For a first application for permanent residence and a Kazakhstan residence permit card, an adult Russian citizen should budget KZT 18,165 for the two standard state fees in 2026, unless an applicable exemption applies. This comprises KZT 17,300 for permanent residence permission and KZT 865 for the card. It is not the total cost of the process: certificates, translations, notarisation and other expenses are calculated separately.
Funds used to demonstrate financial solvency belong in a different category. Where proof is required, the basic threshold is 1,320 monthly calculation indices (MCI), or KZT 5,709,000 in 2026. This amount is not a residence permit payment to the state or an intermediary: it concerns money in the applicant’s bank account and a supporting document.
The calculation was checked on 16 September 2026 and covers one adult completing both stages for the first time. When replacing an existing card, do not automatically add the fee for a new permanent residence permission. Children and exempt categories need a separate calculation. Neither the account balance nor payment for services guarantees approval.
What makes up the budget
Article 7 of the 2026–2028 budget law sets the MCI for 2026 at KZT 4,325. Fee rates appear in the rules for the respective public services; when paying in another year, recalculate using the MCI then in force.
| Budget item | Amount or calculation method | What to check before paying |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent residence permission | 4 MCI = KZT 17,300 | The exact service and recipient’s payment details; any exemption |
| Residence permit card after permission | 0.2 MCI = KZT 865 | A separate fee; expedited production, if chosen, costs extra |
| Document preparation and pilot assessment | According to the documents needed and providers’ current rates | Medical certificate, translations, notary, photographs; whether KAZTEST and other stages apply |
| Legal assistance | According to the agreed contract and estimate | Which actions and third-party expenses are included and which are charged separately |
| Proof of financial solvency | Where required: a basic 1,320 MCI = KZT 5,709,000 in the account | Not a state fee or a professional fee; exemptions and evidence requirements must be checked separately |
The first two rows are based on appendix 7, item 8 of Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 992 and appendix 1, item 8 of the residence permit card issuance rules. The card certifies a status already granted; producing it does not replace the permanent residence decision.
How to prepare your estimate without an invented “average price”
Start with the formula: KZT 18,165 + document preparation + required assessment stages + selected additional services + living and stay expenses. It applies to the adult applicant described above without fee exemptions, not to every case. Keep the account balance in a separate “required funds” line rather than adding it to service costs.
- List the stages still ahead: permanent residence permission and the card, or just the card.
- Obtain the current document list for your grounds. Do not order translations and certificates solely on the basis of an advertised package.
- For each paid item, ask who provides it, the price, completion time, validity of the result and proof of payment.
- Check what another estimate already includes: the same translations or notarial acts should not quietly be counted twice.
- Add separate costs for travel, accommodation, bank charges and any documents that may need obtaining again. These depend on your circumstances; there is no single compulsory surcharge.
For example, if permanent residence has already been approved and the fee for that stage paid, KZT 17,300 should not reappear in the remaining budget as a mandatory permission fee. The standard card fee is KZT 865; other genuinely necessary expenses are checked separately. This is an example of allocating costs by stage, not a KLC offer.
Which documents may increase expenses
This article helps check a budget; it does not replace the complete migration document list. To estimate costs, have your passport and information on its validity, family grounds, previous surnames, existing certificates and housing ready. The required documents depend on your procedure.
- Medical examination and form 028/u: ask what the clinic’s price includes and what costs extra. Consider the certificate’s validity when planning your application; see the medical certificate guide.
- Criminal record certificate: check whether documents covering current and previous identifying details are needed, how to obtain them and applicable translation requirements. Do not automatically add an apostille to the estimate: first check whether your particular document requires one. A separate guide covers this.
- Translations and notarial acts: clarify the number of documents and pages, type of certification, number of copies and terms for correcting errors.
- Housing documents: discuss the necessary consent or agreement and notarial acts with the owner in advance. Paying rent does not itself replace the required migration document; see the housing checklist.
- Photographs and bank documents: check the format and the specific provider’s charge for issuing a certificate. A bank charge is not the same as the account balance being certified.
Do you need to pay for KAZTEST?
Do not buy a test or an “exam package” before checking whether the assessment applies. A pilot assessing applicants’ potential operates in 2026; August amendments expanded its exceptions. The stated end date is 31 December 2026. Russian citizenship alone does not establish that assessment is unnecessary.
First check the exemption grounds and supporting documents, then whether testing is needed and the current registration conditions. Include only applicable stages at confirmed rates in your estimate. No universal KAZTEST price is quoted here: check the cost of the particular service and any retake with the official organiser before paying. The conditions are explained in the language and KAZTEST article.
Exemption from assessment does not mean exemption from all state fees, bank evidence or other documents. Each exemption must be checked separately.
Why KZT 5,709,000 is not the “price of a residence permit”
Point 2 of the financial solvency evidence rules provides for a document from a Kazakhstan resident bank confirming money in an account or accounts of no less than the prescribed threshold. The 2026 calculation is 1,320 × 4,325 = KZT 5,709,000.
Exemption grounds, the evidence required and continuing obligations need separate checking. In particular, appendix 3, point 5(4) of the pilot provides for annual confirmation of financial solvency for five years after permission is granted, subject to the exceptions stated there. The fact that the money is not a fee therefore does not mean “after applying, you can unconditionally withdraw everything and forget further checks”.
Do not transfer this amount to a lawyer as a purported mandatory state contribution. An offer to “show someone else’s money” or buy a bank certificate is not equivalent to lawful evidence. To check your grounds, use the guide to bank evidence and exemptions.
What to ask an intermediary before an advance payment
You can send this request: “Please break the estimate down into state fees, your organisation’s services and third-party payments. Specify whether translations, notarial services, the medical certificate, pilot assessment and the residence permit card are included. Which actions will you perform, and which must I perform in person? What happens to my payment if the documents are not accepted, permission is refused or I end our work under the contract?”
Ask for the procedure for additional payments, error correction and repayment of an unused advance to be included in the contract. Do not treat “turnkey” as confirmation that all expenses are included. Paying for assistance does not buy a favourable government decision.
If an incomplete set of documents is not accepted, first obtain a list of what is missing; do not pay for the entire package again without checking. If a reasoned refusal is issued, examine its grounds and the possibility of appeal. A repeat application is not an appeal: point 29 of Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 992 provides for a one-year period after refusal or annulment of permission. State-fee refunds and settlement with the provider must be checked separately; no automatic full refund is promised here.
Timing and your next step
The standard processing period for the permanent residence permission service is 45 calendar days under appendix 7, item 5 of Rules No. 992. This is not the duration of the whole move: preparation, applicable pilot stages and the card are separate parts of the process. Paying for expedited card production does not mean an expedited permission decision.
Before entry, prepare a preliminary estimate and check which documents are easier to obtain in Russia. After entry, ensure arrival notification and a lawful basis for your stay; applying for permanent residence or paying a lawyer does not itself extend your permitted stay. If you have already overstayed, do not wait for paid certificates to be ready: clarify the resolution procedure with the migration service and obtain individual legal assistance. Your employer is not required to pay all your residence permit expenses merely because you work for them; agree any reimbursement separately.
For a budget review, use KLC’s “Visas and residence permits” service. The “Submit an application” button leads to KLC’s Telegram, not to a government application service. State whether this is your first residence permit, your current status and grounds, and which documents are ready; request a personalised list and an itemised estimate. The scope and cost of assistance are agreed individually, without a guaranteed outcome.