A residence permit or permanent residence permit is a document confirming the right of a foreigner to reside in the Republic of Kazakhstan for a long term.

In Kazakhstan, a residence permit is issued for the period of passport validity, but not more than 10 years, with the possibility of renewal for a similar period.

Is it required to change residence permit when changing passport?

We were approached by a client whose passport had run out of space for stamps. As a result, it was necessary to replace the passport with a new one. Despite the fact that the passport is the main document for obtaining a residence permit, the current legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan does not provide for the replacement of residence permit when changing the passport.

However, it should be taken into account that in this case it is necessary to correct passport information, namely, to update the IIN.

In what cases is it necessary to replace a residence permit?

In accordance with Article 22 of the Law on Identity Documents, the residence permit is subject to replacement in cases of:

• change of surname, first name, citizenship;
• impossibility to identify the data of the holder (for example, the letters/photo on the residence permit card have been erased);
• loss of the residence permit card

We are pleased to announce that WPK has become a member of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber was established on the initiative of the Embassies of the Kingdom of Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It actively participates in the continuation of the development of trade and economic relations between the Benelux countries and Kazakhstan, and also promotes investment cooperation of all countries, while providing consulting, information and other assistance to both Kazakhstan and Benelux companies.

We are convinced that this cooperation will contribute to the development of business opportunities and the creation of a favorable environment for successful projects.

In addition, we thank the Ambassador of Belgium to Kazakhstan Henri Van Tigem for the warm welcome at his residence. The visit is part of our efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties and expand partnership.

Today WPK office in Astana invited ExxonMobil employees for a business lunch. The branch of ExxonMobil in Kazakhstan has been our client for 15 years.

We would like to express our gratitude to the guests: Roza Nurmukhanova , Almagul Bolekbayeva and Ainagul Auyelbayeva. Thank you for a pleasant time spent together! We will be glad to see you again!

WPK places special emphasis on working and interacting with diplomatic missions in Kazakhstan.

Within the framework of this concept, our meeting was held on November 16 at the Consulate General of South Korea in Almaty.

Today our Almaty office was visited by Mr. Iwadare Hidehiko, Deputy General Director of Komek Machinery.

Since 2018, WPK has been a reliable migration partner of Komek Machinery in Kazakhstan.

For foreign citizens applying for a business visa category M from the Republic of Kazakhstan, there are several essential requirements and procedures.

The standard package of documents includes:
- Original passport
- Visa application form
- Photo 3.3 x 4.8 cm (2 copies)
- Invitation from the Chinese side
- License of the Chinese company inviting you.
- Certificate from your place of work certifying your status and intentions.
- Certificate of registration of the employing company in Kazakhstan.
- A certificate from the bank confirming the existence of an account with a balance of more than $5,000.
- Booked tickets and hotels.

It is important to note that to obtain this visa on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, foreign citizens must:
- have a residence permit in Kazakhstan;
- or stay in Kazakhstan on a multiple-entry visa for more than 6 months.
The visa application process also includes payment of the consular fee. The processing time is usually 5 working days.

This information applies to foreign citizens applying for a business visa category M from the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is necessary to prepare all documents and take into account requirements in advance or entrust the visa processing to WPK professionals.

In this article, we will consider a case - a successful instance of the legalization of Kazakhstan documents at the Consulate of Vietnam in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

We were approached by a citizen of the Russian Federation who had previously worked in Kazakhstan and decided to relocate to Vietnam for further employment. However, for successful employment in the new country, he needed to legalize a certificate of work experience issued in Kazakhstan at the Consulate of Vietnam.

One of the important aspects of legalization is the payment of consular fees. In this case, the client had to consider that each document subject to legalization incurs a fee of $15. It's also worth noting that for document legalization at the Consulate of Vietnam, translation of the document is required. In this case, the translation was done by the Consulate staff, and the cost of translation per page was $20.

After preparing the document package and making the fee payments on behalf of the client through power of attorney, we submitted the documents to the Consulate of Vietnam in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The legalization process took two and a half weeks, which is an acceptable timeframe for this procedure. Subsequently, the documents were sent to the client in Vietnam, where he was able to successfully use them for employment.

It's important to highlight that in addition to consular fees and translation, there may be additional expenses during the legalization process. This could include document delivery, notarial certification, or other urgent client needs. Such expenses are usually billed separately to the clients after the successful completion of the legalization process.

This case serves as an excellent example of the successful legalization of Kazakhstani documents at the Consulate of Vietnam. Collaboration between the client and WPK made this process smooth and efficient. It underscores the importance of proper preparation and planning when moving abroad for work, as well as the necessity of professional assistance in document legalization.

In the modern world of mobility and globalization, there is an increasing number of cases when citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan become parents abroad, and their children acquire the citizenship of another country. However, when returning to Kazakhstan, parents often overlook an important requirement - the need to obtain a C11 visa for foreign minor citizens.

To obtain this visa, it is sufficient for only one of the parents to have Kazakhstan citizenship. Neglecting the process of obtaining a visa for a child can lead to an administrative offense in accordance with Article 517 of the Administrative Code of Kazakhstan (fine up to 15 MCI (Monthly Calculation Index).

Key aspects of the C11 visa:

Multiplicity and validity period. The C11 visa can be issued for both single and multiple entries. A single-entry visa is valid for one year from the date of issuance, while a multiple-entry visa can be valid for up to three years. Stay in Kazakhstan is possible for the entire duration of the visa's validity.

Application letter. To obtain a C11 visa, parents must submit an application to the Migration Service Department at their place of temporary residence. The processing of the application may take up to 5-7 working days.

Required documents. When applying for the C11 visa, parents or legal representatives must provide the necessary documents, including the original passport, the child's birth certificate, a visa application form, and a receipt for the visa state fee.

The C11 visa plays a crucial role in ensuring the legal residence of minor children with foreign citizenship in Kazakhstan. Complying with the conditions and requirements of this visa will ensure the legal stay of children in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

To apply for the C11 visa, you can contact WPK, where our specialists will prepare the necessary documents and assist you throughout the entire process.

What should you do if a foreign employee stops working in the company, but the work visa is still valid?

In this case, in order to remove responsibility for the further stay of a foreigner from the company, it is necessary to cancel a work visa and obtain an exit visa, category B16.

Here are some tips:
1. Revoke the work permit (if available)
2. Prepare a petition from the company with a request for cancellation of visa
3. Pay the state fee in the amount of 7 MCI
4. Submit documents for cancellation to the Migration Service at the region of registration of the company

After that, for the foreigner will be issued a single-entry visa of category B 16 for a period of 30 days, during which he must leave the country.

After completing these actions, the employer disclaims responsibility for the continued stay of the former employee in the country.

WPK has been successfully cooperating with Japanese companies such as Sumitomo, Marubeni, Inpex, Komatsu, Komek Machinery and others for many years.

Today we were pleased to attend a business meeting organized by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). We are greatful for the invitation!

Today we held a meeting with representatives of Henley & Partners.
Henley & Partners is a global leader in residence and citizenship by investment.

The company is known for creating the Passport Index, which it publishes annually in co-operation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The IATA branch in Kazakhstan has been entrusting WPK with its migration issues for many years.

China's ambassador to the Netherlands has signed documents to accede to the Hague Convention.

What does this mean?
Starting from November 7, 2023, the legalisation procedure will be replaced by the apostille in accordance with the Hague Convention. The procedure will become simplified as it will not require legalisation by a Chinese consulate.

What documents are subject to apostilisation?
It is possible to apostille the following Kazakhstani documents for submission to China:

• diploma on education (including an appendix)
• general secondary education certificate
• marriage certificate, birth certificate
• certificate of marital capacity
• police clearance certificate, tax residency
• other official documents

Is it possible to apply for Schengen visa without personal presence?

There are 2 categories for applying for Schengen visa without personal presence:
- children, who are under 12 years old;
- persons, who have received Schengen visa earlier.

Personal presence is required for submitting biometric data. Children, under the age of 12, are exempt from such submission and their presence is not obligated. However, separate package of documents for children need to be collected and a questionnaire is filled out by one of the parents. The questionnaire has to be signed either one of the parents.

Persons, who have previously received a Schengen visa, have already submitted biometric data. However, this data has to be done within the last 5 years and this person is relieved of the necessity of present in person.

Please note that in some cases fingerprints are not reflected in the database and the consulate may require a re-submission of biometric data.

Legalization of judicial documents is a complex process, especially when it comes to presenting documents in countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention. Each country has its unique requirements, procedures, and unwritten rules for this process.

For example, when legalizing court decisions with the Embassy of Embassy of China (PRC), it is necessary to undergo an interview with the Consul to clarify the details of the legal case. This stage requires careful attention to details and a professional approach.

We take pride in the successful completion of a case involving the legalization of judicial documents with the Embassy of China (PRC). Even in cases where the embassy initially declined to legalize judicial documents, through negotiations with government authorities, we were able to successfully finish the case.

The legalization of legal documents is more likely to be successful when entrusted to experienced professionals.
For additional information and consultation, please feel free to contact us.

On September 22, we visited SDU University, gave a guest lecture on migration legislation in the Republic of Kazakhstan and told students about WPK Company.

Students actively participated in the discussion and asked questions about our work. We also shared with them knowledge and cases from legal practice.

Quite often foreign employees lose their passport with a work visa outside of Kazakhstan. In such cases, the visa is automatically cancelled and cannot be restored.

The first step that a foreign employee should take is to obtain a new passport, and the employer should reissue the current work permit for a new passport number. The reissue process is carried out due to the change of the passport data of the employee.

Then, it is necessary to apply for a new work visa. If a foreign employee is outside the Republic of Kazakhstan, when applying for a visa, employer needs to issue an invitation letter. It is also possible to attach a work visa on the territory of Kazakhstan if a foreign employee has arrived to the country on a visa-free regime*.

*not applicable to citizens of India, Iran and China.

Today was the first day of the seminar on the changes in the rules and prevention of offenses in IRS involvement.

The seminar was also attended by representatives of the British, US and Dutch Embassies.

When applying for a Schengen visa, it is necessary to consider the following requirements for a applicant's passport:
• the validity period of the passport should not exceed 10 years;
• the passport must be valid for three months after leaving the Schengen country;
• the passport must have at least 2 empty pages.

For example, a client contacted us with a request to urgently travel to a country within the Schengen zone. However, his passport expires in 4 months.

We recommended to take into account that it will take time to search a free place to record the submission, as well as the period of consideration of the application itself will be about 2-3 weeks. Therefore, it is advised to plan the trip in advance and do not forget about the validity period of the passport.

In the case of our client, we have decided to proceed a new passport and apply for a visa only after receiving it.

The applicant might be refused for a couple of reasons while applying for a Residence Permit.
When can the application for Residence Permit be submitted in another request in case of refusion?

According to the current Rules of issuing Temporary Residence Permit, another request for Residence Permit can be applied no earlier than 1 year after the date of refusal or cancellation of the Residence Permit.

In order to minimalize risks of refusal you can contact WPK consultants for advice on registration of a Residence Permit documents. We will be happy to help with applying for Residence Permit or offer alternative option in case of refusal.

What actions should the company take if a foreign employee has changed the passport for which the work permit was issued? The company turned to us with such a question.

In this case, the employer company needs to obtain a duplicate of the work permit indicating the new passport data.

An application for a duplicate work permit is submitted electronically through the «e-license» portal. The application must be accompanied by the translated copy of new passport.

Also, according to the current rules, it is necessary to obtain a duplicate work permit when changing the data of the employer company (changing the name, company details and reorganization).

A certificate of absence or presence of a criminal record is issued by public service centers (TSON). To obtain, you must have a valid IIN (Individual Identification Number) in Kazakhstan. The certificate is issued on average 3-5 calendar days.

If you are abroad or do not have the opportunity to personally prepare and submit documents, entrust the issues of issuing a certificate of no criminal record to our immigration consultants. We will prepare a package of documents on time and represent your interests by proxy.

If it is necessary, our consultants can also legalize or apostille documents for use abroad.

Earlier, our company sent a letter with suggestions to JSC NC "Kazakh tourism" for further improvement of e-Qonaq.

We asked to add the "address of residence" column when filling in the data so that the employer can indicate the actual address of residence of the invited foreigner.

As we have known, Kazakh tourism took into account our suggestion. Technicians have already added this column in the e-Qonaq system in a test order!

Today our office was visited by Martin Geiger, Professor at Carleton University, Canada. Mr Geiger specialises in international migration issues. We discussed the current migration rules and exchanged practices for resolving issues of foreign citizens. We hope that Mr Geiger will be a speaker at one of our future conferences.

Today the WPK team held a second meeting for representatives of foreign embassies and consulates in Kazakhstan.

The meeting was held at the Sheraton Hotel and was dedicated to the visa and migration rules of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Border Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan were invited to participate.
During the meeting, WPK consultants familiarized the participants with the current order of entry, exit and stay of foreigners, special attention was paid to the prevention of offenses. The participants of the meeting had a chance to pose questions and discuss the issues they face when contacting their citizens.

Traditionally, the conference is attended by foreign and Kazakhstani companies that attract foreign labor, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions of foreign countries in Kazakhstan.

This time the conference was attended by representatives of the Consulate General of South Korea in Kazakhstan, companies: STADA, Kaz Minerals, Nokia Solutions, TotalEnergies, JTI, BAT, ILF and 60 other companies.

WPK in collaboration with Tengizchevroil has been held a workshop-meeting in Atyrau.

The workshop was organized for TCO business partners and was dedicated to the issues of compliance with labor and migration legislation.

Also, representatives of territorial and state authorities participated in the seminar.

Kazakhstan and Andorra have signed a bilateral agreement on visa-free regime.

Therefore, citizens of Andorra can enter Kazakhstan without visa for up to 30 calendar days. Meanwhile, total period of stay in Kazakhstan under visa-free regime should not exceed 90 days within a 180-day period.

Mutual exemption from visa requirements will increase business contacts and the flow of foreign tourists.

Effective July 1, the employment departments of Atyrau and West Kazakhstan regions have started accepting applications for the engaging foreign labor force in 2023.

WKO employment department accepts quota applications only in electronic form via the eGov.kz portal or online service eOtinish.kz. Employers of the Atyrau region can still submit the application to the employment department in paper form.

Pay attention: according to the current rules, the Committee for quota formation may reject the application in whole or in part if the employer has violations of the labor legislation and work permit regulations.

The Department of Employment and Social Programs of Nur-Sultan has started accepting applications for the formation of quota for foreign workers in 2023. Deadline for quota application is September 30, 2022.

Application must include the number of foreign employees with valid work permits and the number of specialists that the employer expects to invite in 2023.

We remind you that quota is not required for foreigners working under exemption without work permits, as well as for those involved under intra-corporate transfer.