How to Get Kazakhstan CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 5 years
- Language
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Not accepted
- Civic test
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Not acceptedNew citizens must give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically.
- Available routes
- Region
- Asia
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in Kazakhstan is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
- Residence
- 5 years
Person has been lawfully and permanently resident for 5 years.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
Renunciation of citizenship of another country required.
- Language
- No language requirement
- Civic knowledge
- No civic knowledge requirement
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Security and public policy checks required (list of reasons for refusal).
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of Kazakhstan is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is married to a citizen and has been lawfully and permanently resident for 3 years. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of Kazakhstan, the rules below set out how this route works. Kazakhstan grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Kazachstan to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to parents who are both citizens, or to one parent who is a citizen and the other parent is stateless or of unknown citizenship.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to one parent who is a citizen and at least one parent had permanent residence in Kazachstan at the time of the child's birth. If the parent(s) have permanent residence outside the country, their joint consent is required.
Child of a new citizen
This route covers children of a person who becomes a citizen of Kazakhstan, subject to the conditions below. Kazakhstan grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is under the age of 14 years and his/her parent(s) are acquiring citizenship. If one parent remains a foreigner, the child can acquire citizenship provided that the parents submit a joint written application and provided the child has permanent residence in the country. Child's consent is required if between 14 and 18 years.
Adoption
For people adopted by citizens of Kazakhstan, the rules below set out what applies. Kazakhstan grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is a child who is adopted by parents who are citizens. If one parent is a foreigner, their joint written consent is required.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
This route covers people who previously held citizenship of Kazakhstan, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is a rehabilitated victim of mass political repressions who has been deprived of or involuntary lost citizenship (as well as his/her descendants) and who moved to the country with the aim of permanent residence.
Person is a former citizen and applies for restoration of citizenship.
Citizens of specific countries
For citizens of certain countries, the law of Kazakhstan sets separate rules, shown below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person is a citizen of a former Soviet republic who takes up permanent residence in Kazakhstan and his/her child, spouse, parent, sister, brother, grandfather or grandmother is a citizen of Kazakhstan.
Ethnic or cultural affinity
This route covers people with an ethnic or cultural link to Kazakhstan, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Persons are ethnic Kazakhs who moved to the country with the aim of permanent residence or study at a higher educational institute in Kazakhstan. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (except residence requirement).
Person is a citizen of the former union of republics, arrived in Kazakhstan with the aim of permanent residence, and has one close relative who is a citizen of the Republic of Kazakhstan (a child, including an adopted child/spouse/parent, including adoptive parents/sister or brother/grandfather or grandmother). Acquisition is irrespective of the term of the person's residence in Kazakhstan. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Stateless persons
Statelessness, or the risk of it, is the basis of this route in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Foundlings
Person is a child staying in Kazachstan and of unknown parentage.
Otherwise stateless (born in country)
Person is a child born in Kazachstan to stateless parents who have permanent residence in the country.
Special achievements
For people whose achievements or contributions are recognised by Kazakhstan, the rules below set out what applies. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
Person has performed special work for the country, or applicant is a family member of the person. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (except residence requirement).
Not available in Kazakhstan: Birth in the country, Other family members of citizens, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service, Investment. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
As a general rule, the law of Kazakhstan does not allow a second citizenship in either direction.
- New citizens
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad lose their citizenship automatically
Person acquires citizenship of another country.
Compare with neighbours
Across Central Asia, the most common requirement is 5 years, and Kazakhstan sets the same period.
See how Kazakhstan compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kyrgyzstan | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Tajikistan | 5 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 Turkmenistan | 5 years | Required, no test | Citizens abroad only |
 Uzbekistan | 5 years | Test or certificate | Not accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 16, 17.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Kazakhstan Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/kazakhstan/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/kazakhstan/">How to Get Kazakhstan Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Kazakhstani citizen?
The residence period for ordinary naturalisation in Kazakhstan is 5 years. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does Kazakhstan allow dual citizenship?
Not as a general rule. The data codes dual citizenship as not accepted in Kazakhstan.
Do I need a language test for Kazakhstani citizenship?
There is no language condition attached to Kazakhstani citizenship.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Kazakhstani citizenship?
There is no civic knowledge requirement for Kazakhstani citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Kazakhstani citizenship?
Renouncing your current citizenship is a condition of Kazakhstani citizenship.
Can I get Kazakhstan citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Kazakhstan provides a marriage route. Procedure: discretionary.
Can I get Kazakhstan citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of Kazakhstan provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic.
Can I get Kazakhstan citizenship by investment?
The data shows no investment route for Kazakhstan.
Related pages
Also see: Kazakhstan passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.