Kazakhstan has become the latest state to launch a digital nomad visa, aimed at remote workers. Designed to ensure Kazakhstan is firmly “part of the travel map for modern nomads”, according to Minister of Tourism and Sports, Yerbol Myrzabossynov, the so-called “Neo Nomad” visa now gives foreign nationals a year in which they can reside in and work from Kazakhstan, while discovering the country’s nomadic culture, fascinating history and dynamic present.
Boosting the economy without compromising the job market
Many countries have been exploring the effect of attracting skilled longer-term visitors who combine work and leisure while benefitting from enough visa time to travel widely and spend. It’s a way to boost the national economy without bringing in people who will compete with locals in the country’s labour market, and is increasingly seen as a good source of income and development.
Over 50 other nations, as diverse as Portugal, Indonesia, Türkiye, Japan and Costa Rica, have now successfully developed similar digital nomad or remote working schemes, the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism noted when introducing its version, and Kazakhstan is learning from their experience.
Why move to Kazakhstan?
The largest landlocked country in the world, the Republic of Kazakhstan or the “Land of the Great Steppe” stands at the crossroads of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. It has hot summers, cold winters and a stunning landscape of mountains, lakes and deserts as well as some of the world’s most exciting cities. It has been working to a Tourism Industry Development Plan since 2015 aimed at driving investment and jobs.
Pointing out that “The cities of Almaty and Astana are already in the top 150 cities attractive to neo-nomads,” Myrzabossynov noted that digital nomads now number in excess of 35 million people worldwide. “We intend to create all the conditions to attract them to our country,” the minister said.
Even if just a tiny proportion of those, amounting to 500 digital nomads apply for the scheme, Kazakhstan could generate additional revenues to the tune of 3.6 billion tenge (€6.7 million) a year, according to estimates.
Who is eligible to apply for the scheme?
Foreign citizens with minimum regular income of at least $3,000 per month coming from outside of Kazakhstan are eligible to apply for the scheme. They must also demonstrate that they are in possession of health insurance and carry no criminal record.
The visa is particularly designed with professionals in industries such as IT, marketing, finance, consulting, design, and e-commerce, in mind.
