Kazakhstan Digital Nomad program has more than 1,500 applications

Kazakhstan's Digital Nomad program has more than 1,500 applications. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said that in Astana on 3 October 2026. The applicants are IT specialists from 30 countries.

That count is the result of the Digital Nomad residency route. A successful file can become permanent residence. The one-year Neo Nomad visa (B12-1) is a separate stay. This is not legal advice.

1,500 Digital Nomad applications

• More than 1,500 Digital Nomad applications. Qazinform reported Bektenov's words at AI & Digital Bridge 2026.
• Thirty countries. He did not say that 1,500 people already hold Digital Nomad permits.
• Permanent residence. Sputnik Kazakhstan said this Digital Nomad route gives a simplified permanent stay.
• Neo Nomad is the other visa. B12-1 is a one-year remote stay with a USD 3,000 income test.

Passport, housing, and timing

• Apply on Astana Hub. You need a Kazakhstan ID number (IIN) and a digital signature.
• Your passport must be valid for more than 180 days on the day you apply.
• Send a CV, portfolio, motivation letter, photo, and a police certificate. Add a diploma only if you have one.
• The pilot runs in Astana and Almaty through 31 December 2026.
• A preliminary yes can take up to 45 days. Then you have 30 days to arrive and contact migration.
• Miss that window, or get a refusal, and you wait one year to apply again.
• After you land, sign a notarized housing contract for at least 180 days.
• A hub petition is not the permit. The state still decides.

IT workers on Digital Nomad

• Software, product, data, and AI workers who want to live in Kazakhstan.
• Remote workers for foreign bosses can be considered. Astana Hub still has to accept the file.
• If you only want a one-year remote stay, use the Neo Nomad visa instead.

Open the Digital Nomad page

1. Read the 3 October Qazinform report.
2. Open our Digital Nomad Residency page.
3. Compare it with the Neo Nomad visa if a one-year stay is enough.

News summary only, not legal advice.