ASTANA – As soon as the Neo Nomad Visa was launched, enabling holders to live in Kazakhstan for up to a year while working remotely and traveling, foreign professionals took advantage of the opportunity. Among the first recipients are a British expert in finance and energy Sertaç Yener, and Latvian PHP developer Pavel Grigoryev, with both highlighting the visa’s benefits and areas for improvement.
Sertaç Yener: Kazakhstan is my only love
Yener became the first holder of the Neo Nomad Visa. With decades of experience worldwide, including Europe, Singapore, the United States, and Türkiye, Yener had previously worked in Kazakhstan and always sought a way to return. However, no mechanism has allowed him to stay longer than a month.
He said the visa process was “very easy.” The consular staff in Abu Dhabi, where Yener is currently based, were professional, helpful, and friendly. They guided him through the application, and his visa was issued in just a few days without complications.
Sertaç Yener receives the Neo Nomad Visa. Photo credit: Kazakh Tourism
During his previous stay in Kazakhstan, Yener lived in Almaty, which he described as an “ideal combination of everything good about Kazakhstan – close to tremendously attractive nature, and full of cafés, green spaces, and nightlife.” This time, he plans to split his time between Almaty, Oskemen, Astana and Shymkent, where his friends live and where he finds both well-developed cities and breathtaking nature.
“The massive variety the country and these places offer gives you the option to relax and be peaceful when you need that, and gives you the opportunities of going out and doing very exciting, high adrenaline activities if that is what you want,” he said.
His daughter, who is currently studying Kazakh literature, language, and culture at the University of Chicago, also enjoys Kazakhstan and may join him after completing her studies.
Yener expressed his appreciation for Kazakhstan’s distinct four seasons, shaped by its continental and dry climate.
“If you go to the south in the peak of summer, you might get slightly burnt. I’ve seen temperatures drop to minus 50 Celsius in Altai during winter. Maybe that’s a good reason to love more than one city in Kazakhstan – you can spend summer in one and winter in another. Kazakhstan gives you that balancing opportunity,” he said.
Though many countries now offer long-term stay options for remote workers, Yener chose Kazakhstan, calling it his “only love.” He enjoys not just Kazakh cuisine but also the diverse food cultures of Russians, Ukrainians, Uyghurs, Kurds, and Turks. He noted that people in the country are becoming more internationally engaged and sophisticated, which creates a lovely environment for all remote workers to consider.
Yener with his daughter. Yener’s personal archives
Regarding the cost of living, Yener considers Kazakhstan reasonably priced, not the cheapest, but “more competitive than most large cities in the West or East.”
“My biggest expectation from Kazakhstan is living a happier, healthier, more balanced life that one can find here,” he said, highlighting things like eating samsa (a meat pastry) on the street, drinking kymyz (fermented mare’s milk) and shubat (camel’s milk), going to a nice café or enjoying the opera and theater make his life fuller.
He plans to extend his stay beyond a year and hopes for more long-term residency options. While many countries allow residents to apply for permits, he said Kazakhstan “needs to compete very smartly to attract the best people it would like to attract.” He also wishes for the ability to purchase property, which could make the country more appealing to long-term neo nomads.
Yener has already visited many local tourist destinations, but what impressed him the most was how Kazakhstan blends culture, language, nature, and modern cities.
“It brings such a wide variety of everything – cultures, peoples, ethnicities, languages, different types of nature, – you get Switzerland’s beautiful mountains but also desert scenery you won’t find there.”
He hopes to explore western Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea region, where recent tourism developments make once-remote areas more accessible. He noted that the country’s size, rapid growth, and visionary leadership create enormous opportunities.
Pavel Grigoryev: a visa process was quite straightforward
Pavel Grigoryev, a PHP developer from Latvia, is among the first ones to receive the visa. He arrived in Almaty approximately two weeks ago and, unlike Yener, did not have time to explore any tourist destinations yet.
Pavel Grigoryev. Photo Grigoryev’s personal archives
Grigoryev had previously visited Kazakhstan, as his girlfriend is from the country. Before obtaining the visa, he was limited to 30-day stays before needing to leave and re-enter. When the visa was introduced, he saw it as an obvious choice. While he considered destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, and the UAE, Kazakhstan’s more flexible requirements made it the best fit.
The visa process was “quite straightforward” – completed in three days. Grigoryev chose Almaty because it is Kazakhstan’s largest city, highly digitized, and convenient for remote work. He does not plan to relocate but may visit Astana occasionally.
Comparing living costs, he noted that food and daily necessities are cheaper in Almaty than in Riga but more expensive than in Bishkek or Tashkent. He added, however, that rent in Almaty remains relatively high.
Grigoryev suggests the demand for remote work visas will only rise. Kazakhstan should stay ahead of the curve by strengthening its offering in an increasingly competitive landscape. Even Thailand, once strict, is now adjusting its policies. Other countries, such as Japan, are also offering new incentives.
He sees a need for better promotion of the country to attract more neo nomads and make it more popular among other remote working options.
“It’s really far away from other countries, but when you come here, I think it will be worth it,” he said.
However, Grigoryev encountered challenges with Kazakhstan’s banking system. Despite the country’s advanced digital payment infrastructure, he struggled to open a local bank account on Kaspi, one of the region’s most prominent fintech companies. He sees this as a barrier that could deter potential visa applicants and suggests policy adjustments to improve accessibility for digital nomads.
Overall, Yener and Grigoryev see great potential in the Neo Nomad Visa. However, they suggest Kazakhstan should refine its residency and banking policies to remain competitive in the global digital nomad market.
