A call from a recruiter, a short interview, an offer to fly out next week — and then it turns out the medical certificate has expired, the welding certificate is still sitting with the previous employer, and nobody ordered the employment record. The rotation job that was almost in the bag goes to the next candidate. The documents for a rotation job in Kazakhstan are not a formality: on oil and gas projects, a worker without a complete file simply does not get on the bus to the field, however experienced they are.
At FSSA we send people to sites in the Atyrau and Mangystau regions every week, and the pattern is always the same: far fewer candidates drop out at the interview than at the paperwork stage. An experienced fitter can lose two weeks waiting for a certificate that could have been obtained in a single evening. So let's look at what the law actually requires, what oil and gas employers add on top, and where candidates most often stumble.
Documents for a rotation job under the Labour Code
The starting point is Article 32 of the Labour Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It sets out the list an employer may — and must — request when concluding an employment contract, and the rotation (vakhta) method changes nothing here. The list is shorter than most people expect.
First comes an ID card or passport. Kandas (ethnic Kazakh returnees) present their kandas certificate; foreigners and stateless persons permanently residing in Kazakhstan present a residence permit or a stateless person's certificate. Your IIN (individual identification number) is printed on the ID card, so no separate paper is needed.
Second is a document confirming education, qualifications or vocational training where the job requires special knowledge. A general labourer may not be asked for one; an operator, welder, electrician or machine operator certainly will be — and this is where rotation-specific requirements start, more on that below.
Third is a document confirming previous employment, if the person has any. It can be an old-style paper work record book, but employers increasingly look at an electronic extract: data on employment contracts is kept in the unified employment contract register (ESUTD), and you can download the extract via the eGov portal. No work history at all? No problem — this item simply does not apply.
Fourth is proof of a pre-employment medical examination for those obliged to take one. On an oil and gas rotation, that means almost everyone: the work involves harmful and hazardous production factors listed in Ministry of Health Order No. ҚР ДСМ-131/2020. The resulting document is a medical certificate in form 075/u, and it is issued electronically.
In practice, the minimum documents for a rotation job fit into one thin folder: ID, proof of qualification, an employment record extract and the medical certificate. Everything else you hear from an employer is either a site-access requirement or an internal company procedure, and it pays to tell the two apart. The first is mandatory for access; the second can often be discussed or completed after the contract is signed.
Military registration is a separate item. For men liable for military service, the employer checks the military ID or a temporary certificate — that is the employer's duty under the military service law, so keep the document at hand.
One detail candidates often miss: the Labour Code prohibits demanding documents that the law does not provide for. An employer may ask for a certificate of no criminal record where the law or site-access rules require it, but "bring references from your last three jobs" or "pay for processing your file" should set off alarm bells.
The medical: where most time is lost
Ask recruiters which document most often derails a mobilisation and the answer is nearly unanimous — the medical. Not because people fail en masse, but because of timing and scope.
A pre-employment medical for rotation work is not a routine "fit for work" note. Depending on the hazards of the specific position, it can include an occupational physician and specialists, a chest X-ray, lab tests, an ECG, and sometimes hearing and vision tests. Work at height, on electrical installations or with pressure equipment carries stricter requirements. Many Tengiz and Kashagan contractors send candidates to their own accredited clinic with their own referral, so a certificate obtained "just in case" at a local polyclinic may not be accepted. Before paying for a medical yourself, ask the employer where and on whose referral to take it.
There are also hard legal limits. Article 135 of the Labour Code, which governs rotation work, bars from rotation work people under 18, women 12 or more weeks pregnant (from the date the medical report is submitted) and people with a Group I disability. Other workers may be engaged if the work is not contraindicated by a medical report. The same article caps a rotation shift at, as a rule, no more than 15 calendar days, or up to 30 with the worker's consent, under summarised working-time accounting.
A practical tip from our experience: if you have a chronic condition that is stable and does not affect your work, bring your doctor's records straight away. The occupational physician sees the paperwork and the issue is settled in one visit instead of three.
Tickets, permits and site passes: how oil and gas differs
This is where an oil and gas rotation diverges sharply from an office job. For a blue-collar trade, the "education document" is not just a college diploma. The employer looks at your trade certificate with its grade, refresher training records, and the permits without which you cannot legally be put on the job.
The set depends on the trade. A welder needs a certificate with a grade and, on critical sites, proof of qualification for specific welding processes. An electrician needs a knowledge-test certificate showing their electrical safety group. Slingers, crane operators and heavy equipment drivers have their own tickets, and drivers need the right licence category. Almost every field position requires occupational health and safety and industrial safety training, sites with hydrogen sulphide require separate H2S training, and offshore and island facilities on the Caspian add sea survival courses such as BOSIET.
Many of these courses are arranged by the employer or contractor after hiring, and that is normal. But if you already hold a trade certificate, bring the original and a good scan. A ticket "left with HR at my last job" is a classic cause of delay: getting a duplicate from the training centre can take a week or more.
Site access is a story of its own. Major operators and their main contractors run security vetting before issuing a pass. That means checking personal data and sometimes requesting a certificate of no criminal record, which you can order through eGov. A misspelt Latin surname, a mismatched date of birth or an expired ID card can hold up a pass far longer than you'd think. Check that your data match across all documents before you send them.
Finally, a bank card. Rotation pay is almost always transferred to an account, and the employer will ask for your details. Open the card in advance, not on departure day.
Pitfalls: where candidates and employers go wrong
The first risk is middlemen who, "for a small fee", promise a medical certificate, a trade ticket or a "guaranteed rotation spot". Let's be blunt: a fake welder's certificate or a bought 075/u form is not a shortcut — it is a ticket to dismissal and sometimes a criminal case. Medical data is increasingly checked through state information systems, tickets are verified with training centres, and welders are almost always asked to weld a test coupon. A fake document is exposed at the first practical check.
The second: an honest employer does not charge for a job. If a "recruiter" asks you to prepay processing, a pass or travel to site, stop the conversation. Deductions are only allowed in the manner set by law and only from wages already earned. We covered how to tell a real offer from a scheme in our piece on getting a rotation job with no experience.
The third risk sits with companies, and employers often get this wrong. The urge to "play it safe" turns into a list of fifteen certificates, half of which the law does not require. The result is predictable: strong candidates with alternatives go to a competitor where onboarding takes three days. Ask for what the Code, the medical rules and site-access conditions require, and verify the rest yourselves.
The fourth is validity. Medical certificates, electrical safety permits and safety training all expire. Someone who passed a medical for another contractor six months ago often assumes it "still counts". Sometimes it does, but a new employer may send you to its own clinic — especially if the hazards or the site change.
The fifth concerns those travelling from other regions or from abroad. A candidate from Turkistan or Zhambyl region usually needs nothing beyond the standard set, but will probably take the medical in Atyrau or Aktau, which means a few days on location before going to site. A foreign specialist also needs work authorisation, which the employer obtains — a separate procedure with its own timelines and quotas.
So how do you assemble the file quickly? Before applying, make sure your ID is valid for at least six more months and all trade tickets are with you, not with a former employer. Download your electronic employment record from eGov — it takes minutes. Keep scans in one folder on your phone: recruiters almost always ask for them before the interview. After an offer, ask three questions: where to take the medical and on whose referral, which permits and courses the employer arranges, and whether a criminal record certificate is needed for site access. Then work in parallel, not in sequence.
For employers the logic is the mirror image. When dozens of people must reach site at once, documents, medicals, training and passes are best handed to a team that does personnel mobilisation professionally — so the project gets its people by the start date, not three weeks later.
And if your papers are in order and you are looking for somewhere to send them, check the current rotation jobs on oil fields and industrial sites, where experience and properly prepared documents count equally. Experience gets you to the interview; a complete file gets you on the bus to camp.
FAQ
Do I need a paper work record book for a rotation job?
No, a paper work record book is no longer mandatory. The law requires a document confirming employment if you have work history, and an electronic extract from the employment contract register, available via eGov, does the job. If you still have an old record book, bring it anyway — it may show experience that is not in the electronic system.
Can I take the medical in advance, before an offer?
You can, but it is not always wise. The scope of the medical depends on the hazards of the specific position, and many oil and gas contractors send candidates to their own clinic with their own referral. Ask the employer first, or you risk paying twice.
Is a certificate of no criminal record required for rotation work?
The Labour Code does not make it mandatory for most blue-collar trades. However, an operator or main contractor may run security vetting for access to a protected site and ask for one. It is quick to order through eGov, so it is better to have it ready than to delay your site pass.
What if my trade certificate is still with my previous employer?
Your certificates belong to you, and the former employer should return them. If that fails, contact the training centre that issued the document for a duplicate. Start immediately: it can take a week or more, and you will not be allowed to work on a rotation without proof of qualification.