Before you start

IIN from a Public Service Centre
Kazakh mobile number (for OTP and app activation)
Passport plus a notarised translation
Document showing the legal basis of your stay

Step-by-step

1
IIN first, then SIM, then bank — the order is not negotiable
Every bank asks for the IIN, and the IIN is only issued in person at a Public Service Centre. Then get a Kazakh SIM, because the banking apps authenticate by SMS to a +7 7xx number. Only then go to a branch. Attempting this in any other order costs you a day per attempt, and it is the single most common sequencing mistake newcomers make in Almaty.
In personWho: All applicantsIIN same day to a few days; SIM 15 minutesNominal state fee for the IIN; SIM from KZT 1,000
2
Open Kaspi Gold in a branch
Kaspi is headquartered in Almaty and its branches are everywhere. Bring your passport, notarised translation, IIN and proof of lawful stay. Non-residents must apply in person — the remote route closed. Without a residence permit the physical card is typically issued for twelve months even though the account itself does not expire, so diarise the reissue. Once open, the app gives you QR payments, transfers, utility bills and the Kaspi marketplace in one place.
In personWho: Non-residents and residents30-90 minutes in branchFree to open; small card fees may apply
3
Add a second bank if you need international transfers
Kaspi is superb domestically and less useful for international wires. Halyk Bank, Forte and Freedom Finance are the usual second accounts; Halyk generally requires a residence permit, so it is often the account you open later rather than first. Bring evidence of source of funds — post-2022 compliance in Kazakhstan tightened sharply as regional money moved, and applications do get declined without a clean paper trail.
In personWho: Anyone with cross-border incomeSame day to a few daysFree to open; wire fees apply
4
Learn to pay by QR before you learn to pay by card
In Almaty, the Kaspi QR is the default at market stalls, small cafés and many taxis, ahead of card terminals. Person-to-person transfers by phone number are instant and free, which is how rent, splitting bills and paying a cleaner all work. If you cannot pay by QR you will be the person holding up the queue at the Green Bazaar.
Mobile appWho: AllImmediate once the account is liveFree

Documents you’ll need

Passport and notarised translation
IIN certificate
Kazakh mobile number
Proof of legal basis of stay (visa, migration card, permit)
Source-of-funds evidence for larger accounts

Things most newcomers don’t know

Kaspi.kz is not simply a bank — it is the payment layer of the country, and being outside it makes ordinary life awkward.

Rent, bills, marketplace purchases and person-to-person transfers all run through the one app, and QR acceptance is broader than card acceptance in market and small-café settings. Foreign cards work in supermarkets and hotels, but the informal economy of Almaty runs on Kaspi QR, which is why getting the IIN early has outsized returns.

Source: Kaspi.kz

Remote account opening for non-residents closed across the major Kazakh banks — anyone offering it for a fee is selling you something else.

Following regional compliance tightening after 2022, the banks moved non-resident onboarding fully in-branch. Services advertising remote Kazakh accounts are typically opening a corporate structure or acting as an intermediary of uncertain standing. The in-person visit is cheap and quick; there is no reason to pay for a workaround.

Kaspi will take a non-resident; Halyk generally will not without a residence permit. Choose accordingly.

People arrive with a list of 'the big Kazakh banks' and start with the one that turns them away. Kaspi is the pragmatic first account for anyone on a Neo Nomad visa or a visa-free stay; Halyk and the others become available once your status is formalised.

Kazakhstan has no currency controls on ordinary personal movements, but banks want the story behind large inbound transfers.

The tenge is freely convertible and you can hold and move foreign currency, but AML documentation on incoming wires is real. Have contracts, payslips or sale documents ready before you send the first large transfer, not after the bank freezes it pending explanation.

Common mistakes to avoid

Going to the bank before getting the IIN — you will be turned away
Trying to open an account without a Kazakh mobile number for OTP
Starting with Halyk as a non-resident when Kaspi is the one that will actually onboard you
Forgetting that a non-resident Kaspi card is typically valid twelve months and needs reissue
Sending a large inbound transfer with no source-of-funds documentation ready

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.