Since February 13, Kazakhstan has been operating a pilot procedure for selecting foreigners seeking permanent residence, a 10-year residence permit, or kandas status. A joint order by the labor, interior, and digital development ministries introduced a five-stage digital process. The experiment will remain in force until December 31, 2026.
The first stage requires an online KAZTEST exam in Kazakh at the A1 level. The test lasts 1 hour 10 minutes and includes 60 questions on listening and reading. Applicants must score at least 30% in each section. Violations of the rules trigger a 30-day ban on another attempt.
Applicants then complete a detailed questionnaire on migration.enbek.kz. After that, the system automatically assesses their “immigration potential” using eight criteria, including age, education, language skills, study and work experience, professional qualifications, and health. If the final result is below 400 points, the application is rejected automatically.
Those who clear that threshold are sent for checks by the police and the National Security Committee, followed by an interview. Only after receiving a notice confirming they passed the criteria assessment may they submit the main document package for permanent residence and a residence permit.
The required papers still include medical certificates, proof of no criminal record, a housing rental agreement, and proof of financial means: at least 5.7 million tenge must be held in an account at a Kazakh bank. A lawyer from the Kovcheg project told Novaya Gazeta Europe that, in practice, this requirement has become a major barrier, although exceptions formally exist for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
“The hardest part is passing Kazakh at the A1 level. But on the other hand, this is the most basic level, not B2 or C1,” the outlet’s source said.
According to Novaya Gazeta Europe, the new rules do not apply to digital nomads, people in professions considered in demand, or political refugees, and they do not change the extension procedure for residence permits already issued. Lawyers say Kazakhstan is steadily tightening its migration policy, but the full impact will become clear only after the pilot project is applied in practice.