If you were born in the Kazakh SSR or the Republic of Kazakhstan, or previously held their citizenship, and permanently reside abroad, check whether you qualify as a “former compatriot”. This category may exempt you from proving financial means and from the 2026 pilot’s criteria-based assessment, including KAZTEST. A birth certificate alone, however, is neither a permanent residence permit nor a residence card.
This guide is for an adult Russian citizen returning to live in Kazakhstan who wants to prepare evidence of eligibility. It does not cover citizenship applications or promise residence “by birthright” without the remaining documents.
Checked on 16 September 2026. The separate August amendments to the pilot have been taken into account: reading the original order alone is not enough. The pilot runs until 31 December 2026; applications after that date require a fresh check of the rules.
Who qualifies as a former compatriot?
Article 1, subparagraph 1-1 of the Population Migration Law provides two alternative grounds: the person was born in the Kazakh SSR or the Republic of Kazakhstan or previously held their citizenship. The definition also requires permanent residence abroad.
A Russian passport therefore does not prevent you from checking this basis, but does not prove it either. The definition does not require Kazakh ethnicity. Kandas status is a separate category; being born in Kazakhstan does not automatically make someone a kandas.
| Your situation | What to check | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Born in the Kazakh SSR; now permanently living in Russia | Evidence of birthplace and permanent residence abroad | That you must be ethnically Kazakh |
| Born in Russia; previously a citizen of Kazakhstan | Evidence of former citizenship and residence abroad | That only birthplace can establish eligibility |
| Only your parent was born in Kazakhstan | Your own eligibility and a family-based route | That your parent’s category automatically passes to you |
| Lived or studied in Kazakhstan, but were neither born there nor its citizen | Another basis for permanent residence | That former address registration replaces birth or citizenship |
| Already in Kazakhstan with a temporary residence permit (RVP) | How to substantiate the facts required by the former compatriot definition | That an RVP alone proves or rules out this category |
Do not decide solely from the town name in your passport. A renamed locality, discrepancies between documents or an unclear entry may require clarification. Ask the migration service which documents will connect the records in your particular case.
Two exemptions to check separately
Proof of financial means. Former compatriots are listed among the exceptions in Article 49, subparagraph 4 of the Population Migration Law. The permanent residence document list allows either proof of financial means or a document establishing an exemption: Appendix 7, item 10, subparagraph 3 of Ministry of Internal Affairs Rules No. 992.
In practice, do not simply remove the bank certificate from your file: prepare evidence of the exception instead. This does not exempt you from housing, medical examination or document preparation costs. If you cannot establish eligibility, separately check the ordinary financial means requirements.
Criteria-based assessment and KAZTEST. Under the August version of item 3 of Appendix 1 to the pilot, former compatriots are excluded from the criteria-based assessment rules. The exception to submitting the assessment document also appears in Appendix 3, item 5, subparagraph 1. The basis is the joint order introducing the August amendments, No. 335/534/493-НҚ, read together with the base pilot order.
For this category, the amendments also disapply Appendix 3, item 3, which lists the pilot’s application regions. Nevertheless, confirm the specific place of application for your address in advance. Do not automatically extend these exceptions to a spouse: their eligibility must be checked separately. See the Kazakh language and residence guide for details of the test and other exceptions.
What to prepare as evidence of eligibility
The following is a preparation checklist for verification, not a legally prescribed universal package for “former compatriot status”. The rules reviewed define the category and exemptions but do not name a single standalone certificate that replaces the evidence in every case.
- For birth-based eligibility: your birth certificate. If it is missing, ask the authority holding the record how to obtain a duplicate document or archival confirmation.
- For former citizenship: available official documents confirming former Kazakhstan citizenship and its termination. If you only have copies of an old passport, ask in advance whether confirmation from the competent authority is needed.
- Information on permanent residence abroad: ask the migration service which evidence fits your history. A valid Russian passport alone does not answer where you permanently reside.
- Documents connecting different surnames, names or dates, such as a marriage or change-of-name certificate. Compare spelling with your current international passport.
- Originals and copies to present at intake. For documents not in Russian or Kazakh, check the requirements for a notarised translation; legalisation requirements depend on the applicable international treaty.
Do not pay for a test or bank certificate merely because it appears on an intermediary’s general list. First obtain an answer for your eligibility basis. At the same time, do not postpone documents that remain necessary regardless of the exemption.
The remaining permanent residence documents still apply
For the adult applicant described here, the general list in Appendix 7 to Rules No. 992 includes the application form, the original and a copy of an international passport valid for more than 180 calendar days on the application date, a criminal-record certificate, evidence concerning housing and permanent address registration, medical certificate 028/у, one 35 × 45 mm photograph, proof of payment of the state fee and a fingerprinting certificate. Evidence of the applicable exemption replaces proof of financial means.
For housing, the list provides for a notarised agreement or a statement providing accommodation and permanent address registration for at least 180 calendar days; the appropriate document depends on the case specified in the rules. Agree this with the property owner before applying. A financial exemption does not remove the need to substantiate housing.
This is a preparation guide, not a substitute for checking your individual package and current intake procedure. Children and certain special categories have different requirements. The complete application sequence is covered in the first permanent residence application guide.
Steps before travelling and after entry
Before travelling:
- recover your birth or citizenship records;
- document the chain of surname changes;
- check your international passport’s expiry date.
Then send the following enquiry to the migration service at your intended place of residence, inserting your details:
“I am a Russian citizen, born in [place, year] / formerly a citizen of Kazakhstan, and permanently reside in [country]. I plan to apply for permanent residence as a former compatriot. Please clarify which documents establish this basis, the exemption from proof of financial means, and exclusion from criteria-based assessment under the August version of the pilot. Where should I submit documents for [address]?”
After entry, check the arrival notification, your lawful period of stay and the application location with your host. Collecting archival documents and corresponding about an exemption do not themselves extend your stay. If you have already overstayed, do not attempt to fix matters retrospectively: contact the migration service and obtain individual legal advice before proceeding with the application.
An employer does not establish your birthplace or former citizenship. If you currently live in Kazakhstan on an employment-based RVP, continue to monitor its validity and basis separately: an exemption when applying for permanent residence does not replace your current migration status.
Timing, costs and possible refusal
The general permanent residence service list specifies 45 calendar days from submission of the necessary documents and a state fee of 4 monthly calculation indices (MRP). This is not the duration of the entire move or a promise of fast-track approval for former compatriots. Recovering a civil-status record, undergoing a medical examination, notarial work and subsequent residence card production are separate stages and costs. Confirm the specific intake procedure and timeframe for this category excluded from the pilot with the relevant office.
An incomplete file or expired documents may lead to refusal to accept the application. Request a document stating the specific reason: it will help you determine whether to recover a record, establish a surname change or supplement the file. This is different from a reasoned refusal of the permit after consideration.
If the permit is refused, obtain the written decision and check the cited provision and appeal procedure. Birth in Kazakhstan does not remove other refusal grounds, such as false information or an unexpunged conviction. Do not assume that applying again automatically resolves the decision: refusal, reapplication and annulment are explained separately.
After permanent residence is approved, the residence card is issued through a separate process. Neither a birth certificate nor a confirmed test exemption replaces that document.
Check your documents with KLC
If your records show different surnames, former citizenship is unclear or a spouse expects the same exceptions, begin by checking each family member’s eligibility. You can contact KLC about your case through “Visas and residence permits”. The “Submit an application” button on the service page opens KLC’s Telegram contact: this is contact with a legal services company, not an application to a government authority, and it does not guarantee a permit.