Those wishing to become citizens of Kazakhstan must now have a basic knowledge of the Kazakh language, the basics of history and the Constitution of the country. These requirements have been included in the law "On Migration Issues" to help foreigners quickly adapt to Kazakh society. On the eve of the Republic Day, a correspondent of the Kazinform agency has prepared detailed instructions on the process of obtaining citizenship of our country.

Grounds for obtaining citizenship

According to Article 10 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan", citizenship is acquired:

• by birth;

• as a result of admission to citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

• on the grounds or in the manner stipulated by interstate treaties of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

• on other grounds stipulated by this Law.

Foreigners and stateless persons permanently residing in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan may apply for admission to citizenship. The decision on applications is made by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Conditions for obtaining citizenship

In accordance with Article 16 of the Law, the following persons may be admitted to citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

• persons permanently residing in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for at least five years (taking into account continuous residence) or married to a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan for at least 3 years;

• citizens of the former Soviet republics who have close relatives who are citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Simplified procedure for obtaining citizenship

According to Article 16-1, the following persons may be admitted in a simplified manner:

• kandasy (ethnic Kazakhs);

• rehabilitated victims of mass political repressions and their descendants;

• ethnic Kazakhs studying at universities in Kazakhstan.

The period for consideration of applications in a simplified manner does not exceed three months.

Application filing procedure

Foreigners who do not have the right to a simplified procedure must:
1. Submit an application-petition to the migration service at the place of permanent residence.
2. Indicate the reasons for accepting citizenship.

Required documents

The following documents are attached to the application:

• questionnaire;

• autobiography;

• 4 photographs (size 3.5 x 4.5 cm);

• commitment to comply with the terms of the law;

• a copy of the identity document;

• a certificate of termination of the previous citizenship (if any);

• a document on payment of the state fee (1 MCI).
Additionally:

• persons who meet the requirements of professions - a petition from the relevant government agency;

• persons married to a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan - a notarized copy of the marriage certificate.

Testing knowledge of language and history

Since 2024, those wishing to obtain citizenship must pass a test of knowledge of the Kazakh language, the fundamentals of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the history of Kazakhstan. The exam consists of 100 test tasks:

• 60 in the Kazakh language (20 - listening, 40 - reading);

• 15 on the fundamentals of the Constitution;

• 25 on the history of Kazakhstan.

Threshold scores

• in the Kazakh language: at least 36 points (12 on listening and 24 on reading);

• on the fundamentals of the Constitution: at least 9 points;

• on the history of Kazakhstan: at least 15 points.

Testing is conducted once a quarter. Based on its results, an electronic certificate is issued, valid for two years.

Review of the application

Materials on admission to citizenship are transferred to the Police Department, which checks them and sends them to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After this, the Ministry of Internal Affairs sends the materials with a conclusion to the State and Legal Department of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Moment of acquisition of citizenship

Citizenship of the Republic of Kazakhstan is acquired on the day of:

• issuance of the Decree of the President on admission to citizenship;

• birth or adoption of minors;

• registration of citizenship under interstate treaties.

Citizenship of a child

A child whose both parents are citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan becomes a citizen regardless of their place of birth. If the parents have different citizenships, and one of them is a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the child will also be a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan if:

• was born on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

• parents had permanent residence on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Grounds for refusal to grant citizenship

The President of Kazakhstan signed the Law "On Amendments and Supplements to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan", which includes new grounds for refusal to grant and restore citizenship, such as:

• lack of basic knowledge of the state language;

• committing crimes against the sexual inviolability of minors;

• involvement in extremist or terrorist organizations.

These changes are aimed at increasing control over migration and protecting civil society.

It should be noted that last year, more than 26 thousand foreigners became citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in 2022 - more than 22 thousand.

 

Author

Karina Kushchanova

kazinform.kz

translated by Qazalem