A Russian citizen under 18 has a separate document checklist for a permanent residence permit in Kazakhstan if they arrived with both parents or one parent, or their legal representative is a Kazakhstani citizen or a foreign national or stateless person permanently resident here. The child is not automatically added to a parent’s residence card: documents must be prepared under the child checklist.
Two ages change the preparation: from age 14, the child’s own notarised consent to permanent residence is required; a foreign national’s residence card is issued from age 16. If the other parent lives outside Kazakhstan, the checklist provides for a separate notarised statement of consent from that parent. The child’s consent does not replace parental consent.
The preparation steps below follow rules checked on 12 September 2026. They concern permission for permanent residence, not temporary residence for a worker’s family, Russian permission to leave the country or acquisition of Kazakhstani citizenship.
First check whether the child checklist applies
Paragraph 10 of Appendix 7 to the Ministry of Internal Affairs rules identifies an applicant who is under 18 and meets at least one of these conditions:
- arrived with both parents;
- arrived with one parent;
- their legal representative — a parent, guardian or custodian — is a Kazakhstani citizen;
- their legal representative is a foreign national or stateless person permanently resident in Kazakhstan.
The first two options do not mean the parent must already hold their own residence card: the rules separately specify arrival together. However, a guardian’s temporary residence alone cannot be treated as permanent residence. If the child arrived separately and their representative does not fall within these categories, check the applicable procedure with the territorial migration service before collecting documents.
Children’s documents are submitted by their legal representatives, with evidence of their authority. A birth certificate helps establish parentage; for guardianship or custody, prepare the relevant document. An ordinary power of attorney for an accompanying adult does not establish that they have become the child’s legal representative.
Documents to prepare
For this category, paragraph 10 of Appendix 7 refers to subparagraphs 1), 2), 5), 6), 8) and 9), and adds the child’s documents and parental consent. The working checklist is:
- The application form for a permanent residence permit in Appendix 8 to the Ministry of Internal Affairs rules.
- A copy of the international travel passport and the original for comparison. On the application date it must remain valid for more than 180 calendar days, not exactly 180. The child checklist retains the reference to the passport provision: do not assume a birth certificate always replaces a travel passport.
- The notarised consent of a child aged 14 to under 18 to permanent residence in Kazakhstan. This provision does not require such consent from a child under 14.
- The housing document under subparagraph 6): a notarised agreement with an individual or legal entity — for applicants proving solvency — or a notarised statement providing accommodation for residence and permanent address registration for at least 180 calendar days. Agree with the owner in advance how the document will cover the child; an ordinary rental agreement without the required content does not replace this item.
- One 35 × 45 mm photograph.
- A document confirming payment of the state duty.
- A copy of the birth certificate or another document identifying the minor, and the original for comparison.
- A notarised statement of consent from the other parent — from both parents if both live outside Kazakhstan — in the situation covered by the rules where they reside abroad.
This is the checklist for the specified child category, not every applicant under 18. It does not refer to the provisions on proof of solvency, a criminal-record certificate or medical certificate 028/u. Do not pay for an adult document package for the child simply because the parents are collecting one. The parents’ own documents must be checked separately.
Documents in a foreign language must be translated into Kazakh or Russian, with notarised certification of the translation’s accuracy. The rules require legalisation of foreign official documents unless legislation or an international treaty provides otherwise. Do not automatically order an apostille for the entire Russian document package: check whether a treaty exemption applies to each document and its issuing country.
Two consents: who agrees to what
The child’s consent concerns their permanent residence in Kazakhstan and is required from age 14 to under 18. A parent signing on their own behalf does not replace the teenager’s expression of consent.
Parental consent in the child checklist is linked to the other parent — or both parents — residing outside Kazakhstan. Before booking a notary, explain who is applying, where each parent lives and the child’s age. Ask for a document specifically for permanent residence rather than assuming any travel consent will suffice.
If a parent has died, been deprived of parental rights, is unknown or refuses consent, this checklist does not itself establish a universal substitute for the statement of consent. Prepare the certificates and court decisions you have and obtain clarification from the migration service for your circumstances in advance. Do not assume divorce automatically removes the requirement. A dispute over a child’s relocation cannot be resolved by choosing a different notarial template.
Age checklist before applying
| Age during the process | Child’s consent | What else to check |
|---|---|---|
| Under 14 | Not required under subparagraph 5) | Eligibility for the child checklist, passport, parentage, housing and consent from a parent abroad |
| 14–15 | Notarised consent required | A residence card is not yet issued; formalising permanent residence is a separate matter |
| 16–17 | Still required | Residence card and age requirements for fingerprint registration |
| 18 and over | The child consent in this checklist no longer applies | The special checklist for minors no longer applies; reassess the document package |
For foreign nationals aged 16 and over, Article 10 of the Law on Fingerprint and Genomic Registration requires registration when applying for a permanent residence permit. The absence of a fingerprint certificate from the special child list must not be interpreted as exempting all minors from the procedure itself. If the teenager has already been registered, the law provides for verification on a repeat application on the relevant grounds — check the procedure with the police.
Article 10-1 contains special exceptions, including those involving the absence of all fingers or both hands; the exemption where fingerprinting is impossible according to a medical advisory commission’s conclusion is worded for the issuance of identity documents. These provisions must not be extended to every application without checking. Agree the procedure separately for a child with such circumstances.
Permission granted — when is the card issued?
Article 10 of the Law on Identity Documents provides for foreign national residence cards to be issued to permanently resident foreign nationals from age 16. Thus, “no card is needed before 16” does not mean “the child’s permanent residence does not need to be formalised.”
When receiving the outcome, check that the decision covers the child and ask about permanent address registration and the documents that will establish their status before age 16. On reaching that age, a separate card-issuance stage is required. That sequence is covered in “Permanent residence approved: how to obtain your residence card”.
Five actions before booking submission
- Note the child’s date of birth, intended application date, both parents’ places of residence and the legal representative’s status. If the child is approaching 14, 16 or 18, confirm the document package with the birthday in mind.
- Compare names and surnames in the passport, birth certificate and representative’s documents. If a surname has changed, prepare evidence linking the documents.
- Settle the housing document and both potentially required consents before paying for translations and other services. Check the document’s purpose with the notary and migration service, not just its title.
- Confirm the payment details and applicable state duty for the application, plus notarial and translation costs. Do not combine the permit duty and the later card fee into a single “child residence rate.”
- Submit through the territorial police or the Government for Citizens State Corporation and keep the receipt. Appendix 7 sets a service period of 45 calendar days from submission of the necessary documents; preparing consents and obtaining the card are not included in this period.
For example, a mother and her 15-year-old daughter arrived together from Russia; the father lives in Russia. Preparation involves checking the child checklist, the daughter’s consent and the father’s separate consent; adult certificates are not automatically copied into the child’s package. If the daughter turns 16 before submission, also check fingerprinting and subsequent card issuance. This is an example of document preparation, not a promise of approval.
The rules provide for refusal to accept an incomplete package or expired documents. Obtain a document identifying the missing or expired item and address that specific reason. This is not the same as a reasoned refusal to grant permission after examination. If the permitted stay has been exceeded, preparing the package does not itself resolve the breach: first ask the migration service about regularisation and the next steps.
When to contact KLC
After these checks, you should have a separate checklist for the child and a list of unresolved matters: consent from a parent abroad, guardianship documents, an approaching birthday or housing documentation. For an individual review, state the child’s age, who arrived with them and where each parent lives — contact KLC about permanent residence for your child.
If the family is still choosing between temporary and permanent residence, start with the comparison for Russian citizens. The child checklist in this article does not replace temporary residence rules.
Official sources
- Ministry of Internal Affairs rules on temporary and permanent residence: Order No. 992 — Chapter 3; Appendix 7, paragraphs 5 and 10; application form in Appendix 8. The rules as amended by Order No. 454 of 29 June 2026 were used.
- Law on Identity Documents — Article 10: foreign national residence card from age 16.
- Law on Fingerprint and Genomic Registration — Articles 10 and 10-1: age, repeat applications and special exceptions.