Investment property: Kazakhstan
Buying property in Kazakhstan on your side: shortlist, title checks and a turnkey deal.
| In short | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Can a foreigner buy | an apartment or house in own name - only with a residence permit; commercial premises - without one too |
| Without a residence permit | an office, shop, warehouse or parking space in own name; a home - through a company or on rent |
| Land restriction | agricultural and forest land is banned for foreigners, a plot for a private house is for citizens only |
| Price per m² in new builds | ~$1,700 in Astana and Almaty, ~$1,200 in Shymkent |
| Deal costs | from $125: notary ~$120 and registration ~$5 |
| Tax-free sale | if an apartment bought from 2026 was owned for 2 years or more |
| Residence through purchase | no, it works the other way round: residence permit first, home second |
A foreigner can register an apartment or a house in Kazakhstan in their own name only with a residence permit. The law on the legal status of foreign citizens lets permanent residents own housing and expressly excludes those staying temporarily: everyone who is in Kazakhstan on a visa, visa-free or with a temporary residence permit. With a residence permit a foreigner owns housing on the same terms as citizens, and the law limits neither the number of homes nor their size. Commercial premises - an office, a shop, a warehouse, a parking space - can be bought in your own name without a residence permit. Separate restrictions concern land: plots for farming and afforestation are not granted into ownership to foreigners, stateless persons or foreign companies, according to the e-government portal. A plot for a private house, a dacha or a garden can be owned only by citizens of Kazakhstan, and plots in the border zone cannot belong to foreigners, so we check a house with land separately before any deposit.
What a foreigner needs to buy
- A residence permit - for an apartment or a house in your own name. It is not needed for non-residential premises or for a purchase through a company.
- An individual identification number. The deal cannot be registered without it. A foreigner obtains one at a public service centre on an application and a passport, free of charge and within one working day, according to the e-government portal. If the passport has no name in Latin or Cyrillic script, a notarised translation is attached.
- A bank account in Kazakhstan for settling the deal.
- A sale and purchase contract, usually with a notary.
- Registration of title in the legal cadastre: without it you are not the owner.
What you can buy without a residence permit
- Non-residential premises in your own name. An office, a shop, a warehouse, a parking space, serviced apartments with non-residential status: the ban in the law covers housing only.
- A plot for development or under a building. Except agricultural land, afforestation land and the border zone. A plot for a private house, a dacha or a garden can be owned only by citizens.
- A home through a company. The law on housing relations lets a legal entity own housing, so a Kazakh limited liability partnership with a foreign shareholder or a foreign company can be the owner of an apartment. The company owns it, not you, so our lawyers review the charter, the taxes and the exit before the deal.
- Renting. A foreigner can rent a home without restrictions, and a housing agreement is needed for the permanent residence application anyway.
How to get a residence permit to buy a home
The law treats as a permanent resident a foreigner who has received permission for permanent residence; a residence permit card valid for 10 years is issued after it. Those who may apply are people who entered on a permanent residence visa, an investor visa or an in-demand professions visa, citizens of visa-free countries, refugees and ethnic Kazakhs.
| Item | Condition |
|---|---|
| Where to file | the police migration service or a public service centre |
| Decision time | 45 calendar days |
| Fee | ~$40 |
| Money in an account with a Kazakh bank | ~$13,000 |
| Documents | a passport valid for more than 180 days, a criminal record certificate, a medical certificate, a housing agreement for registration, a bank statement |
| When the permission is cancelled | if you live in the country for fewer than 183 days in 12 months |
We prepare the documents, open the account that confirms the funds and support the filing, and by the day the residence permit is issued we have the apartment shortlisted and checked. Full conditions are on our Kazakhstan residence permit page.
How title is registered
Title to property is registered in one of three ways: online on the e-government portal, through a notary at the deal, or at a public service centre, according to the e-government portal. The notarial route is more convenient for a foreigner: the notary checks the property and the seller and files the documents for registration.
Title is registered within three working days of the application, not counting the day of filing. Registration is refused if the fee is underpaid or payment confirmation does not arrive within three working days, so we check the payment right after the deal.
Agricultural land
Since 2021 foreigners, stateless persons, foreign companies and Kazakh companies with any foreign shareholding may not hold agricultural land either in ownership or on lease, under Article 24 of the Land Code. If a foreigner joins a company that holds such land, the company must sell it. A farming or agricultural project therefore needs a different structure, chosen before the purchase.
Does buying give residence
No, and here it works the other way round: residence permit first, a home in your own name second. Buying property gives no status and does not count towards the investor visa: that visa is issued for putting at least $300,000 into the capital of Kazakh companies or into securities, and it gives only the right to apply for permanent residence, not to buy a home straight away. The grounds and conditions are on our Kazakhstan residence permit page.
How the purchase works
- Residence permit. If the apartment or house is to be in your own name, we first take you to permission for permanent residence: the decision takes 45 calendar days. Non-residential premises and a purchase through a company do not need this step.
- Number and account. We obtain the identification number and open an account.
- Choosing a property. Almaty, Astana or another city, to suit your goal.
- Legal due diligence. The seller's title, encumbrances and seizures in the legal cadastre.
- Notarial deal. The contract, payment through a bank and filing for registration.
- Title registration. After it you are the owner, and an extract is available on the e-government portal.
Risks
- A deposit for an apartment before the residence permit: title will not be registered in the name of a foreigner who is staying temporarily.
- An apartment registered to an acquaintance who is a citizen: by law that person is the owner, not you.
- A home inherited without a residence permit: it must be sold or given away within a year, otherwise it is sold by court order and the value is paid out.
- Trying to buy farmland through nominees: the deal can be challenged.
- Cash settlements without a bank trail: problems on resale and repatriating money.
- A property with an unpaid mortgage or seizure that was not checked in the cadastre.
What we do
If the home is to be in your own name, we take you to the residence permit: we choose the basis, prepare the documents and support the filing. We obtain the identification number and account, shortlist a property, check it in the legal cadastre, and support the notarial deal and title registration with locally licensed partners. If you do not have a residence permit yet, we shortlist non-residential premises or review a purchase through a company.
Is there an exception for citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries
No. Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan buy on the same conditions as any other foreigner: commercial premises straight away, an apartment or a house in their own name after a residence permit. The union treaty gives the right to own property in the manner set by the law of the host country, and the law of Kazakhstan does not let those staying temporarily own housing. There is one advantage, and it matters: entry is visa-free, so the permanent residence application is filed without a special visa. Any deal requires an individual identification number and an account at a Kazakhstan bank. The number is issued at a public service centre with a passport, free of charge; since 2026 embassies no longer issue it, and it can be obtained remotely only through the e-residency programme.
Separate restrictions concern land: agricultural and forest plots are banned for foreigners, and a plot for a private house, a dacha or a garden can be owned only by citizens of Kazakhstan. Ethnic Kazakhs receive permission for permanent residence without proof of funds and on any visa, and may apply for it and for citizenship at the same time, but until the permission is granted the housing rule applies to them too. Payment goes through a bank, and the bank checks the source of funds, so a large transfer from abroad is best prepared in advance with documents on where the money came from.
Apartment prices by city
| City | Per m² in new builds | 60 m² apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Astana | ~$1,700 | ~$99,000 |
| Almaty | ~$1,700 | ~$98,000 |
| Shymkent | ~$1,200 | ~$72,000 |
| Country average | ~$1,400 | ~$83,000 |
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, new homes in Kazakhstan rose 13% in price over the year, almost 17% in Almaty, while the number of deals in the first seven months of 2026 fell by 13%. A 60 m² apartment rents for about $710 a month on average nationwide - roughly 10% a year before tax, repairs and vacancies.
We will calculate online the full purchase cost for your budget: taxes, fees and transaction costs.
Purchase costs
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Individual identification number | free |
| Notarisation of a contract between non-relatives | ~$120 |
| Registration of title | ~$5 |
| Tax on purchase | none |
| Agency fee, bank transfers, passport translation | separately, at their rates |
| Total on top of the price | from $125 |
The notary and registration are the cheapest part of the purchase. Mistakes are what cost money: a pledge or arrest missed in the legal cadastre, a cash payment with no bank trail, an identification number not obtained in time for the deal.
From $125 per deal, but a missed check can cost the whole apartment
A foreigner can register an apartment or a house in their own name only with a residence permit; without one, commercial premises can be bought in your own name. Mistakes cost more than the notary: a deposit for an apartment paid before the status is granted, a pledge or arrest missed in the legal cadastre, a cash payment with no bank trail, an identification number not obtained in time, a transfer from abroad held by the bank without proof of funds. Murblz specialists take you to the residence permit, obtain the number and account, check the property and seller in the cadastre, prepare the power of attorney and notarised contract and follow the title registration.
The cost of support depends on the city, the apartment type and whether we search for it; a manager will calculate it in the chat.
Owner taxes: letting and sale
- Property tax - on a progressive scale from 0.05% of value, higher for expensive apartments. The tax office calculates it, the notice arrives in your online account, and it is due by 1 October.
- Letting. The owner declares rental income personally and pays personal income tax; since 2026 a progressive scale of 10% and 15% for larger incomes applies.
- Sale. If an apartment bought from 1 January 2026 was owned for 2 years or more, there is no tax. An earlier sale's gain is taxed at 10% or 15%.
More on tax residence and rates on the taxes in Kazakhstan page.
How to buy property in Kazakhstan remotely
Remotely, by power of attorney, you can buy what the law allows to be registered to the buyer: commercial premises for any foreigner, an apartment or a house for a residence permit holder or a company. A power of attorney does not get round the residence permit rule: title is registered to the buyer, not to the representative. Kazakhstan is a party to the Minsk Convention on legal assistance, so a notarial power of attorney from another member state, Russia for example, is valid in Kazakhstan without an apostille. With it, the representative checks the property in the legal cadastre, signs the contract at the notary and receives the registration extract.
The individual identification number can be obtained without visiting through the e-residency programme, while a bank account often requires one visit. If the number and account are ready in advance, the whole deal takes from a few days to a couple of weeks, and registration of title usually 3 working days, about 2 hours on the fast track.
This topic in other countries
- Property in Turkey for foreigners
- Property in the UAE for foreigners
- Property in Georgia for foreigners
- Property in Cyprus for foreigners
- Property in Montenegro for foreigners
- Property in Spain for foreigners
- Property in Greece for foreigners
- Property in Bulgaria for foreigners
- Property in Thailand for foreigners
- Property in Germany for foreigners
- Property in Armenia for foreigners
For this country: moving to Kazakhstan, taxes in Kazakhstan, Almaty guide, Astana guide, Kazakhstan residence permit, buying an apartment in Kazakhstan.
A comparison of countries, prices and programmes is in our overview of where to buy property abroad.
What we do
- Property shortlist for your investment goal
- Legal due diligence on the property
- End-to-end transaction support
- Ownership structuring (company, trust)
- Property management and letting
See also
Company formation · Business account · Personal account · All country programs
FAQ
Can foreigners buy property in Kazakhstan?
What does a foreigner need to buy a flat in Kazakhstan?
Does buying property in Kazakhstan give residence?
Can a foreigner lease agricultural land in Kazakhstan?
How do I register title to property in Kazakhstan?
Can you buy an apartment in Kazakhstan without visiting?
Is there a tax on buying an apartment in Kazakhstan?
What property tax does an owner pay in Kazakhstan?
What can a foreigner buy in Kazakhstan without a residence permit?
What happens to an apartment a foreigner inherits in Kazakhstan?
Which property in Kazakhstan fits your goal?
We shortlist property in Almaty or Astana: an apartment if you hold a residence permit, or commercial premises if you do not yet. We vet the developer and the title registration and support the deal. Every country is in the searchable catalogue.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
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