ASTANA HUB · INNOVATION CLUSTER
Astana Hub Residency: Criteria, Application Process, Benefits and Timeline
Astana Hub residency is participant status in Kazakhstan's innovation cluster, which exempts an IT company from corporate income tax, VAT and individual income tax on employee salaries. A legal entity registered in Kazakhstan can obtain it if all of its income comes from priority ICT activities. The application is filed online; the review takes 15 business days.
This is commonly called "Astana Hub residency"; the official term is "Astana Hub participant." A foreign company follows a two-step path: first register an LLP in Kazakhstan (about 7 business days online), then apply for cluster participation.
Updated: July 2026
WHAT IT IS
What Astana Hub is and what participant status gives you
Astana Hub is Kazakhstan's innovation cluster — not an intermediary and not a paid scheme. Below are the key definitions so everything is clear from the start.
Astana Hub
Kazakhstan's innovation cluster, created to develop the IT industry. It gives companies a tax and visa regime, infrastructure and access to development programs.
Astana Hub participant
A legal entity registered in Kazakhstan that earns income exclusively from priority ICT activities, has completed registration and received a participant certificate.
Participant certificate
The document confirming the status. A company becomes a participant as of the date on the certificate, not the date the application was filed.
Priority ICT activities
A closed list of areas approved by order of the relevant ministry: software development, implementation and support, building and operating information systems, and related areas.
THE CLUSTER IN NUMBERS
- Over 2,200 participant companies
- Over 490 international companies
- $1.8 billion in IT services exports
- Over $4.3 billion in cumulative participant revenue since 2019
- Over 30,000 jobs created
Among the participants: Google, Telegram, TikTok, Yandex, EPAM, Binance, Playrix, inDrive, Higgsfield AI.
CRITERIA
Who can become an Astana Hub participant
Check yourself against the checklist in a minute. The applicant is a legal entity registered in the Republic of Kazakhstan. A foreign company or an individual cannot apply directly.
Eligibility criteria
- Applicant — a legal entity registered in Kazakhstan. A foreign company or individual cannot apply directly, an LLP must be registered first.
- All company income comes from priority ICT activities. Mixed revenue is grounds for rejection — separate accounting is not permitted.
- The company has no branches at the time of application.
- The company has not carried out an investment priority or strategic project under contracts predating January 1, 2015.
- The state and national holdings do not directly or indirectly own 50% or more of the charter capital.
- The company is not a subsoil user, a special economic zone participant, or a payer of excise-goods duties.
Do I need an office in Astana? No. Participant registration is extraterritorial: the company can be based in any city in Kazakhstan.
Which companies the status won't suit
- ✕Mixed-model companies where IT is only part of the revenue, not all of it
- ✕Companies with state ownership above the threshold
- ✕Subsoil users and SEZ participants
- ✕Companies with active branches
- ✕Sellers of excise goods
FOR FOREIGN COMPANIES
Can a foreign company become an Astana Hub participant
A foreign legal entity cannot be an Astana Hub participant directly. The working route: a foreign founder or foreign parent company registers an LLP in Kazakhstan, and that LLP applies for cluster participation.
PREPARATION STEPS, BEFORE THE PARTICIPATION APPLICATION
IIN
Individual Identification Number, the equivalent of a personal tax ID. Needed by the founder and first head.
Digital signature
An electronic digital signature on a USB token. Used to sign applications on government portals.
LLP registration
A limited liability partnership, the equivalent of an LLC. Online, about 7 business days, requires a legal address in Kazakhstan.
Digital signature for the company and a bank account
A digital signature for the company and a settlement account at a bank.
Participation application
Only after this is the Astana Hub participation application filed.
BENEFITS
What Astana Hub participant status gives you
Tax regime
- 0% corporate income tax instead of 20%
- 0% value-added tax instead of 12%
- 0% individual income tax on employee salaries
- 0% social tax for non-resident employees
Companies that provide only services with no IP asset on the balance sheet apply the corporate tax benefit in full. Where there is income from IP, separate rules apply — this needs a review with a tax specialist. More: the participant tax regime.
Visa and employment regime
- Hire foreign specialists without quotas and without a work-permit requirement, no limit on numbers
- Category C3 work visa for up to 5 years instead of the standard 3
- Exemption from the state fee for a work permit
- Simplified visas for employees and their family members
Infrastructure and services
- A campus office of about 22,000 sq. m, internet from 500 Mbps, 5G coverage
- The Hub Space workspace and office rental program with 24/7 access
- Discounted and free access to partner services: Yandex Cloud, GOhost.kz, Alibaba Cloud and others
Development programs and funding
- Incubation and acceleration programs: Silkway, Techpreneurs, Hero training, Scalerator
- Funding and grant programs: Seed money, Tech Orda, the KPS grant program
Taking part in these programs is optional, not required.
HOW TO APPLY
How to apply for Astana Hub participation
Five steps, entirely online. Total review time: 15 business days — 5 days of moderation plus 10 days of committee review.
Create an account on the Astana Hub portal and file an electronic application with documents. Accepted in Kazakh, Russian or English; the cluster provides translation.
Cluster staff verify completeness and accuracy. If something's missing, documents are sent back for revision — this is not a rejection.
The application is reviewed by the participant selection committee. The decision arrives by email; status can be tracked in the portal account.
After a positive decision, an agreement setting out participant terms is signed.
The company receives a certificate and is added to the participant registry. Status is effective from the date on the certificate.
GOOD TO KNOW
- Total review time: 15 business days (5 days of moderation plus 10 days of committee review)
- Filing is free, no need to bring original documents to an office, the process is entirely online
- All notifications arrive through the portal account — check it regularly
- Trusted Kazakhstan's support is free and fully managed, no need to pay an intermediary to file
Why applications get rejected. The most common reason is a vague product description that leaves the committee unable to tell whether the activity falls within the priority list. The second is mixed revenue. The third is an incomplete document package. We help close all three before filing.
TIMELINE AND DOCUMENTS
How long it takes to get the status
| Stage | Timeline |
|---|---|
| LLP registration in Kazakhstan | about 7 business days, online |
| Application moderation | 5 business days |
| Committee review | 10 business days |
| Total application review | 15 business days |
| Signing the agreement and issuing the certificate | after the committee decision |
| Full path for a foreign company, from zero to status | roughly 4–6 weeks |
The document package depends on the company's profile and project stage. The baseline part is the same for all applicants; additional documents are requested depending on the business model. The current list is published on the Astana Hub portal, and we put it together with you at a free consultation.
Put together the package for my company →WHAT TO WRITE IN THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The committee evaluates whether the activity falls within the priority list, so the description needs specifics rather than generic language about "IT solutions." Cover:
- The product itself and what problem it solves
- The technology stack
- The business model: who pays, and for what
- Target markets
- Metrics and project stage
OBLIGATIONS, HONESTLY
What's required of a participant after getting the status
Participant status isn't a one-time procedure — it's a regime you need to maintain. In exchange for the zero rates, the company takes on reporting, a quarterly fee of 1% of revenue, and a commitment to keep its activity within the priority list. For an export-oriented IT company this is usually a favorable trade, but it's worth running the numbers for your own case.
- Reporting on company activity to the cluster
- Mentoring for the community on the cluster's request, peer-to-peer format
- A quarterly fee of 1% of revenue for the preceding quarter
- Staying within profile: income continues to come only from priority activities
WHO WE ARE
Who Trusted Kazakhstan is, and why the support is free
Trusted Kazakhstan is an Astana Hub initiative. We support foreign companies and specialists through the whole path, from LLP registration to obtaining participant status and arranging visas for employees. Support is free and fully managed.
The reason is simple: our success is measured by the number of companies in the cluster and the volume of Kazakhstan's IT exports, not by service revenue. So there's no need to pay an intermediary to file.
WHAT WE ACTUALLY DO
- Check eligibility against the criteria before filing
- Help formulate the product description to fit the priority list
- Put together the document package
- Manage the application and respond to committee requests
- Set up the visa and hiring track after status is obtained
Contacts are institutional only: the Astana Hub channel, the cluster's WhatsApp, the 1818 number for callers in Kazakhstan, and an international number.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS