Nearly 100,000 Foreigners Apply for Pensions in Kazakhstan

Over the past four years, nearly 97,000 citizens from Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries have opened individual pension accounts in Kazakhstan, Orda.kz reports.

This follows the implementation of a 2021 EAEU agreement aimed at simplifying pension calculations across member states. Under the agreement:

• Pension contributions are paid in the country where the person works
• Work experience across EAEU countries is combined if it's not sufficient in one country
• Pension applications can be submitted either in the home country or where the individual was employed

How Does It Work in Kazakhstan?

According to the Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (UAPF), foreign workers in Kazakhstan are automatically assigned individual pension accounts, where their contributions are deposited. Upon retirement, payouts are made in accordance with Kazakhstani law.

97,378 working citizens of EAEU member states employed in Kazakhstan have had pension contributions transferred to the UAPF, and accounts opened without needing to apply. So far, 180 individuals have already begun receiving retirement payments due to reaching retirement age,the fund reported. 

In contrast, only 11 Kazakhstanis currently receive pensions from Russia and Kyrgyzstan — also members of the EAEU — highlighting that Kazakhstan attracts significantly more EAEU labor migrants than it sends abroad.

Original Author: Aliya Askarova