How to get a Kazakhstan residence permit in 2026

What a Kazakhstan residence permit gives you

The document is issued for 10 years with the possibility of extension or obtaining citizenship. Holders of a residence permit are entitled to:

• legal stay in the country and residence in any city of Kazakhstan;
• free entry and exit from the country without a visa or documents;
• carrying out labour and entrepreneurial activities without a work permit;
• purchase of real estate and transport;
• applying for visas of other countries through embassies in Kazakhstan.

How the path to a residence permit works

The residence permit is not issued at once. First the local police grant a permanent residence permit, and only then is the residence card issued. The card is valid for 10 years, but no longer than the passport, and is issued from age 16.

Residence permit, permanent residence and citizenship: the difference

The main confusion in Kazakh paperwork: the residence permit and permanent residence are not two statuses but two parts of one. First the police grant permission for permanent residence. Then, on that basis, you get the residence card, a plastic document valid for 10 years. Anything shorter is called temporary residence.

The total for the whole path to a passport for one adult is about $50 in state fees. On top of that comes about $13,000 in a Kazakh bank account: not a payment but a reserve, confirmed when you apply and then every year for 5 years.

Three myths about Kazakh residence

• Myth: you must give up your Russian passport for residence. No. Kazakhstan does not recognise dual citizenship, but a residence permit is not citizenship. You live and work on it with your own passport. Renunciation is needed only when you move to Kazakh citizenship.
• Myth: residence comes with a flat. No. Buying a home does not give residence and does not count towards the investor visa.
• Myth: Kazakh citizenship is for sale through investment. Kazakhstan has no citizenship by investment programme. The investor visa gives the right to apply for permanent residence, and a passport comes only after 5 years under the general rules.

Grounds for a residence permit in 2026

All legalisation routes, from work to study, are covered in our guide moving to Kazakhstan in 2026.

The new points system

Since February 2026 permanent residence applicants are scored on points. The procedure includes a questionnaire, a beginner-level Kazakh language test, law enforcement checks and an interview. At least 400 points are needed, awarded for age, education, language, work or study in Kazakhstan and abroad.

• Money in a Kazakh bank account: about $13,000 per family member. The amount is tied to the calculation index, a notional unit for fees and thresholds, so it is revised every year.
• Refusal grounds include serious crimes, repeated administrative offences, living away from the registered address and a failed assessment.

Investor visa

Timelines and fees

Fees are set in calculation indices, a notional unit for state fees, worth about $10 in 2026. Dollar amounts use the National Bank of Kazakhstan rate of 6 October 2026, rounded up.

From residence to citizenship

Citizenship is available after 5 years of permanent residence, or 3 years for spouses of Kazakh citizens. A Kazakh language test is required. Kazakhstan does not recognise dual citizenship, so the previous passport must be given up. More on the Kazakhstan citizenship page.

Taxes for permit holders

You become tax resident after 183 days in the country within any 12 consecutive months, or if your centre of vital interests is in Kazakhstan. Residents pay 10-15% income tax on worldwide income, non-residents only on Kazakh income. More on the Kazakhstan taxes page.

What the path to residence costs

The money in the account is not an expense but a reserve: it stays yours, but it is confirmed when you apply and then every year for 5 years. For a family of three this is about $39,000, so we plan the amount in advance.

Documents and where to get them

• An application on the prescribed form, which we fill in together with you.
• A passport valid for at least 180 days from filing, and its notarised translation.
• A free-form autobiography.
• A police certificate from the country of citizenship and permanent residence, apostilled or legalised.
• A medical certificate confirming no diseases that bar foreigners' entry, done at a clinic in Kazakhstan.
• A bank statement showing the funds and proof of income.
• Proof of housing: a lease or title documents and temporary registration.
• Photos and, for a family, apostilled marriage and birth certificates.

Why applications are refused

• Fewer than 400 points, or the Kazakh language test was failed.
• Less than the required sum in the account, about $13,000 per family member, or the money was withdrawn before the decision.
• The applicant does not live at the registered address.
• Repeated administrative offences or a conviction for a serious crime.
• Inaccuracies in documents or false information in the form.

A refusal can come after a month of waiting, so we check points and documents before filing and advise keeping a margin in the account.

For citizens of Russia and EAEU countries

Russian citizens enter Kazakhstan visa-free and may stay up to 90 days within 180. Entry is possible on an internal passport, but for permanent residence documents an international passport valid for more than 180 days is more convenient. Citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries work in Kazakhstan under an employment contract without a work permit and receive temporary residence for the term of the contract. This is a convenient first step: while you live and work in the country, we prepare the documents and the funds in the account for permanent residence.

Remember that Kazakhstan does not recognise dual citizenship. A residence permit is not affected, but moving to citizenship means giving up a Russian passport, so many families stay on the residence permit.

Life with a residence permit

After the permanent residence permit, a foreigner receives an individual identification number, without which you cannot open an account, buy property or sign contracts with service providers. Permanent residents take part in compulsory health insurance, work and run businesses without permits, and can buy a home and a car. The residence permit is renewed together with the passport: the card cannot be valid longer than the passport. Time on the residence permit counts towards the 5 years of permanent residence needed for citizenship.

Alternatives to Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan beats its neighbours on proximity to Russia, easy entry and the right to work without permits, but points and funds in the account make it stricter than before.

Where to start

Send us in the chat the age, education, work experience and level of Kazakh of all adult family members. From this we calculate points in advance, tell you whether they are enough and draw up a plan: on what basis to live in the country before filing, how much money is needed in the account and when to collect documents. If your points are not enough yet, we find another basis, such as an investor visa, or another country.

Registration and the first weeks in the country

Citizens of Eurasian Economic Union countries need not register for the first 30 days after entry; after that, temporary registration at the place of residence is required, which the property owner arranges online. Without registration you cannot apply for permanent residence, and not living at the registered address is one of the grounds for refusal. So we choose housing where the owner is ready to register you and, if needed, confirm that you live there. An investor visa does not replace registration: it gives the right to apply for permanent residence, but you still have to live at the address.

What we do

We choose the right ground for your case, estimate your points in advance, prepare documents and translations, and support the application and card issue. For investors we structure the contribution so it passes the check. We quote the fee after a free consultation and fix it in writing.

Three more things usually come with residence. Company registration in Kazakhstan - if your own business or the investor visa is the ground. A personal account at a Kazakh bank - it holds the reserve for permanent residence. A business account - for company payments and the capital contribution.

Benefits of a Kazakhstan residence permit

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