Before you start

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

Step-by-step

1
IIN first, then SIM, then bank
Every Kazakh bank asks for the IIN and it 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. Getting this order wrong costs a day per attempt, and it is the single most common sequencing mistake newcomers make in either Kazakh city.
In personWho: All applicantsIIN same day to a few days; SIM 15 minutesNominal IIN fee; SIM from KZT 1,000
2
Open Kaspi Gold in a branch as your everyday account
Kaspi is the country's dominant consumer bank and payment network and will onboard a non-resident in person with a passport, notarised translation, IIN and proof of lawful stay. Without a residence permit the card is typically issued for twelve months even though the account does not expire. Halyk Bank is the other major option and generally requires a residence permit — relevant here because Halyk's app also carries the FacePay system used on the LRT.
In personWho: Non-residents and residents30-90 minutes in branchFree to open; small card fees
3
If you work in the AIFC, understand the parallel ecosystem
The AIFC has its own financial regulator, its own exchange and its own licensed banks, brokers and payment firms, operating under an English-common-law framework. Employer payroll, corporate banking and investment services may all sit inside that ecosystem rather than in the domestic banking system. This does not replace your need for a domestic account for daily life — you will still want Kaspi for QR payments and utilities — but it changes where your salary and investments are actually held.
Via employerWho: AIFC employeesSet up with employmentEmployer-arranged
4
Learn to pay by QR
As across Kazakhstan, the Kaspi QR is the default for market stalls, small cafés and many taxis, ahead of card terminals, and person-to-person transfers by phone number are instant and free. Rent, splitting bills and paying a cleaner all run this way. Astana's newer commercial stock takes cards everywhere, but the informal economy runs on QR.
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
AIFC employment documents, where relevant

Things most newcomers don’t know

Astana runs two financial systems side by side, and which one you are in depends on your employer, not your address.

The AIFC has its own regulator, exchange and licensed institutions operating under an English-common-law framework, entirely separate from the domestic banking system supervised by the National Bank. An AIFC employee may be paid through one and buy groceries through the other. Understanding which system a given product sits in matters for dispute resolution, because the AIFC Court sits outside Kazakhstan's judicial system.

Source: AIFC

The LRT's FacePay option runs through the Halyk Bank app — a small example of how tied the state digital layer is to specific banks.

Kazakhstan's digital public services are deeply integrated with the domestic banks, which means your choice of bank quietly determines which conveniences you have access to. It is a good argument for holding accounts at more than one of them once you are settled, rather than consolidating on the first one that would take you.

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

After post-2022 compliance tightening, 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 quick and cheap; there is no reason to pay for a workaround.

Kazakhstan has no exchange controls on ordinary personal movements, but AML documentation on large inbound wires is real.

The tenge is freely convertible. What banks want is the story behind significant transfers. Have contracts, payslips or sale documents ready before you send the first large sum, not after it is held pending explanation — a problem that is more common for AIFC hires moving accumulated savings than for anyone else.

Common mistakes to avoid

Going to the bank before getting the IIN
Trying to open an account without a Kazakh mobile number for OTP
Assuming AIFC payroll removes the need for a domestic account — it does not; QR payments and utilities need one
Forgetting 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.