How to check a developer and a new build in Kazakhstan before you buy

In Kazakhstan, the only legal way to buy an apartment in a building under construction is a shared construction participation agreement (DDU) registered in Kazreestr, paid only by bank transfer after registration. The check takes one evening: find the complex in the registry, confirm the developer has a permit to raise buyers' money under one of three schemes, and visit the site. Bookings, "investment contracts" and preliminary agreements are outside the law.

In short

The only legal document for buying housing under construction is a DDU registered in the unified information system (Kazreestr)
Developers can raise buyers' money under three schemes: a guarantee from Kazakhstan Housing Company JSC (KZhK), participation of a commercial bank, or sales after the frame is built
As of March 2026, Kazreestr listed about 1,300 projects, 170 developers with the right to raise funds and more than 200,000 DDUs
Payments under a DDU can only be made by bank transfer and only after the contract is registered; cash has been banned since 31.08.2025
Advertising sales without a permit is fined up to 1,000 MRP, raising money without a permit up to 2,000 MRP
New permit rules have applied since 21 July 2026; the frame scheme requires experience of at least 36,000 m² over 3 years in Almaty and Astana

How to legally buy an off-plan apartment in Kazakhstan

The law on shared participation in housing construction, with amendments that took effect on 31 August 2025, leaves the buyer one route. You sign a standard DDU (shared construction participation agreement), the developer registers it in the unified system, and only then do you transfer money from your account to the account named in the contract. The bank checks the payment against the registry.

Everything else offered in sales offices is risky: a booking with a deposit, a "letter of intent", an "investment contract", entry through a partnership or a construction contract. If the developer asks for money before the DDU is registered, get up and leave.

How to check a residential complex in Kazreestr and on eGov

The first check is free and takes five minutes. Find the project in Kazreestr (the state register of shared construction projects) or in the service for checking buildings under construction in eGov Mobile and in banking apps. Since January 2026 you can also check there that your DDU payment went through properly.

For Almaty, the city administration's "white list" of complexes under construction and KZhK's housing portal homeportal.kz are also useful. If a complex isn't in any of these places but is selling apartments, that's the biggest red flag.

The names of the complex and developer in the registry match those in the contract
The city administration's (akimat's) permit to raise buyers' money is listed, along with its scheme
The address and cadastral number of the plot match the actual site
The phase or block you're being sold is covered by the permit

Three legal schemes: KZhK guarantee, bank, or frame

The scheme determines who is responsible for the building if the developer runs into trouble. Ask the sales office which scheme the project uses and check the answer in the documents.

Guarantee from the Single Operator (KZhK)

Kazakhstan Housing Company JSC (KZhK) reviews the project and issues a guarantee. If a guarantee event occurs, KZhK arranges completion of the building. For the buyer this is the clearest protection. The requirements for the developer's experience and assets are high, so fly-by-night companies usually don't get in.

Project with a commercial bank

The bank lends for construction and controls the money. Under new rules approved on 18 May 2026, a developer in Almaty and Astana needs at least 2 years of experience and 10,000 m² of completed housing.

Sales after the frame is built

Money can be raised once the frame is standing and an engineering company has confirmed it. In Almaty and Astana this requires experience of at least 36,000 m² of completed housing over the last 3 years. A standing frame lowers the risk but doesn't remove it: the facade, building services and commissioning are still ahead.

How to check a developer's track record

The registry tells you whether the sale is legal. Whether the building will be finished on time and well is answered by the company's history. I look at it as a lawyer and as someone who has worked on building sites myself.

Completed projects: how many, where and how late. Visit one of their older complexes and talk to residents at the entrance
Court cases in public databases: claims from buyers, contractors, banks
Tax debts on kgd.gov.kz
Whether the company sets up a new legal entity for each project: this is sometimes how old debts are hidden
The plot: title documents, designated use, no mortgage on it. Since 2025, pledging a plot with construction on it for other loans is prohibited
Sales pace and discounts: aggressive promotions at an early stage sometimes mean the developer urgently needs cash

What I look at on the building site as a builder

In 2010 I spent about a year installing the facade of the Atakent hotel, then several years building houses with a construction crew. In 2019 I ran my own concrete batching plant in Burunday, so I know which concrete grades and certificates should arrive on site with every mixer truck. So on site I look at what the building is made of, not at the showroom. You don't need to be an engineer for this, just to know where to look.

The frame

Concrete without cavities or voids, with no exposed rebar sticking out anywhere
Columns and walls stand straight, with no visible sagging in the floor slabs
Construction is on schedule: the actual number of floors matches what the developer's report promises
There are people and machinery on site. An idle crane on three visits in a row says more than any presentation

The facade

What the facade is made of and how it's insulated: the contract and the design should say the same thing
How a ventilated facade is fixed: in seismically active Almaty, saving on fixings is dangerous
Wet render over insulation isn't applied in winter: if this work is going on in frost, the quality is in doubt

Building services and utility connections

Whether there are technical conditions (connection approvals) for electricity, water, sewerage and heating. A building without connections may not be commissioned
Whether there's enough power capacity for the apartments and the ground-floor commercial units
Where the parking is and how many spaces there are per apartment

Almaty building restrictions you need to know

Since 1 March 2025, in Almaty's seismically hazardous zones and foothills (south of the Eastern Ring Road, Al-Farabi Avenue, Sain Street and Zhandosov Street), buildings can be no higher than 3 storeys or 12 metres. Since 29 October 2025, there has been a moratorium on apartment complexes and infill construction in the foothill zone.

If you're offered a new high-rise in the foothills, check when the building permit and the permit to raise money were issued. A project that doesn't fit the regulations risks being stopped.

Checklist before buying a new-build apartment

The complex and developer are found in Kazreestr or the eGov service
There's a city permit to raise money and the scheme is clear: KZhK, bank or frame
You're offered a standard DDU, not a booking, letter of intent or investment contract
Money goes by bank transfer to the account in the DDU, and only after the contract is registered
The plot belongs to the developer, is designated for housing and isn't mortgaged
The number of floors matches the regulations, and the site is outside the foothill moratorium zone
The developer has completed buildings, no mass lawsuits and no tax debts
There's real construction on site, the frame has no visible defects, and connection approvals exist
You know whether construction started before 01.01.2026: this decides whether the housing sale is VAT-exempt
You know the tax timelines: selling your rights under a DDU signed from 2026 onwards is free of income tax only after 3 years

This is general information. Legal and tax details depend on your status, so before any deal I confirm them with a notary and a lawyer.

I'll check the complex before you pay

Send me the name of the residential complex. I'll check the registry, the permits and the developer's history, and if needed I'll visit the site and show you what's really going on there.

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Questions and answers

How do I check whether a developer in Kazakhstan is selling apartments legally?

Find the complex in Kazreestr or in the eGov Mobile service for checking buildings under construction. It shows whether the developer has a permit to raise buyers' money. If the project isn't in the registry but apartments are being sold, don't pay.

Can I buy an apartment with a booking or an investment contract?

No. Under amendments that took effect on 31 August 2025, the only legal document for buying housing under construction is a registered DDU. Bookings, preliminary and investment contracts are prohibited, and paying under them is dangerous.

What is the KZhK guarantee when buying a new build?

It's a guarantee from the Single Operator, Kazakhstan Housing Company JSC. If the developer can't finish the building, KZhK arranges completion. You can check whether a project has a guarantee on homeportal.kz and in the registry.

Can I pay a developer in cash?

No, cash payments under a DDU have been banned since 31 August 2025. Payment goes only by bank transfer and only after the contract is registered. The bank won't process a payment under an unregistered DDU.

Is it safe to buy an apartment at the foundation-pit stage?

It's safest with a KZhK guarantee or in a bank-backed project. At the foundation stage the price is lower, but the risk of delay is higher. I advise checking the developer's track record and allowing extra time for completion.

What tax applies when selling an apartment bought under a DDU?

Selling your rights under a DDU signed from 2026 onwards is exempt from income tax after 3 years. If title to the finished apartment was registered after 01.01.2026, you can sell it tax-free after 2 years. Otherwise income tax is 10% of the gain; check the details with a tax adviser.

What should I check on a building site if I'm not a builder?

That construction is on schedule and there are people and machinery on site. That the frame's concrete has no cavities or exposed rebar. Ask about connection approvals for electricity, water and heating: without them the building may not be completed.