Housing in Almaty for Indian students, families and entrepreneurs

What visa does an Indian citizen need to live in Almaty?

Without a visa you can come for 14 days, and no more than 42 days in total over six months. That's enough to see the city, get an IIN (individual identification number, needed for any deal) and choose an apartment, but not to live here. Students need a study visa on the university's invitation, and company employees a work visa through the employer.

Keep an eye on QazETA. It's currently an advisory electronic travel authorisation for visa-free foreigners, and according to the media it will become mandatory from July 2027. Check the rules on Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry website before every trip.

Why Indian students and families choose Almaty

Most come to study medicine: tuition is cheaper than at private colleges in India, and programmes are taught in English. According to India's ambassador in 2025, about 9,000 Indian students were studying in Kazakhstan, and Almaty is their main city. There are direct flights from Delhi to Almaty, and the flight takes about three and a half hours.

Parents follow the students, and entrepreneurs follow the tourists. In 2025 India became the second-largest source of tourists from outside the CIS after China, and some of those who came to see the city later return to start a business here.

How an Indian medical student can rent an apartment in Almaty

Medical university dormitories don't have room for everyone, so many students rent an apartment for three or four people straight away. Almaty landlords are cautious about large student groups, and the lease needs to be written so both sides are comfortable: who the tenant is, how many people live there, who pays the utilities, how the deposit is returned.

I check the owner and the documents, look at the route to the university and to the hospitals where clinical placements take place, and record the apartment's condition on video. The kitchen is a separate question: if you cook for yourselves, I ask the landlord in advance whether they have any restrictions. I handle the lease and all correspondence in English.

Should parents buy an apartment for the years of study?

A medical programme lasts five to six years, and parents often reckon that rent over that time equals half an apartment. I do an honest calculation: rent for the full period against buying with property tax, renovation, utility bills and the costs of selling after graduation.

There's a legal barrier. A study visa doesn't give a residence permit, so an apartment can't be registered to the student or a parent as an individual. That leaves buying through an LLP (limited liability partnership, locally TOO), which has bookkeeping and taxes. For one apartment for one student this usually doesn't pay off, but for a family planning a business in Kazakhstan it can make sense.

How to transfer money from India for rent or a purchase

Transfers from India go under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Since April 2025 TCS has been collected on amounts above ₹10 lakh per financial year: 5% for self-funded education, no TCS when paying from an education loan, and 20% for buying property. TCS is later credited against your taxes in India, but the money is out of circulation for a while. Check the details with your bank and tax adviser.

In Kazakhstan the money arrives in your account at a local bank, which is opened in person after you get an IIN. Currency control for individuals starts at $10,000, and the bank will ask where the funds came from. Pay the seller and the landlord by bank transfer: the receipt protects you in a dispute.

Which Almaty districts suit Indian students and families

Asfendiyarov Medical University is in the centre on Tole Bi Street, so students often live in the Golden Square and neighbouring blocks: everything is close, there are lots of cafes and shops, but the buildings are mostly old. KazNU's medical faculty is near the Botanical Garden, where housing is newer.

For families with children I show Samal and the blocks west of Gagarin Avenue, with schools, kindergartens and quiet courtyards nearby. In older buildings in the centre I check the year of construction: Almaty sits in a seismic zone rated 9–10 points, and for me that matters more than the view.

Mistakes to avoid

• Paying an agent in India for "guaranteed housing" in Almaty without seeing the lease and the owner
• Four people living in an apartment when the lease names one
• Not recording the apartment's condition at move-in
• Planning to buy an apartment in your own name on a study visa
• Forgetting about TCS when transferring a large sum

How I work with clients from India

With clients from India we communicate in English, and I prepare documents and calculations in English too. If a parent is more comfortable in Hindi or another language, we bring in an interpreter for meetings and the notary.

Accompaniment is a paid service, and we agree its scope in advance. For students it's finding a rental and checking the lease; for families and entrepreneurs it's finding a home or premises, the deal and liaising with lawyers on the IIN, bank and LLP. My commission on a purchase starts at 1%.