Checked on 12 September 2026. For adult Russian citizens preparing an application for permanent residence in Kazakhstan. Children and exemptions are addressed separately; this is not a complete residence-permit document checklist.
The general rule is to prove at least KZT 5,709,000 in your bank account or accounts: 1,320 MCI × KZT 4,325 in 2026. This is your money held in accounts, not a payment to the state or an application fee. Before transferring funds, check whether you can document an exemption. [1–3]
The certificate is required when applying for permission for permanent residence, not as a separate purchase of a residence permit card. If you are still choosing between temporary and permanent residence, read our temporary vs permanent residence comparison first. This guide has a different purpose: helping you prepare the financial part of the application without using the wrong calculation or document.
Check for an exemption before transferring money
Article 49 of the Law on Population Migration provides exceptions to the proof-of-solvency requirement. These include ethnic Kazakhs; former compatriots born in or previously citizens of the Kazakh SSR or the Republic of Kazakhstan; persons entitled to acquire Kazakhstan citizenship through a simplified procedure under international treaties, and their family members; and foreigners with in-demand professions on the approved list. These are separate grounds, not a universal “exemption for Russians”. [3]
A Russian passport alone does not exempt you from the bank certificate. For example, the four-country agreement on simplified acquisition of citizenship makes eligibility subject to additional conditions. One route involves a close relative specified in the agreement who is a citizen of Kazakhstan and permanently resides there. The list includes a spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild; adoption is also covered by the agreement. Another route concerns former citizenship and birth or residence before 21 December 1991. Check the entire condition, not just the familiar words “relative” or “USSR”. [5]
Establishing eligibility for an exemption does not mean that you must apply for citizenship at the same time. However, instead of the bank certificate, you need a document demonstrating the exemption ground: the permanent-residence checklist expressly provides this alternative. The evidence required depends on the ground. A diploma in a similar field is not automatic qualification for the professional route either: the rules require additional documents, including a supporting petition from the relevant government body. [3–5]
KLC recommendation: before moving a large sum, show the migration service or a specialist the birth, citizenship, family relationship or professional documents on which your exemption relies. Do not replace documentary proof with a verbal explanation.
How much money is required in 2026?
Paragraph 2 of Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 531 sets a minimum of 1,320 monthly calculation indices (MCI) at the application date. The budget law set the MCI at KZT 4,325 from 1 January 2026. The calculation for one adult applicant without an exemption is therefore 1,320 × 4,325 = KZT 5,709,000. [1–2]
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One adult applicant without an exemption, applying in 2026 | Check that the bank evidence confirms at least KZT 5,709,000 |
| A possible exemption has been identified | Establish the specific ground first; do not assume a passport proves eligibility |
| Parents are applying with a child | Check each adult's documents and the special rule for the child separately; do not automatically multiply the amount by every family member |
| The certificate is issued at year-end, but the application will be filed next year | Recalculate the minimum using the MCI for the actual filing year and check the document's validity |
For an applicant under 18 arriving with both parents or one parent, the rules provide a special checklist that does not include the financial document in subparagraph 3. This provision also covers the cases described in the rules where the legal representative is a Kazakhstan citizen or a foreign citizen or stateless person permanently resident in Kazakhstan. It does not remove the child's document requirements or necessary consents. The formula “a family of three means three identical bank minimums” is therefore wrong without checking age and status. [4]
Which bank document qualifies?
Under Order No. 531, it is a certificate issued by a Kazakhstan-resident bank or a Kazakhstan branch of a nonresident bank, signed by an authorized bank officer. It confirms funds in a bank account or accounts. A certificate from a bank in Russia alone does not qualify simply because the amount is sufficient. A balance screenshot does not replace the signed certificate specified in the rules. [1]
The reference to “accounts” allows for more than one account, but the provision does not explain in detail how certificates from different banks should be combined. If your funds are spread across banks or held in foreign currency, check with the bank and receiving authority in advance how to document the total equivalent. We do not set our own conversion rate or promise that any combination of statements will be accepted.
Six checks before filing
The following is KLC's practical checklist based on the document requirements and the form used to request verification of authenticity. It is not an additional government checklist. [1, 4]
- Bank. Check that the issuer meets the requirement for a resident bank or a branch of a nonresident bank in Kazakhstan.
- Applicant. Check your name and passport details: the bank document must clearly relate to you. If your passport has changed, arrange for the details to be corrected before filing.
- Amount. Compare the confirmed funds with the minimum at the application date, not a figure from an old article or the date the account was opened.
- Signature and reference details. Check the authorized officer's signature, date and document number. Do not substitute an app screenshot for the certificate.
- Validity. The permanent-residence checklist sets a validity period of no more than 180 calendar days for the financial document. If the bank specifies a shorter period, do not assume it is automatically extended to 180 days.
- Bank verification. Migration authorities verify the certificate's authenticity by sending a request to the issuing bank with the applicant's consent. Be prepared to provide that consent.
Example: someone obtains a certificate in December but applies in January. Even if the document is still within its validity period, the minimum amount is determined by the MCI at the January filing date. The certificate's age and the sufficiency of funds are two separate checks. [1, 4]
Must you freeze the money or buy a home?
Order No. 531 does not set a universal period for freezing funds in an account. However, the absence of such a rule does not justify promising that the money can safely be withdrawn immediately after the certificate is issued. The document will still be checked. Before changing the balance, confirm your banking product's terms and the application review procedure with the migration authority; the law must not be replaced by advice to “deposit it for one day”. [1]
The bank minimum and the housing document are separate parts of the application. The current Order No. 531 does not contain an additional calculation for funds to purchase 15 m² of housing. However, the permanent-residence checklist requires the notarized housing document it specifies: a contract for applicants proving solvency, or a statement providing housing for residence and permanent registration for at least 180 calendar days. Confirm the appropriate form for your particular ground. Having money does not replace arranging an address, and being provided with housing does not itself establish a solvency exemption. [1, 4]
What if the amount or document does not qualify?
If your funds are below the required minimum, check for a lawful exemption or obtain sufficient evidence before applying. Do not buy a fictitious certificate: its authenticity is checked. Failure to provide the required proof without an applicable exception is listed in the law as a ground for refusing permanent residence. If the document details contain an error, ask the bank to correct it. [1, 3]
Ordering a certificate and waiting for the bank's response do not extend your lawful stay. Plan financial preparation separately from your immigration calendar. If you have already overstayed, first clarify the procedure for resolving the issue with the migration service; a bank balance does not eliminate the violation. Use our 90/180 rule guide to plan your trips.
The account minimum does not replace state duties, medical, notarial or other applicable expenses. The price and processing time for a bank certificate depend on the bank; this guide does not prescribe a universal fee or promise “one-day” issuance.
Your next step
First determine whether you need a financial document or evidence of an exemption. Then check the bank, amount at filing, document details and validity, and prepare the housing part of the application separately.
Check your situation and get an initial document checklist. In the KLC questionnaire, select “Permanent residence in Kazakhstan”. The questionnaire provides an initial list; exemption eligibility and your individual document package are clarified through an individual assessment under our Visas, temporary and permanent residence service. The authorized body decides whether to grant permission.
Official sources
- Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 531 of 30 June 2023: paragraphs 2–3 and appendix — bank, amount, signature and authenticity verification.
- Law on the Republican Budget for 2026–2028: Article 7 — MCI of KZT 4,325 from 1 January 2026.
- Law on Population Migration: Article 49, subparagraph 4 — solvency requirement and exceptions.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 992: Appendix 7, item 10 of the list of basic requirements — financial and housing documents, validity and the special child checklist; the 2026 version has been taken into account.
- Agreement of 26 February 1999 on the simplified procedure for acquiring citizenship: Article 1 — treaty eligibility conditions, not an automatic exemption based on a Russian passport.