Moving to Kazakhstan with Your Family: Status, School, Healthcare and Housing

Moving alone means a visa and a suitcase. Moving a family also means schools, doctors, housing and paperwork for each person. It is easy to do things in the wrong order, such as signing a year-long lease before you know what status your spouse will get. Start with the main thing.

Step 1. Determine the main applicant's status

A family's status usually builds on that of the person moving first.

Students and seasonal workers cannot use family reunification under Article 27. A spouse counts as a family member if the marriage has lasted at least one year and is recognised under Kazakhstani law. See our guide to temporary residence for the general terms.

Step 2. Prepare documents for each person

Gather the following for your spouse and children in advance:

• passports valid long enough for the planned status;
• marriage and birth certificates;
• the child's medical records and vaccination certificate;
• school reports and certificates.

Foreign certificates will generally need an apostille and translation. This is easier before departure, while your home authorities are within reach. Names must match across all documents.

Step 3. School

The 2022 rules cover children of permanent residents and labour immigrants. Parents of a child under 16 apply to the education authority, which identifies a school with available places within three working days. The school then receives an application, a document with a registration mark, form 065/u, the referral, two photos and a transcript.

There is a limit: it was reported that at least 85% of a class must be children of Kazakhstani citizens, so a specific school near home is not assured. If there are no education documents, a commission determines the child's level. First-grade admission for 2026–2027 ran from 27 May to 31 August 2026; check next year's dates separately. Consider private and international schools too, which set their own terms.

Step 4. Healthcare

Families often assume automatic coverage that may not exist. According to Kapital.kz in September 2022, foreigners with a permanent residence permit have the same rights as citizens. Other foreigners receive free care for diseases dangerous to others and pay for the rest. Voluntary insurance widens access and allows attachment to a medical organisation.

The rules have changed over time, so confirm current terms for your status before buying a policy. Ask the insurer about children, dentistry and chronic conditions.

Step 5. Housing and registration

Rent from an owner willing to confirm your registration. From 1 July 2026, according to mybuh.kz, Interior Ministry Order No. 923 applies: the immigrant submits details through the information system, and the host confirms or rejects the registration in an app. After a change of address, you have five working days to register. Discuss this with the landlord before signing. Housing matters for another reason too: the school needs the registration mark.

If you plan to stay long term

Once the family has settled, you can look into permanent residence. Your arrival notification obligations and day-count rules also apply from the start.

As a first step, build a table: each family member, their basis, term and documents. Visa Navigator helps arrange residence permits and prepare family documents; decisions are made by state authorities.

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Rules and practice change — verify the current requirements as of the date you apply.