Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan tighten migration policy
Astana and Tashkent have launched a new migration initiative – the issuance of “golden visas”. Foreign investors are offered temporary residence permits in exchange for significant investments in the economy. In Kazakhstan, the investment amount is 300 thousand dollars, in Uzbekistan – 250 thousand dollars plus 150 thousand dollars for each family member. The initiative is aimed at attracting capital and qualified specialists. However, experts doubt its effectiveness, given the lack of guarantees for obtaining citizenship and the risks of secondary Western sanctions due to the cooperation of both countries with Russia.
On June 1, 2025, a decree by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev comes into force in Uzbekistan, establishing an accelerated procedure for issuing five-year residence permits to foreign citizens and stateless persons in exchange for investments in the country’s economy. The program is aimed at stimulating investments and creating favorable conditions for life and entrepreneurial activity, attracting entrepreneurs and highly qualified specialists to Uzbekistan. At the same time, it is worth considering the presence in the country of several types of residence for foreigners, such as a visa for highly qualified specialists (HQS), an IT visa and a residence permit for the purchase of real estate worth from 100 to 300 thousand dollars (depending on the region).
Kazakhstan has been considering the possibility of introducing an investor visa since 2018. According to Forbes Kazakhstan, the initial plan was to provide a residence permit for investments of 100 to 200 thousand dollars in real estate or securities. In November 2024, the Neo Nomad visa for foreign remote workers was launched, allowing them to stay in the country for up to one year. On May 1, 2025, Kazakhstan, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, began issuing “golden investor visas” granting residence permits for a period of 10 years with investments of at least 300 thousand dollars in the authorized capital of Kazakhstani companies or local securities.
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry says that the Golden Visa program creates favorable and predictable conditions for foreign investors, providing legal guarantees and strengthening confidence in the country’s investment climate. The agency points to similar programs in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and European countries, noting that in Portugal and Greece, the “golden visas”, which have been in effect since the early 2010s, have brought billions of euros in real estate and business investments. The Russian Golden Visa program, which has been in effect since 2023, has attracted 2.66 billion rubles of investment. The applicants include citizens of the United States, China, Germany, South Korea and other countries. Although before the start of the program, expectations were higher – according to the Ministry of Economic Development, they amounted to 12 billion rubles in the first year.
The Kazakh and Uzbek programs have a significant disadvantage compared to their European counterparts, which reduces their attractiveness to investors: they do not provide for the possibility of obtaining a permanent residence permit or citizenship. The proposed 5-year residence permit in the case of Uzbekistan or 10-year residence permit in Kazakhstan with the possibility of extension is a serious disadvantage for those who consider the country as a place of long–term residence, business development and integration. And if there are other programs for obtaining citizenship or permanent residence, an expensive investor visa is unlikely to be in demand.
Another disadvantage for foreign investors is Kazakhstan’s membership in the CIS and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as well as Uzbekistan’s observer status in the EAEU. This creates the risk of secondary sanctions if Western countries consider that these republics are helping Russia circumvent the restrictions. In addition, Kazakhstan strictly adheres to all sanctions requirements, which leads to a thorough review of each investor. This may scare some of them away.
Alexander Vorobyov, head of the Center for Public Diplomacy and World Policy Analysis, researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, assesses the introduction of “golden visas” in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as a positive step, but also does not expect a significant increase in investment attractiveness and a massive influx of foreigners. “The success of such programs depends primarily on the investment climate, the level of development of the country, including technological infrastructure, quality of medicine, general standard of living and protection of property rights. “Golden visas” may be of interest to entrepreneurs whose activities are related to these countries. Potential candidates may also be citizens of countries outside the Western bloc, especially from regions with unstable political and economic conditions, where living conditions are significantly worse than in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Some Arab countries, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and others can be cited as an example,” Vorobyov told NG.
International analogues of the Uzbek investor visa, such as the American EB-5 or the Portuguese golden visa, provide a clear path to permanent residence or citizenship, which makes them more reliable and valuable, lawyer, expert on law and technology policy of Central Asia Ammar Jonas wrote on a social network. In his opinion, this program may be of interest to a small circle of wealthy people who want to diversify assets. But even they are more likely to choose countries with a more stable legal system, developed infrastructure and possible integration.
Therefore, Jonas suggests betting on talents. “The world is changing, and today countries are fighting for people, not for money. Canada, Singapore, Great Britain, Germany – all of them are restructuring the migration system in favor of attracting competent specialists. Uzbekistan can also go this way,” the expert believes.
It is also suggested that the golden visa programs in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan may be a tool for further tightening migration policies and protectionism of the local market. Thus, countries are probably seeking to selectively attract the most economically valuable foreign citizens: the principle of “if you have money, stay, live and work.”