and subsidy clauses.
Non-bilingual/non-tenge contracts invalid影响：Contract invalidity risk规避：Use Kazakh/Russian bilingual templates.
Quota not applied on time (before October 1 for next year)影响：Cannot hire next year规避：Set up an annual compliance calendar.
Dismissal notice 1 month, severance 1-2 months' average pay影响：Insufficient cost reserves规避：Structure design and budget reserves.
📅 Ongoing post-incorporation obligations
- Monthly PIT and social contribution withholdings (employer and employee)
- Annual foreign-employment and localized-hiring compliance reports
- Work permit renewals and visa maintenance
- Continuous local-recruitment proof retention
- Reporting major employment changes
- Labour standards compliance (annual leave, overtime, maternity)
🔗 Official portals
📎 Source：Kazakhstan Labour Code; Law on Social Insurance; Bureau of National Statistics (2025 salary data); Slasify/HireTruss employment guides
Want to turn this into an actionable compliance workflow?
CompliGo · Outbound Compliance Automation
You now have the essentials. Hand it to CompliGo: auto-generate compliance documents, real-time validation, and one-click regulatory alerts. Free trial for new users.
CompliGo is an independent SaaS operated by the outbound team. This knowledge base only drives acquisition and never handles funds or collects/pays on your behalf.