If being a foreigner you want to live and work in Kazakhstan, you need to obtain residence permit.
However, prior to its obtainment, you need to get a permit for permanent residence on the territory of Kazakhstan.
In this material, we will describe how to undergo the procedure.
Residence permit is a document certifying a foreigner`s right for permanent residence in RoK. To obtain the document you first need to get a permit for permanent residence on the territory of Kazakhstan. The permit is issued in the territorial police departments.
Key requirements imposed to those who come to RoK and willing to obtain residence permit involve provision of financial solvency evidence and lack of outstanding convictions.
Circumstances that might facilitate obtainment of permit are as follows:
Foreigners temporarily staying in the Republic of Kazakhstan with a permanent residence visa, a multiple-entry investor visa issued at the request of the authorized investment authority, a visa issued in accordance with the list of required professions for foreigners to obtain permanent residence permits in the Republic of Kazakhstan, approved by the authorized migration authority, or who arrived from countries that have concluded agreements with the Republic of Kazakhstan on visa-free entry and stay, or having refugee status in the Republic of Kazakhstan, As well as ethnic Kazakhs, regardless of the category of visa issued to them, apply to the branches of the NGO "Government for Citizens State Corporation" and provide a list of documents approved by the Order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated December 4, 2015 No. 992.:
1) application form for the issuance of a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan in accordance with Appendix 4 to these Rules for the issuance of temporary and permanent residence permits in the Republic of Kazakhstan to foreigners and Stateless Persons (hereinafter referred to as the Rules);
2) a copy and original (for verification) of a foreign passport, a document of a stateless person of the recipient, the validity period of which exceeds 180 calendar days on the day of application submission;
3) a document confirming their solvency in accordance with the Rules for Foreigners and Stateless Persons applying for Permanent Residence permits in the Republic of Kazakhstan to confirm their solvency during their stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan, approved by Order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated June 30, 2023 No. 531 (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts for No. 33001), or attesting to the existence of grounds for exemption from confirmation of solvency in accordance with subparagraph 4) of Article 49 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Population Migration" (hereinafter – the Law);
4) a document on criminal record (lack of criminal record) in the state of citizenship and/or permanent residence, issued by the competent authority of the relevant state (with the exception of persons with refugee status in the Republic of Kazakhstan and ethnic Kazakh citizens of the People's Republic of China, unless otherwise provided by international treaties);
5) notarized consent of a child aged from 14 to 18 years for permanent residence in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
6) a notarized contract with an individual or legal entity (for service recipients who confirm their ability to pay during their stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan) or a notarized application from an individual or legal entity to provide the applicant with a place to live and register permanently for a period of at least 180 calendar days;
7) certificate of medical examination of a foreigner on the absence of diseases, the presence of which prohibits the entry of foreigners and stateless persons into the Republic of Kazakhstan in accordance with the Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated September 30, 2011 No. 664 "On approval of the list of diseases, the presence of which prohibits the entry of foreigners and stateless persons into the Republic of Kazakhstan" (medical certificate form 028/y), (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts No. 7274) for the period of validity specified in the certificate itself;
8) one 35x45mm photo;
9) the document on payment of the state duty;
10) persons who meet the requirements of the list of required professions, in respect of which a simplified procedure for issuing permanent residence permits in the Republic of Kazakhstan is established, approved by Order of the Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 20, 2023 No. 49 "On approval of the list of required professions for foreigners to obtain permanent residence permits in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Rules its formation" (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts No. 31938) - the application of the branch government body, indicating the group of occupations of the National Classifier of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter - NCZ), and compliance with the requirements of the NCZ (profession, level and specialization of skills, diploma, work experience in specialization, qualification level).
11) A certificate of fingerprinting of a foreigner or stateless person, issued in accordance with the Rules for Fingerprint and Genomic Registration, approved by Order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated September 30, 2024 No. 730 "On certain issues of fingerprint and genomic registration in the Republic of Kazakhstan" (registered in the Register of State Registration of Regulatory Legal Acts No. 35161).
The validity period of the documents specified in subitems 3), 4), 7) is not more than 180 calendar days.
A service recipient who has obtained citizenship of another state through diplomatic missions and consular offices of other states in the Republic of Kazakhstan and has permanent registration in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, submits the documents specified in the sub-paragraphs 1), 2), 8), 9).
A service recipient who has not reached the age of eighteen, who arrived together with his parents, or with one of the parents, or whose legal representative (parent, guardian, trustee) is a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan or a foreigner or stateless person permanently residing in the Republic of Kazakhstan, provides the documents specified in subparagraphs 1), 2), 5), 6), 8), 9), and also: a copy and the original (for verification) of the birth certificate or other document certifying the identity of a child who has not reached the age of majority.; a notarized statement is a consent from the second parent (both parents), in case of his (their) residence outside the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Documents written in a foreign language must be translated into Kazakh or Russian. The accuracy of the translation from one language to another is attested by a notary in accordance with Article 80 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Notaries".
Documents and acts drawn up with the participation of the authorities of foreign states or emanating from these authorities are accepted for consideration in the presence of legalization, in accordance with paragraph 60 of Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated April 25, 2016 No. 240 "On approval of the Consular Charter of the Republic of Kazakhstan", unless otherwise provided by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan or an international treaty ratified The Republic of Kazakhstan.
In case of positive consideration of the application for a permit, the foreigner is subject to registration at his permanent place of residence and documentation of the foreigner's residence permit.
The issuance of a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan is refused to foreigners and stateless persons, or the previously issued permit is revoked.:
1) establishing the unreliability of the documents submitted by the recipient of the public service and (or) the data (information) contained therein;
2) non-compliance of the service recipient and (or) the submitted materials, objects, data and information necessary for the provision of public services with the requirements established by the Rules;
3) a negative response from an authorized state body to a request for approval, which is required for the provision of a public service, as well as a negative expert opinion, research or verification.
1) illegally arrived, as well as those who are being prosecuted for crimes under the laws of the countries from which they originate;
2) released from prison, whose permanent place of residence before conviction was outside the Republic of Kazakhstan;
3) those who have committed crimes against humanity;
4) who committed a crime against the sexual integrity of a minor;
5) who have not provided proof of their solvency in the manner and amounts determined by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, with the exception of ethnic Kazakhs, former compatriots born or previously held citizenship of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic or the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as persons entitled to acquire citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan in a simplified manner on the basis of international treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, and their family members, foreigners with sought-after professions, the list of which is approved by the authorized body on migration issues;
6) repeatedly violating the legislation on the legal status of foreigners in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
7) inciting interethnic, inter-confessional and religious hostility;
8) whose actions are aimed at forcibly changing the constitutional order;
9) opposing the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan, calling for the violation of the unity and integrity of its territory;
10) having an outstanding or outstanding criminal record for a crime;
11) if the national security authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan have information about their involvement in extremist or terrorist activities or involvement in an organization recognized as extremist or terrorist in the Republic of Kazakhstan.;
12) who submitted forged documents or knowingly provided false information about themselves when applying for a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan or, without a valid reason, did not submit the necessary documents within the time limits established by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
13) who have not passed fingerprint registration in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
14) expelled from the Republic of Kazakhstan for five years by the time of issuing a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan;
15) if it is necessary to protect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other persons;
16) who have received a permanent residence permit and reside in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for less than one hundred and eighty-three calendar days within any consecutive twelve-month period from the date of issuance of the permanent residence permit, except for the cases provided for in Article 38 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan";
17) who have received a permanent residence permit based on the list of required professions approved by the authorized body on population migration, and who do not work in the profession provided for in the specified list, within one hundred and eighty-three calendar days within any consecutive twelve-month period from the date of issuance of the permanent residence permit;
18) who have married citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which served as the basis for obtaining a residence permit, in the event that this marriage is declared invalid by a court decision that has entered into legal force.;
19) during the year brought to administrative responsibility for administrative offenses in the field of population migration, tax and labor legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
20) endangering the interests of national security;
21) having diseases that are a contraindication for entry into the Republic of Kazakhstan;
22) if they have previously lost the citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the grounds provided for in subparagraph 8) of the first part of Article 21 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan";
23) if they were previously deprived of the citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the grounds provided for in Article 20-1 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan".
In relation to ethnic Kazakhs and their family members, stateless persons recognized as such due to the lack of identity documents or on the basis of a 1974 USSR passport, women subject to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Convention on the Nationality of Married Women", the effect of subparagraphs 16) and 19) is not applicable.
The provision of subparagraph 21) does not apply to incapacitated persons.
Foreign citizens staying on the territory of the country with “permanent residence” visa category can obtain residence permit. Residence permit is issued to foreigners permanently residing on the territory of the RoK from the age of 16. Children under 16 years old do not need residence permit.
In order to obtain a residence permit for a foreigner in the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreigners must personally submit the following documents to the authorized state body and receive permanent residence permits in the Republic of Kazakhstan:
The period from the moment of delivery of the above documents and receipt by the applicant of the form stub to the issuance of a residence permit is up to 7 working days in an expedited manner and up to 17 working days in the usual way.
For the period of execution of a new residence permit a foreigner does not lose a status of an individual “permanently residing in Kazakhstan”.
Pursuant to the Rules for execution, issuance, exchange, submission, withdrawal and abolition of residence permit in RoK , residence permit is issued for 10 years, which is the period of passport validity term.
Application on extension of term or application on issuance of a new permit for residence in RoK should be submitted by foreigners to internal affairs agencies at the place of residence no later than 1 month prior to expiry of its validity and in case of loss no later than three days.
The amount of the state fee for obtaining a certificate of a stateless person is 400% of the monthly calculation index set on the day of payment of the state fee. When applying for a residence permit for a foreigner in the Republic of Kazakhstan – 20% of the amount of the MCI established on the day of payment of the state fee. The state fee is paid at the cash desks of second-tier banks or electronically through their mobile applications, as well as through the payment method using a QR code.