Over 7.5 million foreigners entered Kazakhstan in first half of 2025
Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstan has recorded over 7.5 million foreign arrivals since the beginning of the year, according to updated migration statistics presented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs at a recent government meeting.
Acting Interior Minister Bauyrzhan Alenov noted that the number of incoming foreigners continues to rise annually.
“In the first half of 2025, more than 7.5 million foreigners entered the country, which is 600,000 more than during the same period last year. Around 90 percent came from CIS countries,” Alenov said.
During the same timeframe, about 7.2 million people left Kazakhstan.
Breakdown of foreign residents
Currently, 212,000 foreigners reside in Kazakhstan on a permanent basis, with the highest concentrations in:
Almaty: 42,000
Almaty region: 32,000
Astana and Karaganda region: 17,000 each
Additionally, 430,000 foreigners are temporarily staying in the country, including:
360,000 for work17,000 for family reunification8,000 for education44,000 for tourism or personal reasons
Earlier, officials also announced plans to tighten administrative penalties for violations of migration laws amid rising migration flows.