Relocating from Almaty to Dubai.
Kazakh business owners arrive with a cleaner banking profile than Russian clients but face a different obstacle: documenting a source of wealth accumulated in a jurisdiction where informal arrangements were common in the 1990s and 2000s. What is entirely legitimate can still be difficult to evidence to a compliance officer who has never seen a Kazakh privatisation document.
What matters specifically for Kazakhstan
Evidencing wealth accumulated pre-2010. Currency controls and transfer routes from Kazakhstan. Whether AIFC structures interact usefully with UAE ones. Kazakh tax residency rules and the deregistration process.
The sequence that works
| Stage | Duration |
|---|---|
| Structure decision — before anything is registered | 1–2 weeks |
| Document attestation in Kazakhstan | up to 6 weeks, in parallel |
| Company formation | 1–3 weeks |
| Residency for the principal | 3–6 weeks |
| Corporate bank account | 2–8 weeks |
| Dependants' visas | 3–5 weeks each, partly parallel |
| Housing, schools, practical layer | runs throughout |
| Total | 3–6 months |
Documents to start with
Apostilled civil documents, notarised translations, privatisation and share acquisition documents where the wealth originates there.
Practical
5 hours direct between Almaty and Dubai. UAE is 1 hour behind, so the overlap with the working day is comfortable in both directions — relevant if you keep interests in both places, which most people do.
What I do
- Design the structure before anything is registered, working backwards from banking and tax
- Coordinate with your existing advisors at home rather than around them
- Start attestation first, because it is the one step that cannot be compressed
- Select the free zone on banking reception and visa quota, not on licence price
- Prepare the banking file so it answers compliance questions before they are asked
- Manage the practical layer: housing, schools, healthcare, staff, vehicles, shipping, pets
From AED 120,000
Full relocation of a family with a business. The exact fee depends on structure, number of dependants and scope. Government fees, free zone charges and third-party costs are separate.
Common questions
How long does relocating from Almaty to Dubai take?
Three to six months for a complete move including company, residency for the whole family, banking, housing and schools. The company takes days; the bank account and school placements set the real timeline. Document attestation in your home country runs in parallel and takes up to six weeks.
What are the Kazakhstan-specific issues?
Evidencing wealth accumulated pre-2010. Currency controls and transfer routes from Kazakhstan. Whether AIFC structures interact usefully with UAE ones. Kazakh tax residency rules and the deregistration process.
What documents do I need from home before leaving?
Apostilled civil documents, notarised translations, privatisation and share acquisition documents where the wealth originates there. Start this before anything else — it cannot be accelerated from Dubai.
How much does the move cost?
Government and third-party costs for a family of four typically run AED 60,000–150,000 depending on the free zone, housing and schooling. Coordination of a full relocation starts at AED 120,000. Qualifying property investment, if the residency route is property-based, is capital that stays yours.
Can I keep my business at home and still relocate?
Yes, and many do. The question is whether the home entity remains the operating company or becomes a subsidiary, and what that means for tax residency in both jurisdictions. Decide before the UAE company is registered, not after.
Practical details — flights and time zone?
5 hours direct between Almaty and Dubai. UAE is 1 hour behind, which makes working across both straightforward.
Reviewed by Denis Chernikov, Private Client Advisor, nine years in the UAE private client sector.
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