Kazakhstan simplifies rules for foreign specialists in IT

The Ministry of Digital Development has decided to provide public services for foreign IT specialists based on the one-stop principle.

Now any foreign IT specialist can obtain any public services based on the one-stop principle in the Expat Center of the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). For example, foreigners can now easily obtain an individual identification number, register in a state database for mobile services; get a digital signature; register a company; open a bank account; get residence permission or even buy a local SIM card.

According to Bagdat Musin, minister of digital development, innovations and aerospace industry the development of the IT sector is one of the key priorities for the ministry. «The president has given us specific orders: to figure out what must be done to support local IT specialists and attract international IT companies. We’ve made our public services center in the Expat Center of AIFC with that purpose in mind,» he said.

The Expat Center of AIFC is a place where representatives of public services centers, commercial banks, migration services and other specialists can work. In other words, almost every service might be provided here based on the one-stop principle. For example, once a foreign specialist is registered in the mobile database of citizens, he will be able to obtain full access to services by the e-government and eGov mobile.

According to HeadHunter Kazakhstan, the demand for IT specialists in Kazakhstan continues to grow. In 2021 the number of vacancies rose by half compared to 2020. Among the most in-demand professions are coding and software engineering (54%), engineering (23%) and system administration (20%). In the first quarter of 2022, the average salary for these specialists rose by 17% over the rates last year.