If you changed your surname after obtaining a Kazakhstan residence permit, apply for a card with your updated details. This is a separate ground for issuing a document, not an ordinary replacement on expiry or a first application for permanent residence. Foreign nationals must apply at their place of permanent registration under paragraphs 31 and 34 of Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 532.
First establish what happened: your surname actually changed, the card contains an error, or you simply received a new Russian international passport with the same personal details. These situations do not require an identical set of supporting evidence. This guide explains the process for an existing residence permit holder changing their surname, including following marriage or divorce.
Checked on 15 September 2026. This guide is for Russian citizens already permanently resident in Kazakhstan. It does not cover obtaining a Russian passport, a change of citizenship, a lost residence permit or the initial permission for permanent residence. If your card is simply expiring, use the guide to replacing an expiring residence permit.
A surname change or an error: choose the right ground
| What happened | What to establish | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| You adopted a new surname on marriage | Which document confirms the change from the old surname to the new one | Compare the marriage certificate with your valid international passport |
| You reverted to your previous surname on divorce | Which surname is recorded in the divorce document | Check the supporting document rather than relying solely on the fact of divorce |
| Your surname changed for a reason unrelated to marriage | Which document substantiates the change and whether registry information or a formal conclusion on the change is needed | Ask the receiving office which supporting evidence applies to your case |
| The issued residence permit has a typo, but your surname did not change | Which correct details the original documents contain | Apply on the ground of an “inaccurate entry”, with supporting evidence |
| You obtained a new international passport but kept your surname | Whether personal details changed, rather than just the passport particulars | Show the passport and residence permit to the migration service to identify the required action; do not automatically select a surname change |
This is KLC's practical framework for preparing an application. It does not replace an officer's document checks. In particular, a new passport number does not in itself establish a surname change.
Documents required when personal details change
Item 10 of the list of main requirements for the service “Issuance of a foreign national's residence permit in the Republic of Kazakhstan”, within Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 266, distinguishes a change of personal details from correction of an inaccurate entry. For a change of surname, given name, patronymic, date or place of birth, it lists:
- a residence permit or its digital form, for identification;
- a valid international passport;
- a marriage or divorce certificate or its digital form, a final court decision — as applicable to the ground for the change;
- a formal conclusion on the change of personal details, in the case specified by the list where the relevant information is absent from the RP DRI system and is obtained by the officer through interaction with the civil registry system.
Do not assume that both a marriage certificate and a court decision are mandatory for every surname change. The evidence must explain your particular change. If a document was issued in Russia and its details do not appear in Kazakhstan's system, ask in advance how the document will be checked and how the formal conclusion is prepared. Do not assume that a foreign record will automatically appear in RP DRI. The list provides no basis for promising automatic retrieval.
The state duty and method of taking photographs must also be addressed. Paragraph 34 of Rules No. 532 provides for a document substantiating the application and a written statement in free form; the exception to this statement requirement is a surname change on marriage or divorce. This exception does not remove the need to apply for a new residence permit or to complete the official application form.
For an electronic application through RP DRI, photographs are taken on site free of charge. For a paper form involving a change of details, two photographs measuring 3.5 × 4.5 cm are prescribed. An electronic form does not mean that the whole process can be completed from home: territorial police bodies provide the service through the Government for Citizens State Corporation.
If the card has an error but your surname did not change
For an inaccurate entry, the same item 10 separately lists the residence permit or its digital form, a valid international passport and documents confirming the correct information: a birth, marriage or divorce certificate or their digital form.
Before applying, compare the spelling in your passport, the supporting document and the card. Identify the specific discrepancy: a letter, the order of the given name and surname, a date or place of birth. This is KLC's recommendation, not a new application form. Do not invent a “surname change” to correct a typo, and do not assume a free or immediate replacement without establishing the ground.
Steps before and after filing
- Gather your residence permit, valid international passport and the document linking your old and new details. Check the surname spelling and dates. If the passport still shows your previous surname, coordinate the sequence of its replacement with the Russian issuing authority and Kazakhstan's migration service before filing.
- Check reception arrangements at your place of permanent registration, the selected ground and whether the information is in RP DRI. Ask separately whether your case requires a formal conclusion on the change of details and how it is prepared.
- Prepare the applicable documents, state duty payment or proof of an exemption. Ask whether photographs will be taken on site or a paper form will be used.
- Apply in person. On replacement, the system is checked for fingerprint registration: an existing registration mark leads to verification; if there is no mark, registration is carried out. See the fingerprinting guide for details.
- When you receive the card, immediately check your surname, given name, date of birth and expiry date. If you find a discrepancy, notify the issuing office rather than waiting until your next trip.
Do not automatically obtain new bank, medical and criminal record certificates as if applying for initial permission for permanent residence: they are not named in the list examined here for a change of details. Any additional request should be linked to the particular circumstances and its legal basis.
Time and costs: what applies to the card itself
Under the list for service No. 266, the document is issued within 17 working days under the ordinary procedure, or within 7 working days under the expedited procedure. The expedited period excludes the day the application is processed and the expedited-service payment is made. These periods do not include obtaining a Russian passport, checking foreign records or preparing documents before filing.
The state duty for a residence permit is 0.2 of the monthly calculation index (MCI) applicable on the payment date; an exemption must be supported by the prescribed documents. Expedited production is charged separately. Check payment details and the current expedited tariff before paying. Translation, a Russian passport and professional assistance are not covered by this state duty.
Under Article 10 of the Law on Identity Documents, a residence permit is issued for ten years, but not beyond the validity of the passport of the country of citizenship. A surname change therefore provides no basis for promising a new card valid for a full ten years regardless of the passport.
Do not apply deadlines for replacing a Russian internal passport or a Kazakhstan citizen's identity card to a residence permit holder. Clarify your application procedure promptly after the change of details. If the residence permit has already expired or there is another documentation violation, contact the migration service without delay: filing for replacement does not itself resolve the violation. Any potential penalty requires a separate assessment of the circumstances.
What to check before contacting KLC
For an initial assessment, describe what changed, when it changed, which document confirms it, which surname appears in your international passport and residence permit, and whether both documents are valid. Do not send a full set of scans to a public chat.
With this information, visit the “Visas and residence permits” service. The “Submit an application” button on the service page leads to KLC's Telegram, where you can discuss the ground for replacement and document preparation. This is a request for assistance, not a government application; the authorised body issues the new card.