How to open accounts in Kazakhstan and receive payment debit cards in less than one week
First of all, it should be said that I do not provide any services for issuing cards or IIN! And I don’t consult. This article is just an opportunity to share my experience and maybe help someone
Ask questions under the post, friends, and I will try to answer your comments (to the point).
Foreword
We will analyze how to open accounts in Kazakhstan and make working Visa and Mastercard cards in various banks. You will find out why I went to a neighboring country, what it led to, how to interact with the financial system most quickly and efficiently upon arrival, and what is required for this.
Also, please keep in mind that I am using the term “Western bank” in the context of the fact that the bank is NOT Russian.
Why?
So, let’s see what the cards of Kazakhstani banks are for. It is obvious that Russia has found itself under severe financial sanctions, and now it is impossible to pay for any services of Western services with our Mastercard and Visa
In particular, payments to tinder, the Vidiq service and others do not go through either. I work with clients through google ads, where it is now impossible to maintain ruble accounts. For me, as a YouTube expert, it is very important to make payments not with the help of interlayer services, but from my foreign currency account in a “western” (read: Kazakhstani) bank
What do you need to get a card?
In this mindmap, I clearly show what is needed and in what order. You can use the diagram below as a ready-made algorithm
First of all, you need to get a Kazakhstani IIN
This is an analogue of our TIN, but stands for differently: individual identification number
A couple of months ago, IIN was assigned to citizens of the Russian Federation remotely online
A person from Kazakhstan in the eGov office (https://egov.kz/cms/ru – an analogue of our State Services) filled out a questionnaire, uploaded a scan of a passport and received your number in 1-3 days
Now the procedure for registering IIN has changed. You can either personally apply to the PSC (MFC) in Kazakhstan, or do the same through an intermediary by proxy. The number is assigned in the same timeframe and uploaded to the State Revenue Committee database within 10 working days, from where, in turn, the banks receive information
When they give you an IIN, you will receive such a beautiful paper. It must be shown in banks
Second. Buying a local SIM card
Upon arrival, be sure to buy a SIM card from a local operator (local phone number). Your new virtual banking will be linked to it. Only two organizations work with Russian numbers: Freedom Finance and Altyn. Of the operators, I recommend you Beeline – it works perfectly in roaming and is inexpensive. Especially if you activate the Simple tariff and the SIM card in the safe service
Once again, let’s fix it: there is nothing to do in Kazakhstani banks without a local SIM card
international passport
Be sure to enter Kazakhstan with a passport. There, the border guards will put you a stamp confirming that you are in the country legally. If you make a mistake and submit an internal Russian passport, there will be no marks in it, and you will have to make a notification, registration and spend precious time on this bureaucracy
Therefore, we pass border control only at the border
How to save on tickets
And now – attention! – I fire my cheat code, and tell why the tickets cost me very cheap. I flew with the help of Aeroflot miles – I paid for the ticket with them, adding two to three thousand rubles on top (such as a fuel surcharge). Check, maybe you have accumulated enough bonuses?
What’s next?
You have received an IIN, you have a passport with a stamp of border guards and a new SIM card – now you can proceed directly to opening accounts and issuing cards
What banks do we go to?
Bank Kaspi (https://kaspi. kz/)
Immediately in Kaspi. There are a lot of its branches in Astana and Alma-Ata. We look at Yandex, google, and choose any nearest office. An account will be opened for you right there, and you will print your personal tenge Visa yourself. You can use it and the mobile application right away
My choice is CenterCredit Bank (https://www. bcc. kz/)
The coolest bank ever! Very positive. True, in the department where I first came, they turned me over, saying that I needed an employment contract with an employer from Kazakhstan
I went to another office, and they gave me a cardcardcard without a sound (there is no error here). And now I pay for tinder, google, in general, any services, anything, and there are no problems
In the same bank, a dollar account is attached to the same card, and you can make swift transfers to this account
And also, from the bottom of my heart – Freedom Finance Bank (https://bankffin.kz/)
Freedom is very good, high-quality, they accepted the application easily. But the physical card was issued for a long time. I agreed with the manager to send it to the Russian Federation, he personally took the plastic to SDEK. I have already received the Freedom Card and use it successfully
Where NOT to go
Which banks in Kazakhstan I DO NOT RECOMMEND to you. In my opinion, this is RBC Bank. Issuing a card there costs 50 thousand tenge (6.5 thousand rubles), maintenance – 5 thousand tenge (650 rubles per month). It is unrealistically expensive and justified if for some reason you were denied by other banks.
In Forte (https://forte.kz/), non-residents are required to enter into an agreement with an employer.
In Altyn Bank (https://altyn-i.kz/) – similarly, without an employment contract with a Kazakh company, you cannot become a client
How to transfer from a Russian card to a Kazakhstani one
Very few job options
By SWIFT, from the Bank’s Post or through services such as “Zolotaya Korona” (https://koronapay.com com/)
There are no direct interbank transfers. You cannot, for example, send Tinkov money to a Kazakhstani bank card using a phone number or account number
Is it possible to open accounts only in Kazakhstan?
No, these banking services are also available in other CIS countries. I recommend trying to open accounts (but I have not personally done so) in Uzbekistan. Fortunately, this country is located next to Kazakhstan. Or, for example, pay attention to the banks of Armenia and / or Belarus
Each country has its own nuances and rules, study them and find the option that suits you and your finances.
In conclusion, I repeat that I do not provide any services for issuing cards or IIN, and I do not advise! This article is just an opportunity to share my experience and perhaps help someone.
But! I will try to answer your comments (to the point!) under the post
Useful links:
subscribe to my channel https://t.me/raskrutkayoutube
Dilara from Alma-Ata will help you https://t.me/BraveSeal
Group “Relocation to KZ” https://t. me/+lWi-crUxkCk3ZDYy
My contact https://t. me/sergeyarkhangel
If you have any questions – write in the comments
Always yours,
Sergei Arkhangelsky
