Full procedure Open a café
A café or teahouse with seating, run by a sole trader or a small company.
Obtain the census confirmation slip
Until 30 November 2026, also for businesses not yet registered: the census counts registered and unregistered businesses.
- 1. Collect the census confirmation slip (business census 2026)
Where: Territorial Statistics Office
Taking part in the census does not register a business, and registering does not replace the census questionnaire. The Register of Firms does not accept applications without the slip until 30 November.
Bring: ID card or passport of the applicant
You receive: Census confirmation slip (business census 2026)
Time: 20–90 min in the queue, 25–40 min at the counter, 1–3 days until the next step
Check the name and register the firm
Registration of a sole trader or company at the district office of the Register of Firms (the name can be checked first on e-Irad).
- 2. Check the proposed name
Where: Register of Firms (district offices)
A café may not be named after a place in the ISEZ under a retired name (Kobozev, Frunze and the like). Names with “Irad”, “State” or “National” need the approval of the Ministry of Economy.
Bring: ID card or passport of the applicant
You receive: Name check result (name available)
Time: 30–120 min in the queue, 5–10 min at the counter, 0–1 days until the next step - 3. Pay the fee at Talasbank
Where: Talasbank (any branch)
Cost: state fee, sole trader (company: IS 600), IS 150
Time: 20–60 min in the queue, 5–10 min at the counter, 0–1 days until the next step - 4. Sign the application in front of the registrar
Where: Register of Firms (district offices)
Bring: Census confirmation slip (business census 2026), Name check result (name available), Lease or ownership certificate of the premises, ID card or passport of the applicant
You receive: Certificate of registration of the firm
Time: 30–120 min in the queue, 15–25 min at the counter, 5 days until the next step
Obtain a statistical code
Code card of the Territorial Statistics Office.
- 5. Collect the statistical code card
Where: Territorial Statistics Office
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm
You receive: Statistical code card
Time: 20–90 min in the queue, 5–10 min at the counter, 2–5 days until the next step
Register as a taxpayer
Registration at the District Tax Inspectorate.
- 6. Register at the Tax Inspectorate
Where: District Tax Inspectorate
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Statistical code card, ID card or passport of the applicant
You receive: Taxpayer registration card
Time: 40–180 min in the queue, 10–20 min at the counter, 3–5 days until the next step
Have a seal made and registered
A seal made by a licensed engraver, with its impression registered at the city police.
- 7. Order the seal from a licensed engraver
Where: Licensed seal engraver
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Taxpayer registration card
Cost: IS 180
Time: 0 min in the queue, 10–20 min at the counter, 2–4 days until the next step - 8. Register the impression at the city police
Where: City police: licensing and registration section
The engraver may not hand over the seal until its impression is registered, and the impression cannot be registered without the seal. The engraver therefore brings the seal to the police himself.
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, ID card or passport of the applicant
You receive: Registered impression of the firm's seal
Cost: IS 30
Time: 30–120 min in the queue, 10–15 min at the counter, 1–3 days until the next step
Open a bank account
Business account at Talasbank; required to pay the state fees of the later steps by transfer.
- 9. Open the account with the seal and the signature card
Where: Talasbank (any branch)
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Taxpayer registration card, Registered impression of the firm's seal, ID card or passport of the applicant
You receive: Bank account opening letter
Cost: IS 50
Time: 30–150 min in the queue, 30–45 min at the counter, 2–3 days until the next step
Obtain a fire-safety report on the premises
Inspection by the State Fire Inspectorate.
- 10. Receive the inspector at the premises
Where: State Fire Inspectorate
Bring: Lease or ownership certificate of the premises, Floor plan of the premises, 1:100, Certificate of registration of the firm
You receive: Fire-safety inspection report on the storage room
Cost: IS 180
Cost: IS 4 per seat
Time: 15–60 min in the queue, 40–60 min at the counter, 7–15 days until the next step
Obtain medical books for the staff
Medical commission at the city polyclinic for everyone who handles food.
- 11. Pass the medical commission
Where: City polyclinic (medical commissions)
Bring: ID card or passport of the applicant, Two photographs, 3.5 × 4.5 cm
You receive: Medical books of the staff
Cost: IS 140 per employee
Time: 60–240 min in the queue, 60–120 min at the counter, 5–10 days until the next step
Sign a waste removal contract
Contract with the city sanitation enterprise (Tazalık); required by the Sanitary Inspectorate.
- 12. Sign the contract at the depot
Where: City sanitation enterprise (Tazalık)
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Bank account opening letter
You receive: Waste removal contract
Cost: IS 90
Time: 20–60 min in the queue, 15–20 min at the counter, 1–3 days until the next step
Obtain a sanitary certificate for a food business
Certificate of the City Sanitary Inspectorate, before opening.
- 13. Apply and receive the inspection
Where: City Sanitary Inspectorate
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Fire-safety inspection report on the storage room, Medical books of the staff, Waste removal contract, Floor plan of the premises, 1:100
You receive: Sanitary certificate for a food business
Cost: IS 220
Cost: IS 3 per seat
Time: 30–90 min in the queue, 40–60 min at the counter, 10–20 days until the next step
Obtain a signboard permit
Permit of the Architecture and Planning Department; the text of the sign is registered with the Department of Public Information as printed matter.
- 14. Submit the design of the signboard
Where: Architecture and Planning Department, City Hall
The Iradi text must be at least as large as the text in any other language. The Department of Public Information registers the sign after the permit, and the permit is valid only with the Department of Public Information registration number painted on the sign.
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Lease or ownership certificate of the premises
Cost: IS 120
Time: 30–120 min in the queue, 10–20 min at the counter, 10–14 days until the next step - 15. Register the sign text at the Department of Public Information
Where: Department of Public Information: registration of printed matter
You receive: Signboard permit
Cost: IS 150
Time: 30–120 min in the queue, 10–15 min at the counter, 5–10 days until the next step
Register a cash register
A cash register of an approved model, registered at the District Tax Inspectorate.
- 16. Obtain Iradstandart's certificate for the model
Where: Iradstandart, State Agency for Standards, Metrology and Certification
Bring: Invoice of the foreign supplier
You receive: Certificate that the cash register model is approved
Cost: IS 85
Time: 30–90 min in the queue, 10–15 min at the counter, 3–7 days until the next step - 17. Register the cash register
Where: District Tax Inspectorate
Bring: Certificate that the cash register model is approved, Taxpayer registration card, Registered impression of the firm's seal
You receive: Registration card of the cash register
Cost: IS 60
Time: 40–180 min in the queue, 15–20 min at the counter, 2–3 days until the next step
Register the public playing of recorded music
Registration with the Department of Public Information for cafés with more than twenty seats that play recorded music.
- 18. Submit the list of music to be played ★ optional
Where: Department of Public Information: performance and screening permits
The list names albums, not songs. Albums no longer available in the ISEZ may be listed.
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Sanitary certificate for a food business
You receive: Registration for public playing of recorded music
Cost: IS 100
Cost: IS 2 per seat
Time: 30–120 min in the queue, 10–15 min at the counter, 10–20 days until the next step
Obtain a licence to sell beer
Licence of the Trade Licensing Section, Ministry of Economy. Kymyz is not counted as an alcoholic drink.
- 19. Apply for the licence ★ optional
Where: Trade Licensing Section
Bring: Certificate of registration of the firm, Sanitary certificate for a food business, Registration card of the cash register, Bank account opening letter
You receive: Licence to sell beer
Cost: IS 1,200
Time: 60–180 min in the queue, 15–25 min at the counter, 15–30 days until the next step
Laws and documents
- Executive Directive 2026/24 On the census of business entities, 2026 (paragraphs 3, 6)
- № 93-21 Toponymic Heritage Statute 1993 (article 18)
- № 09-11 Tax Code of the Irad Special Economic Zone 2009 (articles 12, 13; article 31)
- Fire Safety Rules FSR-01 Fire Safety Rules for premises and storage, 2003 (sections 4, 15)
- Sanitary Rules SR 2.3-04 Sanitary rules for food businesses and food storage, 2004 (sections 3, 4, 9)
- Department of Public Information Regulation No. 12 Regulation on the registration of printed matter, including labels and packaging, 2009 (article 2)
- № 08-09 Extremist Activity Act 2008 (article 3)
Institutions
- Territorial Statistics Office, Talas, Government House, east wing, ground floor. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- Register of Firms (district offices), District office of your district; in Talas, Government House annex, Central Square, room 9. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- Talasbank (any branch), Any of the 28 branches; foreign currency operations at the head office, Central Square, Talas. Monday to Friday, 9:00–16:00; Saturday 9:00–12:00
- District Tax Inspectorate, District administration building; in Talas, Government House annex, rooms 40–48. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- Licensed seal engraver, List of licensed engravers on the door of the City Police licensing section. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- City police: licensing and registration section, Talas City Police headquarters, Liberty Boulevard 30, window 6. Monday to Thursday, 9:00–12:30
- State Fire Inspectorate, Fire station of your district; in Talas, Fire Station No. 1, Trans-Talas Highway 33. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- City polyclinic (medical commissions), City polyclinic No. 1 of each city; district hospitals outside the cities. Medical commission: Monday to Friday, 8:00–11:00
- City sanitation enterprise (Tazalık), Talas, Tazalık depot, Kirpich Street 40. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- City Sanitary Inspectorate, Talas, Regional Hospital grounds, building 4; Nurzhan and Iyık Janyl: city polyclinic No. 1. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- Architecture and Planning Department, City Hall, Talas City Hall, third floor, rooms 301–309; Nurzhan: House of Soviets, wing B. Applications: Monday and Wednesday, 14:00–17:00
- Department of Public Information: registration of printed matter, Talas, Communications Square 5, ground floor, window 2. Monday to Thursday, 9:00–12:30
- Iradstandart, State Agency for Standards, Metrology and Certification, Talas, Jibek Jolu Avenue 60; testing laboratory in the courtyard. Monday to Friday, 9:00–17:00, lunch 12:30–13:30
- Department of Public Information: performance and screening permits, Talas, Communications Square 5, second floor, room 21. Monday to Thursday, 9:00–12:30
- Trade Licensing Section, Talas, Government House, second floor, room 212. Monday to Thursday, 9:00–12:30
Updated 2026-10-23. Developed with the support of the UNMI trade facilitation programme.