He was born on New Year's Day in 1963 in the Southern city of Shymkent in the Kazakh SSR.
He began his career at the Dmitri Mendeleev Chemical Technical College in Moscow, where he began his studies.
In the spring of 1981, Yermekbayev was conscripted into the Soviet Armed Forces and enrolled in the army's military institute in the capital.
From 1984 to 1985 - he participated in combat mission of the USSR in the Republic of Angola.
He graduated with honors from the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the late 80s, specializing in knowledge of Chinese and English.
After he graduated, he served until 1991 in the Armed Forces of the USSR in the Osh Region of the Kyrgyz SSR and in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk of the Kazakh SSR.
Following the fall of the USSR, Yermekbayev worked in foreign economic organizations and in trade missions at embassies of Kazakhstan.

In 2001, he served as an aide to Kuanysh Sultanov and Zhanybek Karibzhanov, who were the Ambassadors of Kazakhstan to China.
Since he left that post in 2003, he served in various administrative posts at foreign policy institutions in Kazakhstan and abroad.
Between 2007 and 2012, Yermekbayev worked in his position as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan.
From April–October 2012, he was appointed to a series of ambassadorial posts in China, Vietnam, and North Korea.
In 2013, during his role as Ambassador to China, he stated that "by 2050, Kazakhstan should become one of the 30 developed countries in the world".
He was recalled in November 2014 to be appointed Secretary of the Security Council.
He was born on New Year's Day in 1963 in the Southern city of Shymkent in the Kazakh SSR. He began his career at the Dmitri Mendeleev Chemical Technical College in Moscow, where he began his studies. In the spring of 1981, Yermekbayev was conscripted into the Soviet Armed Forces and enrolled in the army's military institute in the capital. From 1984 to 1985 - he participated in combat mission of the USSR in the Republic of Angola. He graduated with honors from the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR in the late 80s, specializing in knowledge of Chinese and English. After he graduated, he served until 1991 in the Armed Forces of the USSR in the Osh Region of the Kyrgyz SSR and in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk of the Kazakh SSR. Following the fall of the USSR, Yermekbayev worked in foreign economic organizations and in trade missions at embassies of Kazakhstan.
In 2001, he served as an aide to Kuanysh Sultanov and Zhanybek Karibzhanov, who were the Ambassadors of Kazakhstan to China. Since he left that post in 2003, he served in various administrative posts at foreign policy institutions in Kazakhstan and abroad. Between 2007 and 2012, Yermekbayev worked in his position as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan and Assistant to the President of Kazakhstan. From April–October 2012, he was appointed to a series of ambassadorial posts in China, Vietnam, and North Korea. In 2013, during his role as Ambassador to China, he stated that "by 2050, Kazakhstan should become one of the 30 developed countries in the world". He was recalled in November 2014 to be appointed Secretary of the Security Council.
Nurlan Yermekbayev