Doing business in Kazakhstan: a guide for European companies

Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia and the EU’s main trading partner in the region. For European companies it offers a growing market, large public and industrial projects, and a base for the wider region. It also has its own business culture, rules and risks. This guide gives a clear overview for companies taking a first serious look.

Kazakhstan at a glance

The UK government’s Overseas Business Risk report, updated in July 2026, describes Kazakhstan as a presidential republic and an upper middle-income country, with an economy 20% bigger than all its Central Asian neighbours combined. Its figures for 2025 include:

• population of 20.5 million
• GDP of US $305.9 billion and real GDP growth of 6.5%
• inflation of 12.3%
• national currency: the tenge (KZT)

The economy still depends heavily on natural resources. Crude oil and oil products made up just over half of goods exports in 2025, and state-owned enterprises remain important, although the report notes a programme to privatise a list of 473 of them.

Kazakhstan is a member of the World Trade Organization (since 2015) and of the Eurasian Economic Union, alongside Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. That second membership matters for customs and product rules, as goods move between member states under a shared customs framework.

The EU and Kazakhstan

The European Commission reports that EU trade in goods with Kazakhstan was €41.4 billion in 2025. EU exports to Kazakhstan were €10.6 billion, led by machinery and transport equipment (48.7%), chemicals including pharmaceuticals (21.5%), and food and raw materials (10.8%). The EU is also Kazakhstan’s largest foreign investor.

Relations run under the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force on 1 March 2020. In 2022 the Commission and Kazakhstan also signed a memorandum on strategic partnerships in raw materials, batteries and renewable hydrogen.

Where the opportunities are

Kazakh Invest, the national investment promotion agency, lists priority sectors including agribusiness, petrochemicals, mechanical engineering, mining and metallurgy, coal chemistry and tourism. The UK government’s export guide highlights mining services and equipment, financial and professional services, agriculture, clean energy and education.

In practice, European companies often find openings where they bring technology, equipment, standards or know-how that local industry needs: mining and processing, energy transition, water and agriculture, healthcare and education.

Routes into the market

The UK government’s export guide names three main routes:

• an agent or distributor, the lowest-cost way to test the market
• a joint venture with a local partner
• your own company

On setting up, Kazakh Invest describes the limited liability partnership (LLP) as the most popular form for small and medium-sized businesses, and the joint stock company (JSC) for larger projects. Registration can be done online through the eGov portal for a single-founder LLP, or at a Public Service Centre for more complex ownership. Foreign founders need legalised company documents with notarised translations into Kazakh and Russian, and proof of their right to register a business under Kazakh migration law, such as a business immigration visa or a temporary residence permit.

Kazakh Invest also offers foreign investors a one-stop shop for government services, free consultations, visa support and help with investment contracts.

The AIFC. The Astana International Financial Centre in the capital has its own legal framework, based on the principles and precedents of English law, with its own court, an international arbitration centre and an independent financial regulator (AFSA). It also offers a special tax regime. For some European companies, particularly in finance and professional services, it is an attractive base.

Language, relationships and visits

The official language is Kazakh, and Russian is widely used. The UK government’s export guide recommends translating your most important materials into both. Most imported products must be labelled in Kazakh and Russian.

Relationships matter. Decisions often take time and involve senior people, and a visit in person usually moves things further than months of email. The UK government’s travel advice says British citizens can visit without a visa for up to 30 days for business or tourism, with a limit of 90 days in any 180-day period. Rules differ by nationality, so check the current position with the Kazakh embassy. The same advice notes an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system introduced in 2026, expected to become mandatory for visa-free travellers.

Risks to manage

Kazakhstan is a workable market, but go in with open eyes. The UK government’s risk report points to:

• Corruption. Kazakhstan scored 38 out of 100 on Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index. European companies remain bound by their own anti-bribery laws everywhere they operate.
• Intellectual property. Rights are territorial, so register them in Kazakhstan. The report notes that foreign nationals can apply for IP registration only through patent attorneys.
• Centralised decision-making and a heavily regulated environment, where new rules are not always applied consistently at local level.

Sanctions. Kazakhstan shares a long border and close trade ties with Russia. The UK government has published specific guidance for Kazakh businesses on the risk of goods being re-exported to Russia. For European exporters this means real due diligence: screening partners against the EU, UK and UN sanctions lists, checking ownership, and getting clear end-use commitments, especially for machinery, electronics and dual-use goods.

How Mavericks Go helps

Mavericks Go takes European companies into Kazakhstan and Central Asia, from a market briefing and entry plan to local distributors, buyers and counterparts through Mavericks Connect, trade missions, and support after you land. Every Go deal is screened against EU sanctions, and legal work is handled by our regulated partner law firms, including in Kazakhstan.