Kazakhstan introduced the Neo Nomad Visa on Nov. 1 for foreign tourists who work remotely while traveling across countries, reported the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s press service.
This new type of visa is designed for tourists working remotely in fields such as programming, marketing, finance, consulting, design and e-commerce. It allows foreign nationals to stay in Kazakhstan for up to one year while remaining employed by their companies.
To obtain the visa, foreign citizens must demonstrate a stable income of at least $3,000 outside of Kazakhstan, have health insurance and a certificate of no criminal record.
The project is expected to generate nearly 3.6 billion tenge (US$7.3 million) annually if 500 people obtain the visa. These individuals will contribute to the economy in Kazakhstan without competing in the local labor market, which is an important aspect of this program.
The new visa regime draws on the international experience of over 50 countries that have successfully implemented similar programs after the pandemic. According to Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabossynov, Kazakhstan is now “part of the travel map for modern nomads.”
“Their number worldwide exceeds 35 million, and we intend to create all the conditions to attract them to our country. The cities of Almaty and Astana are already in the top 150 cities attractive to neo-nomads,” he said.