In 2026, you cannot safely answer “Kazakh is not required for a residence permit” without checking your grounds for applying. A permanent residence pilot includes KAZTEST, a questionnaire and an interview. Its rules also contain exemptions, expanded in August. Russian citizenship alone is not listed as a general exemption.
This guide is for a Russian citizen planning permanent residence in Kazakhstan who wants to establish whether a test is needed and what to do next. Checked on 16 September 2026. The pilot runs until 31 December 2026; for a later application, check the rules again rather than assuming automatic cancellation or extension.
The main sources are the joint pilot order No. 41/60/47 and the amendments signed in July–August 2026. Reading only the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ general document list is not enough: it does not contain the full pilot assessment procedure. This article checks whether the test applies; it is not a complete guide to obtaining residence.
Identify the procedure first
| Your situation | What to check |
|---|---|
| Applying for permanent residence for the first time | Whether the pilot applies and you have a confirmed exemption; where it applies, KAZTEST is required. |
| You have grounds covered by a pilot exemption | The supporting documents and exact provision; exemption from assessment does not waive all permanent residence conditions. |
| Applying for a temporary residence permit for work or study | Do not transfer the permanent residence test to this purpose; applicability must be checked again if you later switch to permanent residence. |
| Permanent residence permission has already been granted and you need the residence card | This is a separate documentation procedure under the card issuance rules, not a new assessment for admission to the first permit application. |
| Applying for Kazakhstan citizenship | Check the separate citizenship rules; its test and exemptions cannot automatically be transferred to residence. |
Permanent residence permission and the residence card are separate stages. The document list for card issuance under Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 266, item 10 of the service requirements, does not name a language certificate. This does not remove the need to check the pilot before obtaining permission. Likewise, an employment temporary residence permit does not establish an automatic exemption when changing your purpose to permanent residence.
Who is exempt: use the August version
Item 3 of Appendix 1 to the pilot, in its new version, excludes from these rules foreign citizens and stateless persons arriving for employment, business immigration, investment or tourism activities, education, humanitarian or political reasons, and their family members. It also names:
- minors;
- persons lacking legal capacity;
- former compatriots;
- persons over 60, arriving for family reunification as parents;
- persons arriving for spousal reunification where the marriage, recognised by Kazakhstan’s legislation, has lasted at least one year, and one spouse is a Kazakhstan citizen or a foreign citizen permanently residing in Kazakhstan.
“Over 60” must not be replaced with “any pensioner”. In family cases, the purpose of the application and the relative’s status matter; marriage to just any foreign citizen does not qualify for the specified exemption. A former compatriot is a person born in, or previously a citizen of, the Kazakh SSR or Kazakhstan who permanently resides abroad: Migration Law, Article 1, subitem 1-1. Prepare evidence that this status applies; a verbal claim of a connection to Kazakhstan is not enough.
Separate exemptions from the document confirming completion of assessment are provided in subitem 1 of item 5 of Appendix 3 to the pilot. They cover, among others, certain investors, people with in-demand professions and people with an established contribution or expertise supported by petitions from authorised authorities. This is not an exemption for every entrepreneur or professional based on a job title. The grounds and required petition must be checked individually.
Do not treat an exemption tied to the purpose of temporary entry as permission to obtain permanent residence without a test. Before booking, obtain confirmation of which procedure applies to your permanent residence application. Exemption from testing or criteria-based assessment and exemption from proving solvency are separate issues.
If the pilot applies: how KAZTEST works
Under items 4 and 6 of Appendix 1 to the pilot, online diagnostic testing in Kazakh includes:
- 60 tasks in total, taking 1 hour 10 minutes;
- listening: 20 tasks in 20 minutes;
- reading: 40 tasks in 50 minutes;
- a certificate requires at least 70% in each section, not just an average percentage across the two;
- results are provided within three working days from the test and completion of the proctoring review.
Applications are accepted through the National Testing Centre’s website, app.testcenter.kz. The rules require an application, a photograph for identification and presentation of an identity document. Before registering, check your passport details and the selected test type: a certificate of completion of a language course is not equivalent to a KAZTEST result under this procedure.
Payment is cashless and online through the registration system’s payment services; the confirmation is an electronic receipt. Check the current price in the official system before paying. This guide does not quote an unverified tariff or propose paying an intermediary “for guaranteed admission”.
The test is proctored. Read the technical instructions and the prohibitions on prompts and unauthorised aids beforehand. Under item 4, a breach of the rules results in exclusion from testing for 30 calendar days. Item 5 provides special arrangements and an additional 40 minutes for people with disabilities; arrange these when applying, with a supporting document, rather than after the test begins.
If you score below 70% or pass only one section
Under items 6–8 of Appendix 1, a below-threshold result leads to a record of testing, not a certificate of successful completion. If one or both sections are below 70%, repeat testing is permitted no more than twice within 30 calendar days from the most recent attempt. Every attempt requires registration and payment.
Do not confuse this rule with the deadlines for resubmitting the migration questionnaire: that is a different stage. For example, 80% in reading and 65% in listening do not meet the required result in each section, even though the average is above 70%. Before paying again, check the available date and current procedure in your personal account.
A certificate is not yet permanent residence permission
After passing KAZTEST, the applicant completes a questionnaire at migration.enbek.kz. Item 10 of Appendix 1 allows it to be completed in Kazakh or Russian, at the applicant’s choice. Choosing Russian for the questionnaire does not exempt you from the test if it applies to your case.
A points-based assessment, checks and an interview follow. Under the August version, the interview is organised by the local executive body of the region where the applicant intends to reside permanently. A commission is provided for applicants from visa-free countries; the interview may be in person or remote. Check the date, format and location in your notification.
The five-stage digital assessment takes no more than 30 working days from receipt of the questionnaire, under amended item 27 of Appendix 1. This is not the period from starting language study to receiving a residence card. A positive result enables access to the subsequent service; the certificate and admission do not guarantee permission will be granted.
What to check before travelling and applying
- Write down the exact purpose: temporary residence, a first permanent residence permit, a card after approval or citizenship.
- Match your grounds to the pilot and its current exemptions. Prepare evidence of age, family relationship, marriage duration, your spouse’s status or other claimed grounds, as applicable.
- Ask the receiving authority whether the assessment applies and which document proves an exemption. If it applies, clarify the KAZTEST procedure and subsequent stages, not just the test date.
- Separately check your passport, document validity periods, accommodation and other permanent residence documents. The general list in Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 992 cannot be used as proof that you do not need the pilot procedure.
- After arrival, monitor the arrival notification and your lawful period of stay. Courses, a test booking, a certificate and preparation of a questionnaire do not, by themselves, extend it.
You can use this request: “Please confirm whether pilot No. 41/60/47, as amended in July–August 2026, applies to my grounds for applying. If an exemption applies, please identify the provision and the documents needed to prove it; if not, please clarify the KAZTEST and admission procedure.” This is KLC’s recommendation, not a mandatory government form.
At which stage were you refused: test, assessment or permit?
A low KAZTEST result, failure to pass the points-based assessment, an unsuccessful interview and refusal of permanent residence permission are not the same decision. Keep the result or notification and identify the stage and stated reason. Do not apply the test resit period to a new questionnaire or an appeal against a permit refusal.
If documents are not accepted, request a document stating the specific reason; if permission is refused, obtain the written decision and appeal procedure. If your authorised stay has already been exceeded, contact the migration service to determine your next steps and seek legal assistance if necessary. Buying a course or rebooking a test does not resolve the violation.
Do not confuse the permanent residence pilot with citizenship
Article 17 of the Kazakhstan Citizenship Law, subitem 14 of the first part, separately regulates knowledge of the state language, the basics of the Constitution and Kazakhstan’s history for admission to or restoration of citizenship. It has its own exemptions. Neither the requirements nor exemptions from that procedure can automatically be transferred to the permanent residence pilot.
The practical conclusion: a Russian citizen needs an assessment of their grounds under current rules and exemptions, not a general answer that “the exam is always required” or “never required”. For an individual review, prepare details of your purpose, current status, family and the document you rely on as grounds for an exemption.
Check your grounds and documents for permanent residence through KLC’s “Visas and residence permits” service. The “Submit an application” button leads to KLC’s Telegram contact: this is a request for assistance, not an application to a government authority. Your personal document set and next steps are clarified during the review; approval is not guaranteed.
Official sources
- Joint pilot order No. 41/60/47 — period of operation; Appendix 1, items 3–10 and subsequent assessment stages.
- July–August 2026 amendments — revised exemptions in item 3, interviews, the assessment period in item 27 and special exemptions in Appendix 3. Read these together with the base order.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 992 — general temporary and permanent residence lists; they cannot be read in isolation from an applicable pilot.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 266 — the separate residence card issuance service.
- Kazakhstan Citizenship Law — Article 17: a separate procedure, requirements and exemptions.