Obtaining a residence permit for turkish citizen

The spouse of a foreign citizen applied to us for a residence permit. Her spouse is a Turkish citizen, and she herself is a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Turkish citizen has been working in the Republic of Kazakhstan since 2014 and is the founder of a cleaning company since 2021. At the same time, he worked in the Republic of Kazakhstan from 2004 to 2006 as a journalist. At the time of the application, the foreign specialist worked on the basis of a C3 work visa under the exemption. The procedure is not complicated, but it requires annual prolongation and payment of state fee. Taking into account all the aspects, it was decided to obtain permanent status.

Step by step procedure

The first step in the process was to apply for a B8 visa. In order to apply for this category of visa it is necessary to collect the whole package of documents required to apply for residence permit. In the process of checking the documents, it was found out that the Turkish citizen’s passport was expiring and he needed to change his passport. He applied to the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey in Almaty to change his passport and to obtain a certificate of no criminal record, which is the main document when applying for a residence permit. After receiving the certificate, it was necessary to apostille the certificate of no criminal record, translate and notarize it. Once all the documents were ready, we registered his documents with the Migration Service Department and after 10 working days we received the B8 visa.

Important point: a foreign citizen received a certificate of absence of criminal record at the Turkish Embassy in Almaty. The embassy does not affix an apostille. The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not accept a document without an apostille. In such cases, when a document is issued by an embassy or consular office, there is a possibility to legalize the document in the DCS of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Representatives of the DCS verify the stamp and signature of the ambassador’s representative with their database and certify the correctness of the signature. The procedure took 3 working days from the date of submission of documents.

Please note that before obtaining a residence permit it is necessary to obtain the status of permanent resident in Kazakhstan. This status is granted by the visa category B8. In order to obtain a B8 visa, it is necessary to submit a full package of documents for residence permit.

The second stage in this process was the registration of documents with the Migration Department Service for residence permit registration. Having analysed the situation of a foreign specialist, we saw several points that could increase the chances of obtaining a residence permit, namely:

1. Long-term stay on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan for work.
2. Registered business in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
3. Registered marriage to a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
4. Child citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
5. Long-term stay in the Republic of Kazakhstan of the father of a Turkish citizen since 2000 for work.

According to the work protocol of one of the districts of Almaty, first the documents are checked by an inspector. After verification of documents by the inspector, the time for submission of documents for residence permit was appointed. As a rule, the difference is 5-7 working days from document verification to registration.

Third step. After registering the documents, we wait for the acceptance ticket. Usually, it is issued within 5-10 working days. Then the migration inspector sends a request to the bank for additional confirmation of the availability of funds on the account.  The term of consideration of the residence permit is 45 calendar days from the date of issuance of the document acceptance coupon.

The fourth stage is the processing of the residence permit certificate.  After issuance of the decision on residence permit issuance, it is necessary to apply to the Public Service Centre at the place of registration for issuance of residence permit certificate. At this stage it is necessary to undergo dactyloscopy and pay the state duty for registration of residence permit certificate. The term of consideration takes 15 working days.

Processing time. In total, the procedure took 88 calendar days from the date of conclusion of the contract.

List of documents

• Application form
• Payment of state fee
• Visa category B8
• Bank certificate
• Certificate of no criminal record
• Dactyloscopy certificate
• State fee payment receipt
• Notification of arrival
• Property rental agreement

Risk areas

– A foreign national wanted to deposit money into the account, get a certificate and withdraw the money. Such a scenario leads to a direct refusal. Migration inspector additionally after registration of documents sends a request to the bank to confirm the availability of funds. We recommend keeping the money in the account until the end of the residence permit process.

– The submitted lease agreement did not meet the requirements of the authorized body. We organized a visit to our notary, where we signed a new agreement taking into account all the points.

Obligations after obtaining a residence permit

– It is necessary to stay in the RoK for at least 183 days in a calendar year after obtaining a residence permit. If the period of stay in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan is less than 183 days in a calendar year, the residence permit will be cancelled. There are exceptional cases when this period is not taken into account.

– It is necessary within 60 calendar days after obtaining a residence permit to re-issue a driving license if there is an intention to use a personal motor vehicle. When re-issuing a driving license, a theoretical test must be passed.

– in case of change of residence, it is necessary to change the residence registration by visiting the Migration Department and the Public Service Centre.

Advantages of a residence permit

• is issued for a period of 10 years or for the period of validity of a foreign passport
• requirements of the migration legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (notification, work permits, registration of temporary residence permits and visas, other procedures) are not applicable
• possibility to purchase real estate and transport in one’s own name
• possibility to re-register vehicles registered in one’s own name abroad in Kazakhstan
• possibility to open a business without special requirements