Unemployment Benefits in Kazakhstan in 2025: What It Is, How to Apply and Receive

When a person is employed, they receive a salary to cover food, housing, and other needs. But how can one meet their needs after being laid off? In case of job loss, Kazakhstan provides social benefits, regulated by the Social Code. These payments come from a fund formed through monthly contributions. Employers make these contributions, while individual entrepreneurs pay them independently.

Social benefits are positioned as a temporary measure to support people while they search for a new job.

Who is Eligible for Benefits

Unemployment benefits can be received by citizens of Kazakhstan, as well as kandas (ethnic returnees) and citizens of other countries. However, the following conditions must be met:

1. 1. The applicant must have been officially employed.
2. 2. Contributions must have been made on their behalf for at least 6 months.
3. 3. The applicant must officially obtain the status of unemployed.

So what does unemployed status give in Kazakhstan? First of all, it is important to know that only in this case can the applicant receive state payments.

Note that some categories are not eligible for this type of state support: students, convicts, trainees, and retirees.

How to Obtain Unemployed Status in Kazakhstan

The first step is obtaining unemployed status. How to register as unemployed? All procedures can be completed online in two ways:

1. 1. Submit an application on the Enbek.kz website – the Electronic Labor Exchange.
2. 2. Apply through the Egov.kz portal.

Note that an electronic digital signature (EDS) is required to submit online — without it, the application cannot be signed.

If you prefer in-person interaction, you can contact the employment center at your place of residence.

How to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in Kazakhstan in 2025

There are several ways to apply. The simplest is to use the proactive service. After registering as unemployed, the applicant receives an SMS request from the Ministry of Labor. A confirmation code must be sent in response.
Other options:

1. 1. Visit the local career center in person.
2. 2. Visit a Public Service Center.
3. 3. Submit an application via Egov.kz or Enbek.kz.

How Much Does the Labor Exchange Pay in Kazakhstan

The amount of unemployment benefits is determined by a specific formula. You need to multiply the applicant's average monthly income (for the last 2 years) by the replacement coefficient (0.45) and the experience coefficient. The experience coefficient depends on official work experience — the value is found in a special table. For example, a coefficient of 1 is assigned for over 5 years of experience. For each year beyond 5, 0.02 is added until the maximum of 1.3 is reached.

Let’s look at an example of how the unemployment benefit is calculated. Suppose a citizen has been officially working for 25 years. They are assigned an experience coefficient of 1.3. The average salary over the last two years is 500,000 tenge. The replacement coefficient is 0.45. Multiplying these values gives 292,500 tenge. This is how much the citizen will receive in case of job loss.
Another common question is: on what day is the unemployment benefit paid? There is no centralized date. Payment is made from the day the citizen becomes unemployed. A few days (typically no more than five) are needed to transfer the funds to the bank account.

How Long Are Unemployment Benefits Paid in Kazakhstan?

As noted, unemployment benefits in Kazakhstan are paid from the day a person obtains unemployed status. The payment period depends on work experience. The maximum payment duration is 6 months.

Suppose a person fails to find a job within six months. In that case, they can reapply after one month. However, the payments will be smaller. One year of experience is deducted for every month of previous benefit payment. For example, if a citizen received benefits for 6 months, 6 years are subtracted from their experience for the next application.

There are no legal limits on the number of repeat applications. However, in practice, applications are usually rejected if a person lives on unemployment benefits for 2 years. The reason is simple: during those 2 years, no contributions were made to the Social Insurance Fund, so there are no funds to pay out.

Why Payments May Be Stopped

Payments can stop for only one reason — loss of unemployed status. This may occur in several ways. The most common include:

1. The person found a job and was officially employed.
2. The applicant refused suitable job offers from the career center three times. These must be objectively appropriate jobs (based on qualifications, experience, and age).
3. The applicant violated the rules. For example, they did not check in with the career center staff or failed to respond to employer requests.

Unemployment benefits are a significant support during difficult times when a person loses their job. However, it’s important to remember that benefits are paid for no more than six months (and not more than 2 years in total) and that all interaction rules with the career center must be followed.

This article has been translated from its original language using neural network-based translation technology.