Checked on 11 September 2026. This guide reflects the rules for issuing temporary residence permits as amended by Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 454 of 29 June 2026.
A Russian citizen can obtain a temporary residence permit (TRP, known as RVP in Russian) on the basis of an employment contract with an employer in Kazakhstan. A separate work permit is generally not required because Russia and Kazakhstan are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). However, exemption from a work permit does not remove the need to arrange lawful residence. The host party handles the TRP application; the employment contract must be registered in the Unified System for Recording Employment Contracts (ESUTD). [1–3]
This TRP is valid for a maximum of one year, with annual renewal available. Its validity cannot exceed either the employment contract or the passport. The government service is free and the prescribed processing time is one working day after the required documents are submitted. When applying through a Public Service Centre (PSC, known as TsON), the intake day is excluded. Preparing the contract, insurance and other documents is not included in that processing time. [1–2]
Who this route is for
This guide is for an adult Russian citizen taking up genuine employment with an employer in Kazakhstan and arranging residence on that basis. The employer may be a legal entity or an individual who has lawfully entered into an employment contract. [1]
If you are still looking for work, an intention to find a job is not enough for a TRP. Working remotely from Kazakhstan for a Russian company does not, by itself, establish the basis described here either: first identify who will act as the employer and host party in Kazakhstan.
A TRP is not a permanent residence document or permission for permanent residence. This guide covers temporary residence under an employment contract; business activity, permanent residence and service contracts require separate assessment.
Three deadlines you must not confuse
Arrival notification — three working days. The host party notifies the internal affairs authorities of your arrival. A change in your temporary place of residence must also be notified within three working days. This is not a TRP application. Ask for confirmation that the notification was accepted, rather than just an assurance that it was sent. [1]
Ordinary visa-free stay — up to 90 calendar days in each 180-day period. This applies to EAEU citizens without an established basis that changes their permitted stay. If you have recently visited Kazakhstan, you cannot simply count a new 90 days from your most recent entry. A short trip out does not reset the days already used. The restriction in paragraph 6 of the Rules does not apply to holders of a valid TRP. [1]
Employment-based residence is tied to the contract and the TRP process. The EAEU Treaty links the worker's temporary stay to the duration of the contract, while Kazakhstan's rules provide for a TRP issued through the host party. Do not wait until day 90: arrange the application after signing the contract and check the outcome. [1–3]
Can you start work without a TRP? For a Russian citizen, a TRP is not a separate work permit. The general right to work without that permit follows from EAEU rules; you still need an employment contract and lawful stay. Certain professions and activities have specific eligibility requirements. This does not mean a contract lets you live in the country indefinitely without arranging your migration status. [1, 3]
Documents you need
The following is the employment-based application package for the migration service or a PSC. Where the necessary information is already available through integrated government systems, the rules allow it to be obtained without the documents being resubmitted. [2]
- TRP application form. Use the form in Appendix 1 to the Rules approved by Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 992. The host party arranges submission.
- A copy of the foreign citizen's identity document, with the original for verification. Check its expiry date: it limits the TRP's validity.
- A copy of medical insurance registered in Saqtandyry, with the original for verification. Before paying, ask the insurer whether the policy will be registered in this system and how you can confirm this.
- Notarised consent to residence if the recipient of the government service — the host party — does not own the accommodation provided to you. Arrange this with the owner in advance; do not automatically substitute an ordinary rental agreement.
- A certificate confirming fingerprinting. The foreign citizen attends the territorial police authority at their place of stay for this procedure.
- An employment contract registered in ESUTD. Ask the employer to check the record and ensure its details match the signed contract. A paper copy alone is not enough if the required registration is missing.
Also check that you have an Individual Identification Number (IIN): the migration service checks it in the digital system. An IIN does not replace a TRP or extend your stay. If a representative applies, their authority must be confirmed: the rules provide for a notarised power of attorney, or an order or power of attorney issued by a legal entity. [2]
An important 2026 change. The current list expressly requires insurance in Saqtandyry, without an exemption for EAEU citizens. Do not rely on an old checklist saying that Russians do not need insurance to apply without it. [2]
A criminal record certificate, proof of financial solvency and a medical certificate for permanent residence are not part of the employment-based TRP list above. Do not order an entire permanent residence package by mistake. The employer may separately request documents for hiring, such as evidence of qualifications: that is a different package. [2–3]
Responsibilities of the worker and employer
The worker provides accurate passport details, checks their IIN, undergoes fingerprinting, arranges insurance and confirms their actual accommodation. They also inform the employer of a new passport, address changes and plans to leave the job so the documents remain consistent with their circumstances.
The employer signs the contract and enters the information into ESUTD. A new contract must be recorded within five working days of signing by both parties. The employer arranges the employment-based application and checks that employer and worker details match in the contract, system and application. [1, 2, 4]
The party hosting you at your accommodation is responsible for arrival and address-change notifications. The employer and landlord are not necessarily the same person. Before entry, agree who will notify the authorities about your accommodation, who will prepare the owner's consent and who will submit the TRP application. Allocating these tasks is KLC's practical recommendation to ensure no responsibility is left to “the other party”.
Steps before and after entering Kazakhstan
Before entry, agree the position, contract duration and the employer's role in arranging the TRP. Check your passport and trips in the preceding 180 days. When choosing accommodation, discuss notification and notarised consent immediately: agreeing to rent out a property does not necessarily mean the owner is ready to prepare the required documents.
After entry:
- Give the host party the information needed for notification. Obtain confirmation of acceptance within the prescribed deadline.
- Check that you have an IIN. If not, arrange it before applying for the TRP; the migration service checks this information.
- Sign the employment contract and wait for its details to be entered into ESUTD. Check your full name, IIN, employer and dates.
- Arrange the insurance, fingerprinting and accommodation documents listed above. These tasks can be handled alongside the contract paperwork.
- The host party or its authorised representative applies through the territorial police, a Government for Citizens PSC or the eGov portal. Online submission does not remove the need to prepare the documents and undergo fingerprinting first. [2]
- Obtain the TRP and check your personal details, basis, address and expiry date. Keep the permit and submission confirmation. An application receipt is not an issued permit.
Online submission uses the applicant's electronic digital signature (EDS). This should not be confused with a requirement for every foreign worker to obtain their own EDS regardless of the application method: the rules also provide for in-person submission through the host party. [2]
Time and costs to plan for
Issuing a TRP is free, with a prescribed processing time of one working day after the required package is submitted. The intake day at a PSC is excluded. This is the government service standard, not a promise that moving and preparing every document can be completed in a day. An incomplete package or expired documents may be refused at intake. [2]
Budget separately for insurance, notarised consent, a representative's power of attorney if needed, and translations of applicable documents. These costs depend on your circumstances and the providers' prices; there is no single verified “all-inclusive TRP” price. Legal assistance, if you order it, is charged separately from the government service.
A practical way to assess readiness is to check four confirmations rather than count elapsed days: the contract is visible in ESUTD, insurance meets the list, accommodation documents are ready, and fingerprinting is complete. Until then, it is too early to promise an issue date.
Renewal and changing employers
An open-ended employment contract does not make a TRP indefinite: this route provides for annual renewal within the applicable limits. Start preparing before the permit expires; do not assume that HR extending the contract automatically renews the TRP. [1–2]
If the employment contract is terminated early after 90 days have elapsed since entry, Article 97(9) of the EAEU Treaty gives the worker 15 days to enter into a new employment or civil-law contract without leaving the country. This is a specific guarantee for that situation, not a universal “15 days after any job ends”. [3]
When changing employers, coordinate residence arrangements on the new basis with the migration service. The date on the old TRP does not itself guarantee that the basis remains valid after the contract ends. If the contract expires naturally, is terminated before 90 days or the passport expires, the situation needs separate assessment — the 15-day rule cannot be applied automatically.
If the documents are not accepted or the permit is refused
Distinguish refusal to accept the application package from refusal to issue a TRP. The rules provide for refusal at intake if the package is incomplete or documents have expired. Grounds for refusing the service include false documents or information, failure to meet the requirements, a relevant court decision that has entered into force, and absence of the necessary consent to access personal data. [2]
In practice, check four things: ESUTD contract registration, matching passport and IIN details, insurance in Saqtandyry, and accommodation consent. This is a check for possible errors, not a statistical ranking of refusal reasons.
Obtain the reason in writing. Correct the specific issue and check how much lawful stay remains. If you disagree with the decision, use the appeal procedure set out in the rules and the response you received. Do not assume that reapplying or appealing automatically extends your stay.
If you have already overstayed
Do not try to fix the problem with a backdated contract or a short trip out to “reset” your stay. Collect your passport, entry and exit dates, previous TRP, employment contract and any decisions received. Contact the migration service promptly; if administrative expulsion is a risk, contact a lawyer as well.
Article 517 of the Code of Administrative Offences distinguishes violations by duration. Failure to leave after the permitted stay expires carries a warning within the first three days, fines for longer periods, and a fine of 25 monthly calculation indices (MCI) or administrative expulsion when the overstay exceeds ten days. Repeat violations are assessed separately. The first three days are already a violation, not an authorised grace period. [5]
Paying a fine does not itself grant a TRP. After the violation is resolved, determine the next lawful step separately: obtaining an available status or leaving within the prescribed period. Do not treat references in checklists to “10 days after expiry” as a general concession for all adults: the relevant provision in the new Rules is worded for immigrants who reach the age of 16 while in Kazakhstan. [1–2]
Where to start in your situation
For an initial assessment, establish whether you are still in Russia or already in Kazakhstan, when you entered, whether you have an employer and a signed contract, whether you previously held a TRP, and where you will live. Mention accompanying family members separately — the worker's TRP is not a shared document covering the whole family.
Check your eligibility and get a personalised TRP document list. In the KLC questionnaire, select “Temporary residence in Kazakhstan”. You will first receive an initial checklist to prepare for contacting us; your individual document package is clarified when your basis is assessed. Disputed circumstances, overstays and further assistance are considered individually under the Visas, temporary and permanent residence service. The competent authority decides whether to issue the TRP.
Official sources
- Kazakhstan Government Resolution No. 148, paragraphs 6, 9 and 10 — permitted stay, notification, grounds and TRP validity.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 992, Chapter 2 and Appendix 2 — submission, documents, checks, fees, processing and refusal. Version amended by Order No. 454 of 29 June 2026.
- Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, Article 97 — work without a separate permit, stay linked to the contract and changing employers.
- Order No. 353: rules for submitting information to ESUTD — deadlines for recording employment contract information.
- Kazakhstan Code of Administrative Offences, Articles 517 and 518 — violations by the foreign citizen and the host party.